Veronelli

Amarone Case Vecie takes its name from the vineyard of the same name in the municipality of Grezzana in Valpantena. An exceptional plot of land where the grapes ripen slowly and consistently even in the most difficult years thanks to the altitude and exposure. The late harvest makes it possible to store the grapes in a cooler season and to carry out a slow and long drying process that develops the characteristic flavours. A wine that emphasises the natural characteristics of the high mountain climate: a true Amarone "delle vigne alte".

Marciliano is a truly ambitious Cabernet cuvée from the Sangiovese-dominated Montecchio/Orvieto region and reflects uncompromising quality and craftsmanship. The 2019 vintage was characterised by mild but structure-enhancing weather conditions: cool nights during the harvest phase and warm days that perfectly balanced the ripeness of the aromas. In the glass, it has a dense ruby red colour with a garnet red hue. The nose intones ripe sour cherry, stewed plums, ripe wild berries, and further develops smoke, leather, hints of white truffle and a touch of vanilla and cedar wood. Powerful yet polished on the palate – clearly structured, with fine-grained, ripe tannins, lively acidity and a substrate-rich, spicy texture. The ageing in barriques was selectively dosed and supports the spiciness without masking the varietal typicity. Marciliano is a serious, mature red wine with depth and potential. Expressive, focussed and with a lasting finish – a lasting ambassador of modern Umbria. SUPERIORE.DE

Pas Operé – "not dosed" in the original sense, when it was still dosed by hand. The name is a play on words, as this Extra Brut is very well dosed, but with such restraint that the terroir shines through unadulterated. For decades, Pas Operé has been Bellavista's flagship, the wine that most clearly bears the signature of the house: classic, masculine, timeless. The 2018 Pas Operé is the result of a rigorous selection of around 25 plots on slopes and hillsides with south or south-east exposure, the vines are over twenty years old. 64 per cent Chardonnay for finesse and structure, 36 per cent Pinot Nero for depth and complexity. Half of the base wines are matured in French white oak barriques, which gives the wine its characteristic intensity. The assemblage is followed by five years on the lees – sixty months, during which flavours intensify, textures refine and perlage refines. Only then, at least six years after the harvest, does the Pas Operé leave the Erbusco winery.

Santo Spirito is one of the most striking contrade on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna – less stony than Rampante, but no less impressive. Here, at an altitude of around 700 metres, the old Nerello Mascalese vines are deeply rooted in ashy volcanic soil with a high sand content. The microclimate is cooler, the humidity higher and the east-facing exposure gives the grapes gentle morning warmth. Pietradolce vinifies the single-vineyard wine traditionally with spontaneous fermentation in wooden vats, followed by approx. 12 months of ageing in large French tonneaux.

Feudo di Mezzo is located in the heart of the northern Etna belt – one of the oldest and most traditional contrade around Castiglione di Sicilia. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of around 750 metres on ancient lava flows and iron-rich volcanic soils that produce dark fruit, mineral depth and remarkable elegance. The microclimate is cool, the exposure ideal – large temperature differences between day and night favour slow, complete ripening. Feudo di Mezzo is not considered one of the Grand Cru from the volcano for nothing. The pure Nerello Mascalese comes from vines that are over 60 years old and trained as Alberello. The grapes are harvest manually in small crates, followed by a traditional maceration with a long standing time at controlled temperatures. The wine then matures for 14 months in Liters French oak tonneaux before resting for a further year in the bottle.

The roots of this story go deeper than any memory: the vines are over 80 years old and have been bearing silent witness in the warm alluvial soils of Gries for generations. Here, where thirty visionary winegrowers laid the foundations for a legend in 1908, the masterpiece that has long since become the undisputed icon of South Tyrolean winemaking is produced year after year: Taber Lagrein Riserva. It is a wine that epitomises time. Time in the old vines, which at an altitude of just 250 metres transform the extreme temperature fluctuations between hot days and cool nights into pure concentration. Time in the patient manual labour that selects only the finest grapes for this exceptional Riserva. And time for ageing, where after traditional wooden barrel fermentation, a whole year of ageing in French barriques awaits completion.

The name Cont'Ugo refers to a Tuscan nobleman named Ugo della Gherardesca, whose family has been linked to the Bolgheri area for centuries. It symbolises the aristocratic character of the Maremma, which can still be felt today in combination with the wild coastal landscape. For Marchese Antinori, owner of the Guado al Tasso winery, the name is a tribute to origin and character: noble, independent and deeply rooted. The 2022 vintage of this single-varietal Merlot comes from high-altitude, well-aerated plots with loamy soils and is matured for 12 months in French oak, partly new and partly used.

