Vinibuoni

Don Antonio is not only a great and powerful wine, it is also a monument. Dedicated to the father of the Morgante family, this Nero d'Avola embodies the quintessence of the passion with which vines have been cultivated in the hills of Grotte for generations. The grapes come from old vines and the best altitudes of up to 500 metres, where day-night temperature fluctuations, limestone soils and the sea breeze favour a Mediterranean but wonderfully developed profile. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, followed by a further maturation phase in the bottle.

In 1991, the personal and professional relationship between Gianni Masciarelli and his wife, Marina Cvetic, gave rise to the range that still bears their name today. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva is their best-selling wine, available in 55 countries, and has played a key role in strengthening the reputation of this grape variety worldwide – today it is regarded as one of its most recognisable and distinctive expressions. The grapes come from four distinct vineyard sites around San Martino sulla Marrucina, at an altitude of 400 metres: Colle di Paolo, Fonte Filippo, Schiavone and Colle Rosina, on medium-textured clay soil, trained using the Guyot system, with vines aged between 15 and 30 years.

Bright silver-grey with a persistent, finesse-rich perlage. A wonderful nose of white flowers and light-coloured fruit. Full, broad and creamy elegance on the palate, supported by a delicate interplay of sweetness and acidity. A very expressive and sensual Prosecco Superiore from the top Cartizze vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

La Fabriseria comes across as an elegant, medium-bodied Amarone. Its intensity, tannin structure and density are hard to beat in this price range. Very juicy on the palate, full-bodied and soft, with notes of cherries, cardamom and cloves. And always with the elegant seriousness of the Tedeschi family's great flagship of the same name. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has been a true benchmark for years and is also a wine that impresses with its ageing potential. A bright yellow colour with greenish highlights. Perfectly typical of the variety – complex and deep, yet also lively and fresh with lovely nuances. The bouquet offers a wide range of aromas, from rose blossom to smoke and oriental spices. On the palate, it flows with silky smoothness, velvety and spicy, with a long finish – magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

Sàgana – a melodious name that signifies far more than just a wine. It embodies the essence of Cusumano's work in the heart of Sicily, where the Nero d'Avola grape meets the barren expanse of the Monreale hills. The vines grow on limestone-rich clay soils in the single vineyard of Tenuta San Giacomo, whose high-altitude plots are characterised by hot days and cool nights. This microclimate lends the wine density, freshness and remarkable depth. 2020 was a year of balance in Sicily: a warm spring, a dry but not overheated summer, and ideal harvesting conditions in September. The grapes were harvested at full ripeness, rigorously selected and, following temperature-controlled maceration, aged in barriques for around twelve months. A further year of bottle ageing rounds off the structure and lends the wine its refined elegance.

Vigna Spuntali is located in the south-west of Montalcino, at 300 metres, less than 30 kilometres from the sea. This is no small matter. Where other locations are characterised by continental influences, the Mediterranean reigns here: dry heat, constant ventilation, salty breeze. Olive trees, myrtle, rosemary, sea lilacs – the Mediterranean maquis begins just behind the vines. The soil consists of sandy soils of weathered Pietraforte rock, well drained, rich in minerals, warm. Sangiovese Grosso thrives here unlike anywhere else in Montalcino – riper, more voluminous, with an iodised sea breeze on the finish that is unmistakable. The Rosso Vigna Spuntali is a new chapter in the Val di Suga portfolio: a single-vineyard Rosso that expresses the character of this exceptional terroir directly and without detours. Hand-picked in the morning, fermentation lasts twelve days, followed by a ten-day post-fermentation phase. Ageing: six months in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels, then twelve months in concrete vats – an ageing process that preserves freshness and develops depth at the same time. Twelve months of bottle ageing complete the circle.

Nubiola is a Barbaresco with inner tension: differentiated, unagitated, but with a clear character. The name refers to historical roots: Vitis Nubiola was the name given to Nebbiolo in the 13th century. Pelissero has revived this term – not out of sentimentality, but because it suits the style of the wine: Complexity instead of posturing, depth instead of effect. The grapes come from various plots around Treiso, on soils of calcareous marl with a fine clay content. The sites complement each other – altitude, exposure, microclimate – to create a complex but harmonious overall picture. The wine is fermented with natural yeast and matured for 18 months in large barrels and tonneaux, all with deliberate restraint so that the structure and origin remain visible.

