VINOUS

A white rarity from the heart of Chianti Classico: Il Bianco 30 anni by Gagliole is a remarkable exception in a terroir dominated by red wine. The white grape varieties of this exceptional cuvée have thrived for over 45 years on the historic dry-stone terraces of Castellina in Chianti, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. The blend of 60 per cent Procanico (a local Trebbiano clone), 30 per cent Viognier and 10 per cent Malvasia Bianca embodies the visionary signature of the Swiss Bär-Bettschart family. These grapes ripen particularly slowly on the Galestro-rich soils at an altitude of 420 metres, between fragrant roses and centuries-old olive trees – they are among the last to be harvested and develop exceptionally thick skins, which give the wine its intense flavour. Vinification is carried out separately for each grape variety: Procanico and Malvasia mature for seven months sur lies in French oak barrels, while the Viognier retains its fresh fruitiness in steel tanks. After blending, a further three months of ageing in the bottle follows in a climate-controlled cellar.

Conte della Vipera is a tribute to the first owners of the castle and the label refers to the 13th century chapel of St John, which is located on the estate. The vineyards are situated at an altitude of 250 to 350 metres above sea level on soils rich in fossilised marine deposits.

In Franciacorta, Satèn stands for pure Chardonnay and a softer carbonic acidity, which gives the wine its unmistakable creaminess. The grapes for the '61 Satèn come from selected Chardonnay parcels that offer optimum ripeness and aromatic fullness. After gentle pressing, the base wine is matured partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in wood before maturing on the lees for at least 24 months. Delicate straw yellow in the glass with a fine, persistent perlage. White flowers, ripe pear, citrus cream and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Silky and smooth on the palate, with harmonious acidity, fine fruit depth and a subtle nutty undertone. The final is long, soft and mineral-accentuated. A Satèn that combines elegance, finesse and style – ideal for special moments and fine cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Andrea is the centrepiece of Clelia Romano's oeuvre – a single-vineyard Taurasi named after her son, grown at an altitude of 500 metres on calcareous and clayey soils near Lapio. In a vintage like 2019, which brought cool nights and long growing seasons, this wine shows all its aristocratic depth. The Aglianico is rigorously selected, partially destemmed, fermented in steel and then matured for at least 24 months in French barriques before a long maturation in the bottle.

Cavolo Amarone is a selection of the best grapes from all the estate's vineyards. It opens with aromas of raspberry jam, dried cherries dusted with cinnamon and cocoa, and wafting notes of cedar and tobacco. The flavours of tart plums and fresh blackberries combine with bay leaf, chia spice, liquorice root and white pepper. Elegant on the palate, with fine tannins and a lively acidity that gives the wine a good basis for ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

With "LIL'KRA XXIII", Alois and Clemens Lageder venture a first glimpse into the future of the legendary Krafuss vineyard – a Pinot Nero made from young grapes, vinified as an experiment and harbinger. The parcel was replanted in 2020, with impressive diversity: 20 different Pinot clones and massal selections on various rootstocks, planted on calcareous slopes above Eppan. The 2023 vintage marks the first small harvest – a delicate, vibrant start that already hints at the potential of the future Grand Cru site Krafuss. Fermentation for around a week on the skins with a small proportion of whole bunches. This is followed by gentle ageing – initially in stainless steel tanks, followed by around 17 months in large oval oak barrels. During the maturation period, the wine underwent a slightly reductive phase, which gave it additional tension and precision. Bottled unfiltered in January 2025.

At Pelissero, "Tulin" not only stands for a vineyard, but also for a claim. The extremely rare Barbera from this parcel is not a by-product of the Nebbiolo-heavy winery, but an independent, uncompromisingly sophisticated interpretation of the Barbera grape variety. In a year like 2021, which united structure, freshness and concentration in a rare balance, this wine reaches a level that sets it apart from the crowd - and clearly places it in the rank of an exceptional wine. The vines grow on calcareous marl with blue clay - a constellation that combines maturity with tension. The yields are low, the selection strict. Tulin is matured for around 18 months in French barriques, with the necessary time and care to get the best out of the grape variety - not more fruit, not more wood, but more depth and complexity.