The Brunate vineyard, located between La Morra and Barolo, is considered one of the region's great Grand Cru. The combination of calcareous marl soils, optimal south to south-east exposure and the altitude gives the wine a fine interplay of ripe fruit, spicy depth and silky-textured tannin structure. The 2016 vintage produced wines of rare harmony in the Barolo region: a cool spring, balanced summer weeks and a long, golden autumn created conditions in which Nebbiolo could mature slowly. The result is wines of precision, depth and longevity.

Renaissance – the name says it all. Markus Prackwieser leaves it to historians to decide whether Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli or Michelangelo were wine lovers. But their universal genius inspires him: only in the very best years, when all the factors are in perfect harmony, does he create these artistic wines – masterpieces that shine with versatility and finesse. The Sauvignon Blanc Riserva Renaissance represents this philosophy in its purest form. The grapes grow on calcareous moraine soils over quartz porphyry at an altitude of 400 to 550 metres, where Mediterranean warmth prevails during the day and cool Dolomite winds provide crystalline freshness at night. After a short maceration and gentle pressing, the wine ferments completely in tonneau. Then comes the decisive step: twelve months of ageing in large oak barrels on the first lees, followed by a further ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees. This patient maturation gives the wine that extra mellowness and finesse that sets it apart from all others.

Pinot Blanc – the supreme discipline of South Tyrol. The grape variety is considered the "number one white wine in South Tyrol" for good reason, and Markus Prackwieser's Renaissance Pinot Blanc Riserva elevates it to a level that few can match. Once again, it is the philosophy of the great Renaissance masters that is the inspiration here: universal expertise, perfection in detail, timeless beauty. Only in the very best years, when the terroir is at its most expressive, is this wine created – a work of art that needs two years to mature to perfection. The grapes come from the steepest plots of the Gump Hof, where calcareous moraines lie on solid quartz porphyry and the vines are exposed to the winds at an altitude of 400 to 550 metres. After gentle pressing, the must ferments completely in the large tonneau. Then comes the time that sets this wine apart from all others: twelve months in large wooden barrels on the first lees, a further ten months in steel tanks on the fine lees, followed by at least one year of bottle ageing before release. This patient ageing, which lasts over two years, gives the wine that extra mellowness, depth and finesse that distinguishes greatness from greatness.

This impressive red comes from the single vineyard "Vitticciana", which was created by the "Godfather of Carmignano" Ugo Contini Bonacossi especially for a pure Sangiovese wine due to its perfect orientation. It is only produced in the best years, when it presents itself as a multi-layered wine with fine fruit and fine-grained tannins. After a few years of ageing in the bottle, it can easily hold its own with some of the best Brunello di Montalcino. SUPERIORE.DE

A historic Barolo from the estate (first produced in 1905!), composed from Nebbiolo parcels in the heart of the appellation. The grapes are selectively harvested by hand, the lots are carefully destemmed and fermented; maceration takes around eight days at moderate temperatures and malolactic fermentation is completed before the onset of winter. The wine then matures for at least 18 months in large oak barrels of various sizes – an ageing process that preserves balance, transparency and expression of origin. The 2021 vintage began with a mild winter and abundant rainfall, which created valuable water reserves. A light frost in mid-April reduced the yields, but without affecting the quality. This was followed by a long, stable summer without heat peaks; scattered thunderstorms in June/July and pronounced day/night amplitudes during the ripening phase ensured a precise harvest from 6 to 15 October. The grapes achieved excellent phenolic ripeness with bright acidity.

Here comes the new top Gran Selezione from San Felice: intense ruby red in colour, with broad and persistent aromas on the nose. Notes of violets and blackcurrants mingle with a sweet spiciness of tobacco and liquorice. Full-bodied, supple, well-structured wine, characterised by ripe and juicy tannins that harmonise with the acidic component. SUPERIORE.DE

In the heart of Valdarno, where history and vision merge in a timeless act of faith, Il Borro – the flagship wine of a dream that began in 1993, when Ferruccio Ferragamo acquired the abandoned medieval village and brought it back to life. This exceptional blend not only embodies the essence of the Il Borro estate, but also the unshakeable conviction that wines of global appeal can be created from careful terroir analysis and a visionary grape variety philosophy. After meticulous geological studies, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah were planted on the soils that promise them optimal development: Merlot on the clay-rich layers, Cabernet Sauvignon in the alluvial sand, Syrah on the mineral-rich, stony terraces at the foot of Monte Pratomagno. Between 300 and 500 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on sandstone subsoil over a loamy-sandy matrix – a rare combination that was already considered ideal for great wines during the Renaissance. The dense planting of 4,500 vines per hectare forces each vine to fight for nutrients and concentrates the flavours in the berries.