1992 was the last vintage of Boscarelli's first Riserva era. This was followed by a break of almost two decades – this was not a period of inactivity, but a lot of work and research: replanting the historic vineyards, selecting clones, researching the climatic variations of the Cervognano terroir. It was not until 2010, when the young vines of the autochthonous new plantings first showed the complexity that had been awaited, that the Riserva returned. Just like in the 1970s and 80s: exclusively from indigenous grape varieties. Prugnolo Gentile and Colorino. Vines over 20 years old from the historic core of the Boscarelli vineyards in Cervognano – calcareous, alluvial sandy soils with silt, clay, minerals and a rich stone skeleton that varies depending on the location and altitude. 6,500 vines per hectare.

This smooth and exceptionally polished Valtellina Superiore comes from Sassella, one of the most famous villages in the Valtellina appellation on the north bank of the River Adda. Bright ruby red in colour. Camphor, wild roses, wild berries and hints of graphite and vanilla are the main characters in this fragrant red wine. Straightforward and elegantly structured, it reveals red cherry, pomegranate and liquorice on the palate, accompanied by present but fine tannins. The lively acidity provides the necessary drive, including further ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

In the annals of Sardinian wine history, Angialis marks a turning point – the moment when Antonio Argiolas realised that the island could not only produce great dry wines, but also sweet wines of exceptional complexity. The name Angialis, derived from the mystical angelic figures of Sardinian folklore, refers to the almost supernatural quality of this wine, which is made from late harvested grapes of the autochthonous Nasco and Malvasia di Sardegna grape varieties. The vineyards of Serdiana offer ideal conditions for this delicate vinification: the warm autumn days and cool nights promote the natural concentration of the grapes, while the proximity to the sea provides the necessary humidity that favours the controlled development of botrytis. The grapes ripen here until November, developing the unique balance between sweetness and acidity that characterises Sardinian sweet wines. Vinification is carried out with the utmost care: hand-picked grapes are gently pressed and the must ferments slowly at controlled temperatures. The wine then matures for over two years in small oak barrels, where it develops its characteristic golden colour and complex aromatic structure. This long maturation gives Angialis the depth and elegance that distinguishes it from simple dessert wines.

In 2000, buyers were at the door. The Fucci family had almost given up on the six hectares of vineyards that their grandfather Generoso had acquired at the foot of Monte Vulture in the 1960s – the parents teachers, the children on their way into the world. At the last moment, daughter Elena decided otherwise. Not out of calculation, but out of a feeling that she herself later described as "a stab in the heart": she could not accept that a foreign name would do something great with the oldest vines of the Vulture while she watched.

2023 proved a real challenge for South Tyrol's winegrowers. The year began with extremely dry conditions, followed by a cool, rainy spring. The summer remained damp, punctuated by three heatwaves – the persistent dampness significantly increased the risk of fungal disease and demanded meticulous work in the vineyard. Andreas Kofler, President of the South Tyrol Wine Consortium, described it as a "year of extreme weather". But then came autumn: golden, dry, with warm days and cool nights – exactly the conditions that brought late-ripening red grape varieties such as Lagrein to full maturity. The vines are situated at altitudes of 230 to 300 metres, facing west to south-west, on gravelly soils composed of limestone and porphyry with sand and clay components, ranging in age from 20 to over 100 years. After harvest, the wine matures for twelve months in barriques, then spends a further six months in concrete vats, and rests in the bottle for at least another six months after bottling before leaving the winery.

Selvarossa is a tribute to the autochthonous grape varieties of Salento: the Negroamaro – "niuru maru" in the dialect, "black bitter" – has been rooted in this soil for three thousand years and provides the dark, almost black depth of colour, the solid tannins and the bitter spiciness that justify its name. The Malvasia Nera provides a counterpoint of elegance and soft, velvety fruit. Both grape varieties are cultivated using the traditional Alberello system, the archaic bush training method without wire frames, which offers the vines protection from the scorching heat and naturally limits the yield. The grapes for the Selvarossa come from the oldest, most select plots and are harvested by hand in small crates when perfectly ripe, some even slightly overripe – some even slightly overripe to maximise concentration and sugar content.

"La Firma" – "The Signing". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are a nod to his father's career as a notary. La Firma is a single-varietal Aglianico, aged in natural caves formed from volcanic tuff, Karat and French oak barrels. A beautiful ruby red with bright violet highlights. A complex bouquet with aromas of small black berries, liquorice and hay. Powerful and very harmonious on the palate, characterised by velvety tannins and a long, balsamic finish. Excellent ageing potential! SUPERIORE.DE

"Il Sigillo" - "The Seal". Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines recall his father's notarial world with their names.