VINOUS

Intense ruby red with violet reflections. The aroma reveals ripe cherries, dark berries, a little clove and a hint of liquorice - typical of the Primitivo grape variety, which originally comes from Croatia but has long since found its current home in Puglia. Soft and round on the palate, with juicy fruit, fine spice and a warm, accessible final. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and varietal purity. An uncomplicated but characterful Primitivo with Mediterranean flair, good length and a lovely flow. SUPERIORE.DE

Illuminati's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riparosso has a sweet scent of violets and lavender, followed by crushed blackberries and chalk dust. It washes over the palate with soft textures and ripe wild berries, contrasted towards the end by sour citrus fruits. It finishes perfumed and with admirable length, leaving a layer of dusty tannins that tug at the cheeks. Very Italian – very well made. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby red with a violet rim. Ripe cherry, redcurrant and a hint of violet – inviting and typically Sangiovese, but with a southern Italian accent. Juicy fruit, lively freshness and pleasantly soft tannins on the palate. What makes it special is its origin: Molise – remote, underestimated, but ideal for red wines with a strong character and a special flavour. Maturation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and purity, while the sun of the Osci hills ensures fullness. A purist, organically produced Sangiovese with an exciting Mediterranean profile – and not from Tuscany, but from Molise. SUPERIORE.DE

The Sallier de la Tour winery has been owned by the Counts Tasca since 2009, making it the fifth winery that complements and characterises the diversity and professionalism of what is probably Sicily's most famous winery. Aromatic bouquet of sweet cherries and wild berries. Clear on the palate with a beautiful fruit centre and a radiant freshness, appealing finish. A beautiful Syrah that impressively demonstrates Sicily's potential for international grape varieties. SUPERIORE.DE

La Valentina's reliable classic with substance: single-varietal Montepulciano from organically farmed vineyards near Pescara. Rich ruby red colour with a purple hue in the glass. Ripe cherries, blackberries, a hint of violets and subtle spicy hints of pepper and herbs on the nose. Soft on the palate, with juicy fruit, balanced structure and a pleasant freshness on the finish. A typical representative of its origin - uncomplicated, powerful and remarkably balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

A smoky blend of raspberry jam, sage and freshly ground pepper flows from the glass. Silky in texture on the palate and extremely flavoursome with the pepper notes from the bouquet, which mingle with salty minerals and lively acidity. Hardly any tannin. The finish is long and fruity with a hint of liquorice. A delicious accompaniment to food. SUPERIORE.DE

Montepulciano has two faces. One has large wooden barrels, decades of cellar time and the name Nobile. The other is younger, more direct – and often the more honest pleasure. The Rosso di Gracciano comes from the Casale and Maramai crus, at 280 to 300 metres in north-eastern exposure: somewhat cooler, somewhat slower ripening than the Nobile sites, with medium-heavy soils that produce freshness rather than vigour. 90 per cent Prugnolo Gentile – this stubborn Sangiovese clone, which only shows its full temperament here – supplemented by ten per cent Merlot for fullness and texture. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in steel, ten days of maceration at a controlled temperature, no wood. A wine that does not wait.

Brigaldara's Valpolicella is mainly made from Corvina and Corvinone grapes. The timing of the harvest is very important for this wine, so that its flavours are very delicate and its sensory balance is influenced by the precisely measured acidity. It expresses the characteristic flavours of the valley: from cherries to spicy notes, which are more or less pronounced depending on the vintage. Its beautiful and radiant balance is achieved by a short maturation in steel, which perfectly enhances its sensory characteristics. SUPERIORE.DE

Ruby red in colour with a violet hue. A clear aroma of red berries on the nose, including raspberry, sour cherry and blackcurrant. Hints of liquorice, rhubarb and young leather. On the palate, it is soft, opulent and has a good tannin structure. Like all Li Veli reds, it has a convincing finish with well-integrated acidity and a surprising freshness for the entire region. SUPERIORE.DE