The Rizzardi family has been cultivating the hills of Pojega in the heart of Negrar since 1649. What began as a vineyard became, over generations, a place where landscape and wine become inseparable – the famous Giardino, the Teatro di Verzura, the villa itself. From the south-facing plots of this historic cru comes an Amarone Riserva that is only produced in vintages deemed worthy of the family. However, the fact that 2020 is one of them is anything but self-evident. Because 2020 was a testing year. Sunny spring, heavy summer rains, heat and coolness in constant alternation – valpolicella demanded experience and sensitivity. The old Corvinone vines in Pojega in particular, late-ripening and deeply rooted in the chalky clay, produced grapes of unusual concentration from the climatic contradiction. On its centenary, the Consorzio spoke of wines with "strong personality and remarkable balance" – at Villa Rizzardi, this hits the nail on the head.

Ghiaie della Furba means "pebbles of the Furba stream" and there is a reason for this, as the vines for this wine grow on the river pebbles on the banks of this stream. It is one of the very first "Supertuscans". After an hour in the carafe, this extremely complex red reveals wonderfully clear, dark fruit, blackberries and cassis, as well as coffee notes, dark chocolate and spices. Its very good structure and personality are impressive. It is already very accessible today (with aeration), but still hides its great potential for the next decade. SUPERIORE.DE

The three Tedeschi siblings Antonietta, Sabrina and Riccardo, who also select the three barrels from which the blend is made each year, give their name to the "Ansari", which is only available in small quantities. Rich bouquet of dried fruit, sultanas, rum pot and chocolate. Firm on the palate with an excellent structure, the opulent fruit centre is joined by balsamic, herbal notes and a piquant bitter note on the long finish. The perfect addition to the famous family winery's top-class Amarone range since the 2016 debut vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

It could easily be mistaken for a very high-quality St.-Emilion from a cooler vintage: a compact and finesse-rich Merlot-Cabernet from old vineyards and vinified according to traditional methods. Deep dark red in colour, with complex, berry aromas on the nose. On the palate, the Cuvée Anticus impresses with pleasantly ripe fruit, velvety tannins and a wonderful texture. Lush and almost endless finish! SUPERIORE.DE

In the quiet hollow above Söll, where the Gewürztraminer vines escape the warm south wind from Lake Garda, a mystery of rare beauty takes place every year. Here, protected in this natural arena between 400 and 500 metres above sea level, the eagerly awaited Botrytis cinerea – the noble rot – finds its perfect conditions. While other vineyards have long since been emptied, the Terminum grapes remain on the vine until the first months of winter. December is their time of perfection, when they have become golden treasure troves of pure flavour, marked and concentrated by botrytis. Each berry is selected individually, each bearing the promise of exceptional complexity. Twelve hours of maceration, gentle pressing at a maximum of 1.8 bar, then the must is transferred to French barriques. Fermentation begins there, which lasts six to nine months. A further seven to ten months of ageing in wood, followed by at least three months of bottle ageing complete the deceleration process.

More than a hundred years ago, a white bull named Desiderio lived on the Capezzine farm in Avignonesi. He was the largest bull in Tuscany at the time – and what's more, he is one of the recognised ancestors of the Chianina breed, the noble breed of cattle from which the Bistecca Fiorentina is cut. Anyone enjoying a Florentine-style T-bone steak today is likely to have a little bit of Desiderio's DNA on their plate. It was therefore a natural choice for Avignonesi to name its most powerful red wine after him. The label shows him – and changes with every vintage. The sky, lighting mood and details in the illustration tell of the climate of the year: whether hot or cool, dry or balanced. A quiet commentary on the vintage in pictorial form.

Gewürztraminer has a place name in its name – and thus a whole story. Tramin, a small village in the South Tyrolean lowlands, is considered the original home of this grape variety, whose aromatic power has fascinated and polarised people in equal measure for centuries. Those who like it, love it. Those who know it know that in the wrong hands it becomes a caricature. At the Cantina Terlan, it is something else. The Lunare is the pinnacle of this interpretation. Grown at 300–400 metres in south-west-facing porphyry vineyards, where downdraughts and pronounced day-night temperature differences give Gewürztraminer exactly what it needs: aromatic precision instead of perfumed richness. The name hints at what the wine fulfils – something noctilucent, cool, unreal and clear.