Veronelli

Sperss. The word sounds like a sigh, like a breath of melancholy wafting over the hills of Piedmont. In the local dialect, it means nostalgia, longing, homesickness for a time that will never return. When Angelo Gaja was finally able to acquire the twelve hectares in Serralunga d'Alba in 1988, which his father Giovanni had raved about since his youth, there was only one possible name for this wine. Sperss was the fulfilment of a family dream – the first Barolo from the Gaja family, the step out of Barbaresco into the legendary terrain that Giovanni had already learnt about as a young man during the grape harvest. The Marenca and Rivette vineyards form a natural amphitheatre at an altitude of 370 metres – compact, calcareous marl that gives the wine the mineral depth and iron structure for which Serralunga is famous. Here, where the over 50-year-old Nebbiolo vines drive their roots deep into the stony soil, the wine is not a pleasant one.

First bottled in 1967, the Masseria comes from a vineyard in Bricco di Neive and is essentially vinified and aged like a Barolo. Since the 2018 vintage, it now comes from a small parcel that used to belong to the Barbaresco winery Socré, and it is now deliberately released a year later to provide more harmony and balance.

Giovanni Manetti was just twenty when he and Oenologist Franco Bernabei pressed their first vintage in 1981: a pure Sangiovese, at a time when the rules of Chianti Classico still stipulated a proportion of white wine. What began as an act of rebellion became a legend. Flaccianello della Pieve, one of the first monovarietal super Tuscans, which proved that Sangiovese can achieve world class without blending. The name comes from the original vineyard, but since 2001 Flaccianello has been a selection of the best grapes from three plots on the estate, especially those at the highest altitudes at 480 metres, where Pietraforte soils dominate. This conglomerate of sandstone varieties gives the wine the freshness and structure that sets it apart from the rest.

Sugarille 2019 is certainly one of the greats of its vintage. A crescendo of dark berries, Amarena cherries, tar, liquorice and smoky notes on the nose. The intensity continues on the palate: Sugarille is uncompromisingly powerful, with multi-layered fruit, striking tannins and wonderful acid wire. With increasing aeration, the impressiveness and opulence give way to a wonderful finesse that will continue to refine and develop with further years of bottle ageing. A wine as beautiful today as it is today - and guaranteed to be even better tomorrow! SUPERIORE.DE

Vintage 2018 marks Vietti's exciting Barolo debut from one of Piedmont's most famous vineyards, characterised by exuberant aromas and bright, red-tinged fruit. The bouquet is enormously opulent with ripe fruit aromas ranging from wild cherry to red currant. This is joined by original tones of jam, plum and a hint of ragout. The palate is nuanced and very deep, with enormous complexity, volume and character. Vietti's Cerequio is stunning right off the bat! SUPERIORE.DE

Terlano I (pronounced Primo) Grande Cuvée is the name of the white flagship of Cantina Terlano. In recent years, the winery has made a name for itself worldwide with its long-lasting, mineral white wines. Even years later, the wines still present themselves with top freshness and great complexity. With this long history of white wines, since the 2011 vintage there is now a wine in which the essence of Terlan is expressed in an even more focussed way. Terlaner I Grande Cuvée combines the Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon grape varieties from the Winkl, Kreuth and Vorberg vineyards to create a masterpiece which, due to its limited and exclusive nature, will only be available from hand-picked retailers and in selected top restaurants.

Schiena d'Asino is a small vineyard from which this fabulous Brunello is produced exclusively in excellent years. Schiena captivates with its richness and overall intensity and is endowed with a lot of energy and varietal purity. Sage, rosemary and a host of Mediterranean herbs open up first, followed by graphite, smoke, incense, dark spices and black stone fruits. Wild, intensely mineral notes underpin the fruit and capture the essence of the great site. For an exceptional wine, this Brunello remains remarkably light on its feet, yet it is an introspective, brooding wine that will need at least a few years to show all it has to offer. SUPERIORE.DE

Terlano I (pronounced Primo) Grande Cuvée is the name of the white flagship of Cantina Terlano. In recent years, the winery has made a name for itself worldwide with its long-lasting, mineral white wines. Even years later, the wines still present themselves with top freshness and great complexity. With this long history of white wines, since the 2011 vintage there is now a wine in which the essence of Terlan is expressed in an even more focussed way. Terlaner I Grande Cuvée combines the Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon grape varieties from the Winkl, Kreuth and Vorberg vineyards to create a masterpiece which, due to its limited and exclusive nature, will only be available from hand-picked retailers and in selected top restaurants.

Cepparello is one of the great varietal Sangiovese classics from central Tuscany. Brilliant ruby red colour. Clean, flawless aroma of red fruits, enlivened by fine pepper accents and delicate mineral nuances. Elegance radiates from the relaxed, enveloping flavour, which provides a perfectly measured acidity framework to a well-integrated tannin to finish long and full of finesse. SUPERIORE.DE

Andrea Franchetti began positioning Palazzi as an equal red alongside his flagship Tenuta di Trinoro in the 1990s, with the aim of producing two exceptional wines that evoke the left and right banks of Bordeaux.

Millecento Riserva from the dream vintage 2016 unfolds in the glass with hints of mocha, sweet cherry and plum, tobacco and a touch of fresh mint. There is a sense of opulence, but also of sophistication, as the texture of ripe red fruits with salty mineral notes glides across the palate, taking on a sweet herbal note towards the end. It finishes with a layer of fine tannins and acidic citrus, while tart wild berries and a hint of exotic spices linger. This wine still has several years of development ahead of it, but its refined blend of richness and elegance can already be experienced today. SUPERIORE.DE

Messorio has been undisputedly one of the best and rarest Merlots in Italy since the mid-1990s. It was named after the Tuscan wheat harvest, the most fundamental moment in the agricultural year – was created in 1994 from Eugenio Campolmi's (†2002) personal challenge to Merlot. It was not to be a tame, predictable wine, but a spirited thoroughbred, ready to make a grand entrance. The 2019 vintage epitomises the elegance of slow ripening without extreme heat. A mild winter with little rainfall, followed by cool March days and gradually rising temperatures in April, led to cautious development. The rainy, cool May slowed down the vegetation, while the hot start to June required intensive foliage work.

