Veronelli

Born of fire. This is how the Cantina Terlan describes the red porphyry rock, between whose slopes the vineyards have nestled like small sun terraces. The rock is of volcanic origin, millions of years old, and it gives the area its unmistakable character – the wines their minerality, the cellar its façade, the wine its name. The porphyry is Terlan's red answer to the question of what Lagrein can be if you think it through to the end. No compromises. Three selected single vineyard sites, whose vines are almost a century old. Old vines yield little – but what they do yield is the sum of a long life in the grape flesh. Manual harvesting, destemming, slow maceration in steel – and then: 18 months exclusively in barrique, a third of which is new. No large wooden barrels, no compromises. Only barrique, only concentration, only depth.

Almost every year, Barolo Campè takes top places among its high-calibre competitors. Fittingly, the majestic red wine bears the king of beasts, a lion, on its ornate yellow label. We think: There could hardly be a better graphic interpretation of this deep and stately wine. An all-round successful experience. Aromas of flowers and berries on the nose, with notes of vanilla and a hint of rosebud, full-bodied and very concentrated, with great, initially still chewy tannins and a long, powerful final. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro - a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot - is a great cru from the Maremma and brims with opulence and diversity. Rich, dark ruby with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruits, chocolate and spices, soft, full body, polished tannins. It is impossible to exaggerate the joy of the magnificence of this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

Opulent nose of red berries, pleasant smoky notes and fine herbal spice. Opulent and round on the palate, the fine tannins give the wine a delicate but firm structure and the necessary seriousness through to the long, soft finish. The well-integrated wood and the fruit of the Cabernet grape find an exciting symbiosis here in a very harmonious way with the rather strict and taut Petit Verdot style. SUPERIORE.DE

Sigmund Freud defined the "id" as that part of the psyche that only obeys a single principle: lust. Unbridled, unregulated, beyond space and time. When Gianfranco Fino gave his wine this name, it was not marketing – it was a manifesto. In 2004, the former olive consultant bought his first vineyard: just 1.3 hectares near Manduria, planted with Primitivo vines over fifty years old in traditional Alberello cultivation. What began as an experiment became a revolution. Six years later, Fino stood on the stage of the Gambero Rosso and received the "Winemaker of the Year" award – the first ever winemaker from central or southern Italy. In a row with northern Italian legends such as Josko Gravner and Romano Dal Forno.

The showpiece of the Zenato winery from the terrific year 2006 with a perfect balance between expressiveness, elegance and almost infinite length. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro - a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot - is a great cru from the Maremma and is bursting with opulence and diversity. Rich, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in dark fruit flavours, chocolate and spices, soft, full body, polished tannins. It is impossible to exaggerate the joy of the magnificence of this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro - a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot - is a great cru from the Maremma and is bursting with opulence and diversity. Rich, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in dark fruit flavours, chocolate and spices, soft, full body, polished tannins. It is impossible to exaggerate the joy of the magnificence of this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

When Georg Weber set foot on the hills below Capalbio in the early 2000s, he knew that his search was over. The Bordeaux lover had travelled the wine world – from Pauillac to Napa Valley – to finally find the terroir in the southern Maremma that would realise his dream: Tuscany's first Premier Grand Cru. Monteverro – named after the wild boar, the "verro", which has always roamed the maquis of this coastal landscape – was born.

Le Volte dell'Ornellaia is far more than just an entry-level wine – it is the stylistic calling card of an icon that has been setting standards in Bolgheri since 1981. While Ornellaia itself is one of the most sought-after wines in Italy, Le Volte embodies the same philosophy and relentless pursuit of perfection, only in a more accessible form. The name – the vaults – refers to the historic cellar vaults of the estate, where the great vintages have already matured. As the third wine from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, it combines Mediterranean expressiveness with the structural complexity that has made the estate famous.

Named after the quartz speckles in the volcanic porphyry rock of Terlan, the most famous Sauvignon Bianco in Italy lives up to its name. Sparkling yellow-green in colour. Filigree, delicately scented with grapefruit, peach, honey and green papaya. Quartz is taut and precise, with a fleshy, creamy texture, great depth and a wonderful mineral-salty finish. Must have and must taste! SUPERIORE.DE

Tenuta Tignanello is located in the heart of Chianti Classico on the gentle hills between the valleys of the Greve and Pesa rivers and comprises 319 hectares of land, of which around 130 are planted with vines. The estate's vineyards include two jewels: Tignanello and Solaia, which are located on the same hill, on calcareous and schistose marl soils of marine origin from the Pliocene, and which benefit from warm days and fresh nights during the growing season. Two wines are produced from these vineyards, which many years ago had the potential to become the starting point of the Italian wine renaissance. Nothing has changed to this day.

In 1985, Giovanni Manetti made a momentous and ingenious decision: the best plots of the Vigna del Sorbo, those south-west-facing slopes in front of the winery at 450 metres above sea level, were to be given their own voice. Here, where slate and the characteristic Galestro slopes above the clay characterise the geological signature of the Conca d'Oro, the estate's oldest Sangiovese vines have been rooted since 1963. What began as a Riserva with ten per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has become a monument to the art of pure Sangiovese over the years.

"From the very first moments of fermentation of this wine, we realise every year that we are dealing with a very high expression of Nebbiolo. The MGA Albesani is a very beautiful vineyard in the municipality of Neive with ideal exposure and perfect altitude. From there comes a rich, elegant, sometimes austere wine that combines its great appeal with excellent ageing potential." Franco Massolino

The uncompromisingly selected grapes come from the estate's oldest vineyards. Dark and powerful, yet highly elegant flavours of wild cherries, spices, liquorice, cassis and leather with exceptional balance and purity. A radiant, cosmopolitan Italian. SUPERIORE.DE

"The best of the best - you don't drink this wine every day. It needs attention, time to mature and likes to play the leading role: as the crowning glory of a festive table or even as a proud solitaire." Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg, Weingut Manincor

"You should take that much time. Time and attention for the best of our Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Perfect harmony that is only achieved after 10 years of ageing in the bottle. Dense to the tips of your hair." Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg, Weingut Manincor

Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruit float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. On the palate, the typical, medium-bodied characteristics of Bricco delle Viole are evident, while the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years to mature, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for Terlan's Ikonen wine come from vineyards at an altitude of 300 to 550 metres with volcanic porphyry rock. Powerful, attractively exotic bouquet with bright gooseberries, mango and pink grapefruit, backed by a captivating mineral flavour. There is also lemongrass and herbal, ethereal notes. On the palate, it is juicy and full-bodied, but not overloaded, instead deeply spicy, smoky, with a mineral-salty structure, followed by green-herbal notes in the focussed, mineral final. Every year, Quarz is one of the best Italian Sauvignon Blancs in its full splendour. As always, Cantina Terlano shows a skilful winemaker's hand in guiding the natural flavours of the grape, but also in delivering a very elegant interpretation. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all – and rarely has a wine deserved its name so consistently. Quartz: a mineral that was formed in fire, has survived for millions of years and is still visible today in Terlan's soils as a fine speckle in the volcanic porphyry rock. 55 to 60 per cent quartz content, slightly acidic pH value, skeleton-rich sandy-loamy structure without carbonate – a soil that allows water to pass through, rations nutrients and puts the vine under controlled stress. This micro-stress is not a deficiency. It is intentional. It forces the plant to produce terroir-specific polyphenols, which give the wine the savoury tension for which Terlan is internationally renowned.