A rosé full of finesse and freshness, in which the signs of tradition and modern harmony come together perfectly. A delicate peach-pink colour with a light mousse in the glass. The bouquet seduces with notes of ripe strawberry, raspberry, exotic flowers and light brioche spice. Juicy, dry and finely structured on the palate: the subtle acidity carries ripe fruit, the yeasty character lends creaminess, while the finish is clear and persistent – with fine minerality and inner tension. A rosé with personality that can be both an aperitif and an accompaniment to food – charming, vertical and stylish in expression. SUPERIORE.DE

Carmignano is Italy's best-kept secret: a DOCG of just 110 hectares – smaller than some Bordeaux châteaux. It was here, just outside Florence, that Caterina de' Medici brought Cabernet vines from France in the 16th century. While the rest of Tuscany invented the Super Tuscans centuries later, Carmignano had long since reached its goal. Il Sasso comes from the cru of the same name in Santa Cristina a Mezzana: two and a half hectares, thirty-year-old vines, clay and galestro at an altitude of 250 metres. Seventy per cent Sangiovese, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc – the classic Carmignano formula in Silvia Vannucci's signature style. Fermented with natural yeasts, almost three weeks on the skins, then twelve months in used French barriques – no new wood, nothing should distract from the terroir. Bottled unfiltered and matured in the bottle for a further six months.

Some wines are named after vineyards, others after grape varieties. This one bears the name of a person: Domenico Staropoli, known as Mimmo, who cultivated the vineyards of Le Piane for many years. When he died, Christoph Künzli dedicated this wine to him – to him, not as a sentimental gesture, but as a tribute to the quiet labour without which no great wine is made. The Mimmo is more than just a "little Boca". His Nebbiolo parcels come from the same plots, are vinified according to the same standards, and only after two years of barrel ageing does the tasting decide which parcels will become Boca and which will become Mimmo. The Nebbiolo is complemented by Croatina and Vespolina from century-old vines on Montalbano and Santuario. Twelve months in tonneau, then twelve months in large Slavonian vats – time that you can taste.

A clockwork that ticks once a year and strikes once a millennium – designed for 10,000 years. Brian Eno and a group of thinkers founded the Long Now Foundation in 1996 to broaden the view: away from the immediate and towards the long now. Giorgio Pelissero recognised this as the essence of his profession – because there is time in wine. In 1999, he acquired Cascina Tolino between Treiso and Neviglie, steep terrain divided by a municipal border: Only the Nebbiolo on the Treiso side is allowed to become Barbaresco. He combined the rest with Barbera to create perhaps the oldest assemblaggio in Piedmont – only rethought. Vinified separately, ten days of maceration for the Nebbiolo, up to twenty-five for the Barbera, then fifteen months in small oak barrels.

The 2022 marks a significant transition: it is the last vintage that Paolo de Marchi characterised before Emanuele Reolon took over as technical director. But the signature remains unmistakable. Since the 1980s, de Marchi was one of the first in Chianti Classico to plant high-density vineyards with low-yielding Sangiovese clones on poor Galestro soils at an altitude of 400 metres – a revolution in quality. The cuvée of 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Canaiolo, ferments for twelve days in stainless steel using the characteristic délestage method, which de Marchi has been refining since 1996. Seven months of ageing in barriques of different sizes give the wine complexity without dominance.

When Andrea Franchetti arrived on the northern slope of Mount Etna in 2000, he found an abandoned volcanic landscape – dilapidated vineyards, overgrown terraces, the gloom of a forgotten wine region. But he recognised the potential of these extreme altitudes. Passobianco, first vinified in 2007, is his white answer to the volcanic terroir: pure Chardonnay from the Contrada Guardiola, planted between 850 and 1,000 metres on steep terraces, where the powdery lava soil glistens black like the night. Fermented in steel tanks at cool temperatures, matured partly in concrete and partly in large wooden barrels – a vinification that preserves purity and creates complexity.

Intense bouquet of crushed rocks and exotic spices that fade into black cherries. Velvety and supple on the palate with a dense wave of mineral wild berries carried by a lively acidity. final savoury and with lovely tension, leaving a lingering aftertaste of primary notes. Wonderful complexity and depth – and always this freshness, which undeniably comes from the unique altitude of the vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Until 2012, this wine bore the name of the estate itself – passopisciaro. However, when Andrea Franchetti began to vinify his best individual vineyards separately in 2008, he renamed the basic Etna Rosso: Passorosso. A blend from different altitudes and contrade – from Malpasso to Guardiola and Santo Spirito –which shows the full range of what Nerello Mascalese can achieve on Mount Etna. The higher vineyards lie on coarse-grained lava gravel, the lower ones on finer, oxidised lava powder: each layer contributes to the complexity of this wine. 80 to 110-year-old vines, fermented in steel tanks, matured for 18 months in large neutral wooden barrels and concrete tanks, bottled unfiltered.