This Montepulciano from the hills of Abruzzo has a classic style and is aged in large oak barrels. Deep ruby red colour with a purple rim. Dark cherries, stewed plums, dried herbs, a hint of leather and fine spice on the nose. Round on the palate, with ripe fruit, polished tannins, well-integrated acidity and a harmonious, spicy finish. A wine full of character and at the same time accessible with a beautiful regional expression – down-to-earth, honest and wonderfully compatible. SUPERIORE.DE

Munfrina – that's what they called the woman from Monferrato who once farmed this plot with a strict hand. Her Piedmontese nickname stuck to the location long after she herself had disappeared. Today, at 300 to 400 metres in the Sottozona Ferrere of Treiso, Dolcetto vines have been planted here in Guyot since 1980 – on soils that are actually famous for Nebbiolo and Barbaresco. This is precisely what makes this Dolcetto special: the chalky soils with their red sand veins give it a tannin structure that is sweet and smooth rather than angular. Giorgio Pelissero favours short maceration of just four to five days and pure stainless steel ageing for six months – all in the service of the fruit.

Elisabetta Geppetti is more than just a winemaker – she is the "Signora del Morellino", the energetic woman who took over the reins of the family winery at the age of just 20 and helped the Maremma region to achieve international renown. When she pressed the first Morellino in 1985, she laid the foundations for a success story that continues to this day. This wine is the quantitative and qualitative calling card of Le Pupille – a constant, authentic expression of the terroir between Pereta and Magliano in Tuscany. The Morellino combines Sangiovese (90%) with Alicante and the autochthonous Ciliegiolo (5% each) from vineyards exposed to the south-west at an altitude of 50 to 250 metres. The vines, some of which are over 40 years old, are rooted in skeleton-rich, clayey and ferrous soils, cooled by sea breezes and strengthened by pronounced day-night temperature differences. After the harvest at the end of September, the must ferments on the skins for 15 days and matures for eight months, mainly in stainless steel tanks with a small proportion in used barriques.

A Cannonau that harmonises origin and structure – that's how Costera feels in the glass. The grapes come from the old sand and limestone hills of the south-east facing vineyard of the same name, where the intense sun and cool sea breeze combine to ensure aromatic ripeness and multi-faceted minerality. After controlled fermentation, the wine matures for around five months in barriques and cement tanks. The colour in the glass is a deep ruby red with a fine garnet hue. The bouquet unfolds with intense but not overpowering aromas: ripe strawberry, black cherry, herbal spice, cedar wood and subtle spicy notes. In the mouth, Costera shows deep fruit, warm and yet without heaviness; juicy, clearly contoured, with elegant tannins and mineral freshness that brings clarity. The finish is harmoniously long, savoury, slightly salty and persistently seductive. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lohsa estate is located in Magliano in Toscana – deep in the Maremma, less than 30 kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Federico Carletti bought it in the 1990s and replanted the vineyards: Sangiovese as the heart, Ciliegiolo as the Tuscan companion. The soils here are Galestro and marl, skeleton-rich, well-drained, at an altitude of around 100 metres – the sea is close enough to moderate the ripeness without taking away the structure. Morellino di Scansano is Sangiovese in Maremma guise: sunnier, softer, more accessible than its big siblings in the north – but with its own character. Fermentation in stainless steel, followed by partial ageing in wood: the wine remains fresh and loses none of its Mediterranean directness.

This powerful blend of Nero d'Avola and Syrah comes from Tenuta Presti e Pegni in Monreale and impressively demonstrates the versatility of Sicilian winemaking. The vineyards thrive at an altitude of 250 metres in the hills behind Palermo, where loamy soils and the Mediterranean microclimate create ideal conditions for international grape varieties. Just ten kilometres from the coast, the vines benefit from the cooling sea breeze, which moderates the heat of the day and ensures balanced ripening. The name Benuara is derived from a small flower that grows near Syracuse – a poetic reference to the southernmost regions of Sicily.

The country dance (controdanza) is a typical dance in which man and woman face each other and unite in graceful movements - depending on their gender, the dancers interpret the music in their own way. This wine is exactly the same: Nero d'Aola and Merlot - opposites attract and, with the right sensitivity, can harmonise and contrast wonderfully.