Veronelli

A Riserva that only comes into being when the year allows it – and which makes a promise with its name: Essenze stands for the essence of the grape variety, the terroir and the time. The grapes come exclusively from the best cru sites in the municipalities of Barolo, Monforte, Serralunga, La Morra and Castiglione Falletto. Each parcel is vinified separately, carefully monitored, matured – and finally composed like a mosaic. The result: a Riserva Barolo that does not need to be loud to radiate authority. It is only bottled in exceptional years such as 2015 – after more than 42 months of ageing in large barrels and barriques.

The single vineyard Bufaleffi is considered one of the most historic cru zones around Pachino, the historic heart of Nero d'Avola. The deep red soils with a high iron and lime content, the hot climate tempered by the sea air at night and the organic cultivation form the foundation of this single vineyard wine. The ungrafted vines are over fifty years old, the yield is low and the harvest is selective and manual. After the classic mash fermentation, the wine matures for over two years in used barriques and then for a long time in the bottle – this gives it density, structure and expression.

Le Baròncole Riserva impresses with its juicy fruit and stone fruit flavours on the nose and continues this beautiful impression on the palate. Cherry, sour cherries, blackberry, very juicy and powerful in appearance, completely fills the palate, but always remains lively and elegant. Silky, fine-grained tannins and a long, balsamic finish whet the appetite for the next glass. Good substance. Good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

On the nose, ripe plum, baking spice, menthol and new leather. On the elegantly structured, delicious palate, notes of ground pepper and liquorice accentuate a core of juicy black cherry and crushed raspberry, supported by a backbone of taut, refined tannins. The fresh acidity keeps it beautifully balanced. Racy and seductive. SUPERIORE.DE

A name that breathes history: since 2011, the grapes for Marchese Antinori have come exclusively from the vineyards of Tenuta Tignanello – the legendary location that lies at the heart of the Chianti Classico between the gentle hills of the Greve and Pesa valleys. Here, where the Medici once walked and where the Antinori family has been realising its visionary wine philosophy since 1850, one of the purest interpretations of Sangiovese thrives on stony limestone soils. The 2022 vintage tells of a summer of extremes – little rain until August, hot spells in June and July. But the old vines proved resilient: even budding, regular flowering, perfectly ripe grapes for the harvest. In the winery's cellars, winemaking was carried out with classic precision: gentle destemming, gentle pressing, one week of fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Ten days of maceration using gentle methods – an extraction that combines intensity with elegant, supple tannins. Natural acid degradation until the end of the year, then twelve months of ageing in French and Hungarian oak barrels, followed by a further twelve months of bottle ageing before release.

The Popoli vineyard bears witness to the fact that the Valle Reale plateau has been a wine-growing area since time immemorial. Several rows of this vineyard stretch out in front of the ruins of a cave cellar dating back to 1300. This is where the Benedictine monks from the monastery of San Benedetto in Perillis produced and stored their wine. The larger part of this very old site, where Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is cultivated, extends southwards towards the entrance to the valley.

Ornello is an open wine with beautiful, inviting aromas of ripe, dark fruit, cedar wood, dried herbs, tobacco and incense. All of this has a pleasant depth. Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and a juicy, ripe finish. Very good value. SUPERIORE.DE

Terre Brune: A monument to the art of Sardinian viticulture, borne by the year 2020, which wonderfully captured the essence of the island in its balance between heat and night-time equalisation. For Terre Brune, this meant a late harvest accompanied by cool nights. The result: maturity in harmony with freshness, expressive and enriching. Incidentally, the 2020 vintage was a gift of ripeness everywhere in southern Sardinia. Warm spells were balanced out by Atlantic breezes and the grapes remained healthy and aromatic. The late harvest ensured a rich, but never overripe concentration – ideal conditions for a wine with lively acidity and body in harmony.

A wine with origin and signature: The grapes come from the renowned Scarrone vineyard directly below Castiglione Falletto – a warm south-east exposure with calcareous marl soils. Vietti cultivates the vineyard organically and vinifies the Vigna Scarrone with respect for the grape variety and terroir. Temperature-controlled maceration is followed by ageing in large barrels and used barriques – an approach that promotes both structure and elegance.

Different location, different profile: Contrada Calderana Sottana comes from a special place. In the Calderana Sottana subzone, south-east of the summit, where the altitude begins and the soil consists of fine volcanic clay and sand, vines are rooted at over 700 metres, spoilt by the sun early in the morning and shaped by the coolness and high-altitude winds at night – a terroir that favours tension and freshness in equal measure. The 2021 vintage was also restrained in its ripeness in this location, but rich in expression. Vinified from 100% Nerello Mascalese, traditionally grown in Alberello, the wine is aged for around 12 months in tonneaux after controlled fermentation and short maceration. The ageing process is seen as fine work – it shapes and emphasises without overpowering.

The road to Sant'Angelo in Colle leads to the south-west side of the Montalcino hill. Here lies the Tenuta Il Poggione – one of the oldest and most reliable houses in the appellation. Lavinio Franceschi, a Florentine landowner, bought the estate at the end of the 19th century after, it is said, hearing about the beauty of these hills from a shepherd. He was one of the first to market Brunello under this name and one of the founders of the consortium. Today, the fourth generation – leopoldo and Livia Franceschi – run the estate with 140 hectares of vines, the oldest vines up to 60 years old and a philosophy that has not fundamentally changed in a century.