Sauvignon Sanct Valentin is probably the best-known white wine from the St. Michael-Eppan winery. It has been vinified from carefully selected single vineyards at the foot of the Mendelstock since 1989. Yellow-green in colour, dense bouquet of yellow fruit, gooseberry, elderflower and ripe redcurrant, smooth on the palate with elegant, floral fullness and crisp acidity. A great and very savoury top wine and probably the most award-winning white from the internationally highly respected winegrowers' cooperative. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Grigio Unterebner is an exceptional wine: golden yellow in colour, elegant aromas of blossom honey, lavender and tropical fruit. Delicate buttery notes, very balanced and charismatic, long and powerful on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Opera Semplice – a "simple work". But what the three sisters have created here is anything but simple: it is the logical consequence of their Trebbiano obsession, a sparkling wine so radical and uncompromising that it was not actually intended for sale to begin with. An experimental solitaire, produced only in the very best vintages with the finest grapes from their Massifitti vineyard – another milestone in their mission to rehabilitate the almost forgotten grape variety.

This wine bears the small print name Viola delle Viole, although its fruit comes from the Bricco delle Viole and Bricco Bertone vineyards, two sites with different soil types, one of which provides structure and the other aromatic purity. Opens with a dark, almost impenetrable appearance. Powerful aromas of blackberry jam and preserved cherries unfold on the nose. You can feel its warmth and richness and there is no way around it. It is a super-sized Barbera that goes one better in terms of extraction and intensity. The finish is almost sweet, followed by good acidity. It shows great aromatic perfection, length and a very accentuated style. SUPERIORE.DE

Poggio Lombrone is a selection of Sangiovese vines that are over fifty years old. The 2018 vintage is stunningly beautiful and absolutely classic with a bouquet that opens with crushed black cherries, cooling sweet herbal notes and dusty cedar. After some time in the glass, flavours of plums, cranberries and undergrowth unfold. Velvety and rich on the palate, harmonious, with ripe wild berries pouring over a core of savoury acids balanced by a hint of sour citrus. All framed by fine tannins that slowly rise towards the end. In the delightful final, rosy flowers, ferruginous mineral notes and savoury spices, great! SUPERIORE.DE

A wine born from a love story between two worlds: When Thomas Bär acquired the La Valletta estate in Panzano in 2011, he not only completed his family's legacy, but also created the basis for a unique cuvée that combines two exceptional terroirs in perfect harmony. Valletta is the liquid manifesto of this visionary decision: half Sangiovese from the galestro-rich terraces of Castellina and half Merlot from the stone-rich soils of Conca d'Oro. On the one hand, the centuries-old, UNESCO-protected dry stone walls of Gagliole, where the vines find an ecological balance between olive trees and roses. On the other, the sun-drenched heights of La Valletta at the upper edge of the Golden Valley, where the shell-shaped amphitheatre develops its famous microclimate.

San Sebastiano. A small church south-west of Monforte d'Alba, surrounded by vineyards that flow gently down to the only natural lake in the Langhe. "Bricco Lago" – the hill by the lake. Here, on clay and limestone soils, in an area of unrivalled biodiversity, the Nebbiolo vines that produce Lucas and Elena's "Baby Barolo" take root. Plots planted in 1969 and 1995 – old vines that give depth and complexity. Monforte's ferrous character, its reddish colour, its spicy nose – can all be found here. However, Luca deliberately vinifies differently to his upcoming Barolos. Not whole-cluster fermentation, but whole berries – to avoid excessive vigour and preserve finesse. Five days of cold maceration, then 21 days of simple, traditional, non-invasive fermentation with minimal pumping over. After fermentation, the grape skins remain submerged in the wine for another five days to gently extract further flavours and silky tannins – an innovative technique for more complexity without bitterness. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation. Matured for one year in small barrels, then bottled in autumn.

In 1984, a silent act of rebellion against convention took place on a nameless podium in the hills between Gaiole and Radda. Marco Pallanti, the visionary Oenologist at Castello di Ama, dared to do the impossible: He planted Pinot Nero clones from Morey-Saint-Denis, the heart of Burgundy, in the chalky soils of Tuscany. What began as a bold experiment became a legend – il Chiuso, named after the secretive, mysterious place where Burgundy's noblest grape variety found its Tuscan soul. Five hundred metres above sea level, on intensely limestone soils reminiscent of the Grands Crus of the Côte d'Or, the descendants of those Burgundian pioneers thrive today. Clones 111, 114 and 115 from Morey-Saint-Denis have found a new identity in this exceptional terroir – tuscan in their warmth from the sun, Burgundian in their finesse. The cool microclimate of this altitude, tempered by the Chianti winds, preserves the elegance and acidity structure that help Pinot Nero achieve its purest expression.

The Andreola family winery in Col San Martino was founded in 1984 by Nazzareno Pola in the heart of the Valdobbiadene wine-growing region. In his honour, a wonderful Prosecco Superiore is produced here every year in small batches, which once again received the highest award in the Gambero Rosso for the 2024 vintage. For Stefano Pola, the Etichetta del Fondatore represents the highest expression of finesse and olfactory elegance that the Glera grape can give in the core zone of Prosecco Superiore – combined with the verticality and juiciness that the soils give it, without ever losing its lightness and drinkability.