"Tre Bicchieri" Gambero Rosso 2027

In South Tyrol, the name St. Valentin has long stood for more than just a premium range – it is a promise. A promise of precision, a commitment to terroir, and the determination to draw the maximum expression from well-known grape varieties. With the Pinot Grigio, this is achieved in an almost understated manner – without drama, but with depth and character. The vines for the St. Valentin Pinot Grigio grow on selected, higher-altitude plots around Eppan, where calcareous gravel soils, alpine altitude and long hours of sunshine create an exceptional interplay. A Pinot Grigio that does not aim for quick fruitiness or casual appeal, but rather for structure, minerality and longevity. After harvest, fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels – the subsequent ageing on the fine lees lends it substance and a hint of creamy elegance.

The grapes for the Carluccio "Carlo" Negri – named after the winery's key pioneer – come from vineyards in the Valtellina DOC and DOCG areas, situated on the slopes of the Rhaetian Alps along the right bank of the River Adda. Sfursat, for which the region is world-renowned, is produced through the natural drying of the grapes, aided by the cool, dry winds from the mountains. During this process, in the "fruttaio" (the drying shed), they lose almost 30% of their weight. The result is therefore a unique Nebbiolo: rich and intense, with the typical mineral and fresh character of Alpine wines.

As early as 1716, Grand Duke Cosimo III included Valdarno di Sopra in his edict, alongside Chianti Classico, Carmignano and Pomino; the appellation itself was not established until 2011. Il Borro lies on the right bank of the Arno between Florence and Arezzo, and it is here that the Sangiovese matures in an ancient form of ageing: clay amphorae. The vines are organically cultivated on the estate, and the grapes are harvested by hand into 10-kilo crates. Fermentation takes place in the amphorae, where the cap of pomace is stirred by hand five to six times a day; the wine remains on the skins for eleven months. It is then aged for twelve months in the bottle. In the 2021 vintage, rain at the end of August ensured full ripeness, following a mild winter, a cool spring and an average summer.

An uncompromisingly natural Franciacorta: Essence Nature dispenses entirely with dosage and thus presents itself with clear purity, dry tension and precise fruit. The base consists mainly of Chardonnay, supplemented by Pinot Nero from carefully selected, moraine-rich vineyards. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a continuously fine perlage. Yellow citrus fruit, green apple, white acacia and a delicate hint of brioche are present on the nose. On the palate, this Dosaggio Zero is dry, lively and structured - with lively acidity, mineral freshness and a clear texture. The long finish remains focussed, with a delicate hint of bitter almond. A very puristic Franciacorta, fine and distinctive with just 1.90 g/l residual sugar - one of our absolute favourites! SUPERIORE.DE

The vineyard is called Racciano. Armando Castagno, Italy's leading Vernaccia expert, has carried out thorough research: the name can be traced back to "Fundus Rasianus" – land of the Rasini, a people of Etruscan origin. 2.5 hectares, east-facing, planted exclusively with Vernaccia. The Racciano plot is the sole source of L'Albereta – gran Riserva, the highest expression permitted by the Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG. The brothers Giampiero and Stefano, together with their father Mario, who still oversees the work in the vineyard today, have nevertheless decided to treat this wine differently from all the others there. And there aren't many of them.

Ben Ryé – Donnafugata's great, naturally sweet and world-famous white wine. The grape harvest begins in mid-August, and the grapes are left to dry naturally for 20 to 30 days. In September, the later-ripening grapes are harvested and processed whilst still fresh. The hand-picked, raisin-like berries are added to the must in several stages during fermentation. Pale orange-yellow in colour. Overwhelming aromas of apricot, peach and orange peel. On the palate, creamy notes of passion fruit and peach with impressive elegance and length. For us, one of Italy's finest sweet wines every year! SUPERIORE.DE

Gianfranco Gallo has a saying he always repeats: "Wine needs time to reveal its true character." This is not modesty – it is an attitude that shapes his entire winery. Since 1992, all Vie di Romans wines have only been released onto the market two years after the harvest. The Chardonnay that bears his name is the most personal expression of this conviction. The vineyard is situated in Mariano del Friuli on glacial gravel soils deposited by the Isonzo over millennia – rich in gravel, highly mineral and well-aerated. The Bora winds from the east create marked temperature fluctuations between day and night, combining Mediterranean ripeness with Alpine freshness in a rare harmony. Late harvest to achieve maximum aromatic ripeness. Control over oxidation from the very start. Fermentation at a controlled temperature, nine months' ageing on the lees in barriques, followed by bottle ageing.