Tor di Lupo, the Wolf's Gate – a name that inspires respect. The flagship of Andriano was one of the very first premium Lagrein in South Tyrol. You could say that it is a primeval rock of South Tyrolean quality winegrowing. Since the early days, the winery has produced this Riserva from grapes from Gries near Bolzano, the classic home of Lagrein.

The extremely popular and elegant Amarone classic from Zenato comes from Sant'Ambrogio, the heart of the Valpolicella Classico, where the family has had its home since 1960. Corvina dominates the cuvée with eighty per cent, complemented by Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina – all from the slopes of the Costalunga parcel. After the hand harvest in October, the ritual of appassimento begins: the grapes rest for four months in shallow crates, losing water and concentrating sugar and flavours. Pressing does not take place until January, followed by slow fermentation with skin contact. The wine then matures for thirty-six months in large Slavonian oak barrels before being released after further maturation in the bottle.

The Nerello grapes (100% Mascalese) come from the northern slope of Etna from plots in the Contrada Dafara Galluzzo in the Rovittello district. Opens in a delicate ruby red colour, then fine, heady, spicy on the nose, revealing a pretty basket of red fruits after a few minutes of aeration. Initially closed on the palate, only gradually revealing its flavour facets, then medium pressure in the middle, with a very fine structure and almost Burgundian finesse and elegance. The finish is harmonious and of excellent length. SUPERIORE.DE

Avvoltore is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Powerful and explosive in the glass, it possesses remarkable intensity in all its dimensions, with great fruit and equally impressive tannins. Dark cherry, leather, smoke, tobacco, liquorice and grilled herbs form a virile, imposing Maremma red wine that will need at least a few years to develop its full expressive power. Once again, Morisfarms has done a great job with its flagship wine. SUPERIORE.DE,

Deep crimson ruby red colour. On the nose, it smells of raspberries with beautiful concentration, a peppery tingle and perfectly integrated oak. Lively, crushed red berry fruit on the palate with long, finely chiselled tannins. It closes up a little on the finish, so you can expect much more, but for now it is already irresistible. Balanced and very elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

Rich, deep dark ruby colour with a fine violet sheen. Compact and appealing nose, showing crisp fruit, especially blackcurrants and mulberries, underpinned by fine chocolate tones. Extremely precise on the palate too: ripe, fresh fruit, opens with firm, densely woven tannins, develops rich pressure, then juicy and long-lasting in the vibrant final. SUPERIORE.DE

First-class, ruby-red Pinot Noir with a garnet-red shimmer. Fine fruity bouquet of wild berries and cherries. An elegant red, well-proportioned and never overloaded, but with a clear identity and elegant character. SUPERIORE.DE

Anadûron – this is the Celtic name for Naturns. Translated, it means "settlement on the marsh". A strange name for a village that lies on dry primary rock, criss-crossed by porphyry, granite and slate, on steep south-facing slopes between 600 and 900 metres. Not a trace of the swamp. Instead, thousands of years of geology speak through every glass of this wine. Franz Pratzner has created Anadûron as a tribute to Naturns and the entire Adige Valley – a selection of the estate's best Riesling parcels, which differs from regular Riesling not only in the selection, but in every step of the vinification process. Grapes of hand-picked quality, spontaneous fermentation in French tonneaux – not in large acacia wood barrels – followed by twelve months of ageing in tonneaux, five months in steel and finally 31 months in the bottle. Around four years from harvestto glass. No other wine from the estate is given more time.

The world-famous Valpolicella Superiore from Zenato, produced using the Ripasso method, is a rich wine with the best value. It is peppery, with earthy tones and gravel giving way to black cherries and savoury herbs. It reveals deep, silky textures balanced by vibrant acids, while ripe red and black fruits resonate under a hint of lavender. Zenato's Ripassa is concentrated and intense, but at the same time conveys elegance and leaves a fresh note of violet candy on the palate that lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

Animanaturale from vines over 60 years old is the lightest and freshest wine from the new Animaetna line of the small garage winery Contrada Santa Spirito, which belongs to Feudo Maccari. Matured almost entirely in amphorae, the Nerello Mascalese grape presents itself here in all its fruitiness and freshness, completely unadulterated and pure. The grapes are foot-pressed, spontaneous fermentation is carried out using the grapes' own yeasts, racking and bottling take place according to the phases of the moon. On the palate, the flavours of red fruits and berries are tangy and vibrant with a precise and very mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes Guido Berlucchi's fine vintage Franciacorta, which does not require any dosage (zero) and thus perfectly rounds off the top end of the 61 collection. The "61" line stands for the birth year of the first Franciacorta, which was created in 1961 in the centuries-old Berlucchi vineyards. The grapes come from four vineyards between Corte Franca and Provaglio d'Iseo. In its purity, the cuvée perfectly embodies the expression of the terroir and shows the fascination of Chardonnay. Despite its 0 grams of residual sugar, it is rich and full-bodied on the palate. Very big! SUPERIORE.DE