When you hear the story of the effort that went into the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine people of Fèlsina are absolutely crazy. It took them two years to remove the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to practically abandon this noble location. But it is thanks to the ambitious Giovanni Poggiali that this spectacular vineyard (Vigneto Colonia) has become what it is today. It has reddish-brown soils, is rich in magnesium and iron and is therefore very different from all other Fèlsina vineyards.

The project aims to highlight the link between the vines, the wines and their territorial origins. The Mastroberardino family wants to recreate the style of winemaking of the indigenous grape varieties of Irpinia (Greco, Fiano and Aglianico) that took place between the late 1950s and early 1970s for the Taurasi and between 1970 and 1980 for the two white wines from Irpinia. It is the unmistakable style (the stilèma) of a family that has interpreted the natural heritage of its territory over generations and that today impressively emphasises the genuine character of the terroir, which by no means can be expressed through high concentration and intensity alone.

San Leonardo is the flagship of the winery of the same name and one of the best red wines in northern Italy every year. Opulent bouquet with nuances of dark fruits such as blackberry and sour cherry. Delicate spice, leather and tobacco notes give it a terrific complexity, which is then extended on the palate by a harmonious interplay of dark berries and plums, all flanked by clearly contoured tannins. A masterful red with a strong personality that will reach its true greatness after a few more years of bottle ageing and live up to its reputation. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2020, the single vineyard Asili was chosen for the Barbaresco Riserva in its characteristic red colour, which will come as no surprise to Giacosa connoisseurs. Just 10,000 bottles of what is probably the best Giacosa vineyard are only released as Riserva in outstanding years. Asili 2020 shows a seamless integration of wild fruits, blue flowers, spices, balsamic herbs and liquorice. Its true class is revealed on the palate: structure, dimension, intensity and depth leave nothing to be desired; this vintage is probably one of the best wines we have ever tasted from Bruno Giacosa. There is only one flaw with this highly dramatic growth: anyone who wants to enjoy this wine with all its facets and components should be patient for at least another 10 years. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 5,000 bottles leave the estate – a silent witness to Paolo De Marchi's uncompromising obsession with quality. From the best Galestro and Alberese soils at high altitudes, one of Italy's most convincing Cabernets has been produced here since the 1980s. The 2018 embodies the soul of an exceptional vintage: 24 months in French barriques, forty per cent of which were new, followed by three silent years in the bottle. This patience shapes a wine of rare depth – dark blue fruit, lavender, mocha and espresso weave themselves into a complex tapestry of flavours. Burgundian elegance and Tuscan soul come together here: velvety tannins envelop concentrated cassis and blackberry flavours, while notes of sweet tobacco, graphite and chocolate characterise the long finish. A wine that rewards patience and only shows its true colours after years of ageing – paolo De Marchi's vision of Cabernet as an expression of Tuscan terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

When you hear the story of the effort that went into the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine people of Fèlsina are absolutely crazy. It took them two years to remove the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to practically abandon this noble location. But it is thanks to the ambitious Giovanni Poggiali that this spectacular vineyard (Vigneto Colonia) has become what it is today. It has reddish-brown soils, is rich in magnesium and iron and is therefore very different from all other Fèlsina vineyards.

Luce is the iconic wine of the estate of the same name and symbolises the harmonious balance between the elegant structure of Sangiovese and the richness of Merlot. The wine marries the tradition and terroir of the Montalcino region with a personal interpretation of this extraordinary land.

In the hot, challenging summers of the climate change era, Messorio proves its exceptional class. The 2020 vintage masterfully navigated through a difficult growing season and shows why Cinzia Merli's flagship is now one of the world's best Merlot interpretations. Only around 11,000 bottles of this rarity are produced from the Vignone (1999) and the younger Ulivino (2016) vineyards with the most rigorous yield reductions. The 18-month maturation in 100% French oak, 5% of which is in amphorae, creates an exceptional balance between power and refinement.

The name Messorio carries the memory of the time when the wheat harvest marked the most important moment in the Tuscan agricultural year. Today, it stands for one of the most extraordinary Merlots in the world. What began in 1994 as Eugenio Campolmi's personal challenge to an often underestimated grape variety developed into the crown jewel of Le Macchiole. The 2021 vintage benefited from ideal climatic conditions in Bolgheri: a long, dry summer with cool nights allowed for homogeneous ripening and created the remarkable balance between sugar, acidity and tannins that makes Messorio an exceptional Merlot. The early manual harvest between the first and second week of September produced grapes of exceptional aromatic intensity. The 30-day fermentation in natural cement columns, followed by 16 months of ageing in new barrels, 12 hl vats and ceramic amphorae, created a texture of exceptional suppleness.

Grattamacco is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the latter grape variety certainly contributing to the fresh style of this wine. However, the overall picture is only complete when you realise that the vineyards used for this blend are among the best in the appellation. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore is characterised by its typical aromas of leaves and Mediterranean forest, with subtle flavours of kiwi peel, cassis, paprika and chocolate. Velvety, youthful and firm on the attack, less light than the Alberello, but more tightly woven and of great elegance. Its length is astonishing, great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Boscarelli's Il Nocio, a Nobile di Montepulciano from a single vineyard, impressively demonstrates the true essence of the Sangiovese grape and has also been one of the region's quality leaders for years.