Cartizze covers just over 100 hectares, and right in the middle of it, between Santo Stefano and San Pietro di Barbozza, lies Villa Sandi's La Rivetta vineyard. The slopes are steep and, in places, difficult to access; the vines are tended by hand, just as one would in a garden. The soil dates from the Miocene period; it is sandy, with calcareous sandstone and clay. Behind the estate stands the Polegato family: the grandfather purchased his first vineyards in the early 1920s. In the late 1970s, his grandsons Mario and Giancarlo acquired a villa in Crocetta del Montello, dating from 1622, which had once hosted Napoleon, and were among the first to export Prosecco abroad. The grapes are harvested in mid-September. The whole grapes are fed into the pneumatic press and gently pressed; the must is racked once. The second fermentation takes place at 15 to 16 degrees and is halted by cooling as soon as the alcohol and sugar levels are correct.

Pas Dosé – here, the dosage that is normally added is omitted; this dosage, applied after disgorging, determines not only the sugar content but also the style of the sparkling wine that has fermented in the bottle. Instead, the volume naturally lost during the years of bottle ageing is replaced by other wines from the estate, which do not, however, further affect the sugar content. The result is an extremely dry sparkling wine that is by no means lacking in body, character or finely nuanced flavours.

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally restricted yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak barrels (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden barrels.

"For me, Pinot Noir is the finest and, at the same time, the most challenging grape variety," Franz Haas once said. His father had always grown it, so his path was already mapped out – until one day he had the good fortune to taste an exceptional Grands Échezeaux from Burgundy. From that moment on, his real challenge began: to create a wine that would follow in its footsteps. Countless experimental batches over decades, using a wide variety of clones, fermentation and ageing methods, all pursued a goal that had already been his father's: the perfect Pinot Nero. Franz Haas dedicated a specially designed artist's label to this wine, which embodies his entire passion for the most challenging of all grape varieties: Riccardo Schweizer designed it for the first vintage of 1987 – released in 1990 – and thus gave the wine its name. To this day, this wine is not produced every year: it is only released if it meets his own exacting standards.

The Bòggina vineyard was planted in 1947 by Gastone Bazzocchi, the grandfather of the family who currently own the estate, making it the estate's oldest vineyard. When Petrolo began bottling its Sangiovese from this plot separately in 2011, the family opted for a vessel that dates back further in Tuscan history than any barrique: the terracotta amphora, crafted according to the tradition of the potters of Impruneta, which traces back to the region's Etruscan heritage. In 300- andLiters, the single-varietal Sangiovese ferments spontaneously with minimal sulphur, being punched down by hand rather than pumped. The must remains on the skins for around eight months before the wine matures for a further six months in the same vessel – without wood, but with the slight permeability to oxygen provided by the fired clay, which prevents reduction without robbing the fruit of its character.

Mare Antico pays homage to the marine fossils and shells found in the soils of Orvieto. It wafts up like a cool breeze from a mountain peak, its intriguing bouquet blending crushed rock with raw almonds, a hint of sage, ginger and flint. Mare Antico flows across the palate with skilful ease, long and citrus-driven. It also possesses a lovely inner sweetness, contrasted by candied lime and salty minerals. It finishes with structure and crispness, featuring a crisp green apple and a lingering acidity that leaves you craving the next sip.

On the Costa degli Etruschi, where the Maestrale blows in from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the waves crash just ten kilometres away, Massimo Piccin has been realising his dream of the perfect Bordeaux blend since 1999. From the modest farmstead in Castagneto Carducci, under his visionary guidance and with the advice of the renowned OenologistCarlo Ferrini, a 40-hectare vineyard has emerged, which today ranks amongst Bolgheri's most respected estates. Volpolo embodies the pure essence of this exceptional site between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona; the name pays homage to the ancient Tuscan grape variety Volpola and is also an expression of the estate's deep roots in the Bolgheri terroir. This certified organic cuvée, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, thrives on the estate's 27 different soil types – a mosaic of sand, clay, limestone and sea pebbles that owes its mineral richness to the former marshlands. The proximity to the sea provides the vines with the constant ventilation and intense light that allow the Bordeaux varieties to ripen here to unprecedented levels of complexity.

In 1972, Herbert Tiefenbrunner did something that was considered a risk at the time: he planted Müller-Thurgau. A grape variety traditionally associated with simple, uncomplicated wines from cooler northern regions, and he did so at an altitude of 1,000 metres, on the Fennberg plateau in the municipality of Margreid. One hectare to begin with; today there are three. The vines are planted on a gentle south-facing slope, sheltered at the rear by the mighty rocky ridge of the Rotwand, which keeps out the cold north winds. The soil is exceptional: red, loamy-sandy earth, interspersed with white and red marble, porphyry and granite boulders, with dolomite and limestone beneath. The high salt content of this subsoil shapes the characteristic fruit and herbal aromas for which this vineyard is now regarded as a benchmark across Europe – the highest-altitude Müller-Thurgau growing area on the entire continent!

Anyone who knows the south-east of Montalcino knows: no sea breezes, no proximity to the lake, no soft light. Monte Amiata reigns supreme here – the extinct volcano in the background, which breaks the winds, intensifies the temperature fluctuations between day and night and gives the soil its unmistakable character: Galestro slate, gritty, barren, rich in minerals. Oaks and holm oaks stand between the vines, where elsewhere cypresses or olive trees characterise the landscape. Poggio al Granchio – the "crab hill" – lies at 380 to 450 metres, south-east exposure, the historical heart of the appellation. Val di Suga acquired this vineyard in 1999, thus completing a triangle that no other producer in Montalcino possesses. The grapes are harvested by hand in crates, in micro-zones, and the optical selection is uncompromising. In the cellar: fermentation for ten to fourteen days, followed by intensive post-fermentation maceration at 30 degrees for twenty to twenty-five days – this is where extract, density and colour are created. 2021 was particularly favourable for the Poggio al Granchio. The influence of Monte Amiata mitigated the dryness of the summer, while the long autumn ensured even ripeness.

In 1997, Francesco Ricasoli planted the first vines on a 7.6-hectare plot near Gaiole as part of a project aimed at exploring Sangiovese and its diverse soils. Ten years later, in 2007, the first single-vineyard cru was bottled from these vines – the first of a total of three vineyards identified through the estate’s comprehensive soil mapping. The vines are situated at an altitude of 380 metres with a south-easterly aspect, on calcareous-clay Alberese soil – one of the most characteristic soils of Chianti Classico – which is stony and low in organic matter. A single-varietal Sangiovese, comprising three different clones, is grown here at a high density of 6,600 vines per hectare. After around two weeks of fermentation and maceration with daily punching down, the wine matures for 22 months inLiters, 30% of which are new, before being released following further bottle ageing.

Since the 16th century, the Allegrini family has been playing a part in the history of Valpolicella. Giovanni Allegrini, the visionary, is regarded as the architect of its renaissance. A man they called "il ragno delle botti" – the cellar master spider – because he would wander restlessly amongst his barrels, always in search of perfection. His son Franco carried on the legacy, revolutionising the appassimento process with the construction of Terre di Fumane – a state-of-the-art drying facility that precisely controls temperature, humidity and air circulation. Since 2022, the estate has been in the hands of the third generation: Francesco, Giovanni, Matteo and Silvia. The Amarone is made from vines that have been rooted in the hills of Fumane for over 30 years, at altitudes of between 450 and 520 metres, on clay and limestone soils of volcanic origin. Corvina Veronese and Corvinone each account for 45% of the blend, complemented by Rondinella and Oseleta. Following the hand-harvest in September, the transformation begins: the grapes rest for four months in the "Fruttaio", losing 40 to 45% of their weight whilst concentrating their sugars and aromas. In January, gentle pressing takes place, followed by 25 days' maceration at a controlled temperature. Ageing: 18 months in new barriques, a further seven months in large casks, and finally 14 months' bottle ageing – a total of over three years before the wine leaves the estate.

Eichhorn Vineyard – the name evokes South Tyrol, with its centuries-old vines rooted in sandy loam soils on weathered volcanic porphyry rock. As with the Sauvignon, this plot is also situated within the Tenuta Lieben Aich in Terlan, 300 metres above sea level, facing south-west towards the mild air currents. But whilst Tannenberg aims for maximum minerality, Eichhorn seeks a balance between alpine clarity and Mediterranean richness. Here, Pinot Bianco – known as "Weißburgunder" to South Tyroleans – matures into a variety that oscillates between restraint and expression. Following a damp spring and a hot summer, 2024 brought that golden autumn which allowed the grapes to reach perfect physiological ripeness. The grapes were hand-harvested at the end of September, striking an ideal balance between ripeness, freshness and moderate alcohol content – a vintage that combines a cool character with ripe fruit. The yield was 50 hectolitres per hectare. The destemmed berries remain in the press for eight hours for maceration – a shorter time than for Sauvignons, as Pinot Blanc handles structure more subtly. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in wooden barrels, followed by nine months' ageing on the fine lees.

Novello, situated on the plateau above the valley, produces the most austere and mineral-driven expression of the entire G.D. Vajra range. Unlike the local vineyards in Vergne, Ravera lies at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, with highly calcareous, clay-rich marl from the same Sant'Agata Formation, which lends the Nebbiolo here more structure than aroma. The south-west-facing aspect ensures a long, even ripening process on this exposed plateau. Giuseppe Vaira himself likes to describe the wine as powerful yet weightless, almost electric in its directness. This single-varietal Nebbiolo is aged for around 42 months after fermentation in large Slavonian oak botti, deliberately matured with restraint so as not to mask the powerful, multi-layered character of the vineyard.

In South Tyrol, the name St. Valentin has long stood for more than just a premium range – it is a promise. A promise of precision, a commitment to terroir, and the determination to draw the maximum expression from well-known grape varieties. With the Pinot Grigio, this is achieved in an almost understated manner – without drama, but with depth and character. The vines for the St. Valentin Pinot Grigio grow on selected, higher-altitude plots around Eppan, where calcareous gravel soils, alpine altitude and long hours of sunshine create an exceptional interplay. A Pinot Grigio that does not aim for quick fruitiness or casual appeal, but rather for structure, minerality and longevity. After harvest, fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels – the subsequent ageing on the fine lees lends it substance and a hint of creamy elegance.

In 1967, Sergio Manetti, a Milanese industrialist and passionate art collector, bought an abandoned estate in the hills of Radda in Chianti. He knew little about wine. He knew a great deal about quality. And he decided early on that his wine would make no compromises – not even those demanded of him by the appellation. When the Chianti Classico DOCG stipulated that white grape varieties must be blended in, Manetti refused. From then on, his wine was known as Toscana IGT. Not out of a lack of pride in Chianti – but because he had too much of it. What grows at Montevertine are the three indigenous red grape varieties of Chianti: Sangiovese as the soul, Canaiolo for elegance, and Colorino for colour and structure. No additions, no international compromises. Martino Manetti, Sergio's son, runs the estate with the same conviction: "Simplicity, respect, care for every detail and savoir-faire" – this is how the estate itself describes its philosophy. Words that sound simple, yet are so difficult to put into practice.

The famous Castello della Sala stands on a hill above Orvieto – a medieval stronghold, surrounded by woodland and olive groves, deep in the tranquillity of Umbria. The Marchesi Antinori have owned it for generations; but what made it a wine legend was the first Cervaro della Sala in 1985: a white wine conceived like a red – barrique fermentation, malolactic fermentation, and a long ageing process. Producing a white wine capable of ageing for decades was by no means a given in Italy at that time. But it became one. The winemaking process follows a principle once formulated by Renzo Cotarella and which still applies today: as little intervention as possible. The Castello's winery operates using gravity – no mechanical pumps, no unnecessary stress on the grapes. The harvest begins in the early hours of the morning, when temperatures are still cool. The Chardonnay macerates on the skins for four hours at 10 degrees, then ferments in barriques and matures with partial malolactic fermentation. The Grechetto remains exclusively in stainless steel – it brings the tension that the Chardonnay alone cannot provide. In February, the two are blended together.

Montalcino, November 2008. Gianni Brunelli's thread was severed – as Laura herself puts it (he passed away). Anyone familiar with the elegance with which the estate has been run since then will understand that this was not the beginning of an end, but rather a different kind of continuity: quieter, more focused, perhaps even more resolute. Laura Brunelli, a biologist from Sardinia who has been the driving force behind two institutions for decades – the Osteria Le Logge in Siena and the vineyards on the slopes of Montalcino – has not replaced Gianni. She has carried on. And that is a difference you can taste in the glass.