VINOUS

There comes a moment in the history of every small winery when it stops having to prove itself – and begins to remember. Clelia Romano started out in Arianello di Lapio in 1994, with just a few hectares and one firm belief: that Fiano, grown on these volcanic calcareous marl soils, at altitudes of between 480 and 620 metres, in the Apennine hills of Irpinia, could be one of Italy's great white wines. The critics proved her right – swiftly and unequivocally. Today, she runs the estate together with her daughter Carmela. The wine, which bears the founder's name, is a testament to both generations.

Ghiaie della Furba means "pebbles of the Furba stream" and there is a reason for this, as the vines for this wine grow on the river pebbles on the banks of this stream. It is one of the very first "Supertuscans". After an hour in the carafe, this extremely complex red reveals wonderfully clear, dark fruit, blackberries and cassis, as well as coffee notes, dark chocolate and spices. Its very good structure and personality are impressive. It is already very accessible today (with aeration), but still hides its great potential for the next decade. SUPERIORE.DE

More than a hundred years ago, a white bull named Desiderio lived on the Capezzine farm in Avignonesi. He was the largest bull in Tuscany at the time – and what's more, he is one of the recognised ancestors of the Chianina breed, the noble breed of cattle from which the Bistecca Fiorentina is cut. Anyone enjoying a Florentine-style T-bone steak today is likely to have a little bit of Desiderio's DNA on their plate. It was therefore a natural choice for Avignonesi to name its most powerful red wine after him. The label shows him – and changes with every vintage. The sky, lighting mood and details in the illustration tell of the climate of the year: whether hot or cool, dry or balanced. A quiet commentary on the vintage in pictorial form.

A little marvel, perfectly balanced with complex aromas of tropical fruits, apples and honey. A highly intriguing natural white wine that is far more than just a light-hearted treat, as it offers an exceptionally full-bodied, well-structured flavour. Fermented with the skins using the red wine method. A deep yellow colour with golden highlights. An intense bouquet of dried herbs, incense, candied lemon peel and a hint of bitter orange. On the palate, fresh citrus notes, an exciting acidity profile and a robust structure lead into a very long finish, crowned by a hint of bitter almonds. Highly complex and a wonderful accompaniment to food – be sure to let it breathe! SUPERIORE.DE

High above Sambuca Val di Pesa, just three kilometres south of the famous Tenuta Tignanello, rises the venerable Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo – a bastion of faith since the 10th century, where Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of the Vallombrosan order, once lived and died. Here, where wine of exceptional quality was already appreciated around the year 1000, only the finest Sangiovese grapes thrive on calcareous soils with clay content at an altitude of 300 metres. The historical importance of this place is documented in hundreds of volumes in the Florentine state archives – centuries of Sangiovese cultivation and rural life, preserved for eternity.

The site near Buttrio, where the grapes of the autochthonous Friulano grape variety originate, is one of the Grand Crus of the Friuli Colli Orientali appellation together with Rosazzo. Not only are there no regulations here, but there is also a poor, loose marl soil, which ensures extremely low yields every year. In good vintages, however, the rewards are all the greater: the volume and fruit concentration, the lower acidity and the unmistakable salinity of the wines will, after a few years of ageing in the bottle, lead to enjoyable heights that will make lovers of complex, energetic white wines dizzy. SUPERIORE.DE

Typical ruby red colour with a matt sheen. Well-defined and clean on the nose, with notes of cherry, small, mostly red fruits and a subtle, delicate spiciness. Fresh on the palate, opens wide and finishes with a spicy note and considerable length. The tannins, very well extracted, delicately caress the palate. A wine full of elegance and harmony, with pronounced terroir typicity and recognisable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The dark, seductive Cabernet Franc Poggio de' Colli takes its time in the glass and slowly awakens with a blend of redcurrants, peppery roses, exotic curries and a slight hint of musk that lends it gravitas. Velvety soft yet refined. Aristocratic and cool on the palate, with a powerful wave of tart raspberry fruit that feeds the palate with savoury spices and mineral notes. Leaves a layer of fine tannins and a hint of berry concentration on the final, which tapers off savoury, long and perfectly balanced. A radiant wine that will only reveal its full beauty in a few years. SUPERIORE.DE

Born in the Contrada Arcurìa near Passopisciaro – around 650 metres high on the north-eastern flank of Mount Etna – this Nerello Mascalese carries the clarity of the volcanic slopes in every nuance. The 2020 vintage was the year of deep balance. Warm days were tempered by cooling night-time temperatures, allowing the grapes to achieve healthy ripeness with a lean fruit structure. The harvest took place late, carefully and in small batches. The wine is fermented traditionally and matured for around 24 months in large wooden barrels.

Feudo di Mezzo is more than just a vineyard – it is the historic centrepiece of viticulture on Etna. One of Pietradolce's oldest and most fascinating plots is located in the contrada of the same name, around 600 metres above sea level between the lava flows of past eruptions. The Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted here in deep black, mineral-rich lava soil with excellent drainage. The microclimate is characterised by wide temperature fluctuations, which give the wine a special depth and tension. Vinification is carried out with great sensitivity: spontaneous fermentation in traditional wooden vats, maturing for around 12 months in large tonneaux.

"Rich, brooding and convincing: Colle Sant'Antonio is a small selection of Garganega that I carefully choose in the vineyard and patiently wait for in the cellar." Graziano Prà

Pelagrilli is the origin – the name of the hillside north-east of Montalcino, which Siro Pacenti acquired in 1970, and at the same time the name of the flagship Brunello that his son Giancarlo has been vinifying since 1988. On sandy-loamy soils, channelling the cooling westerly winds, between 25 and 40-year-old vines, a Brunello is created here that combines Giancarlo's mathematical precision and his Bordeaux experience: fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, 24 months in small French barriques – not for flavour, but for purity. 2020 was a warm, dry summer – sangiovese under pressure, which, where well managed, turned into concentrated, supple fruit. The northern slope of Pelagrilli absorbed the heat better than the southern sites; the harvest began in mid-September under good conditions.

The single-vineyard Sauvignon Bianco Lozeta is the result of the avant-garde planting system, which, in contrast to the cultivation method previously practised in Friuli, not only means a higher planting density, but also the intelligent use of clones and biotypes that have been married with French offshoots. It is a further uncompromising and consistent step towards complexity and personality, with optimal utilisation and expression of the existing terroir and microclimate.

Vigna San Marcellino Gran Selezione is both youthfully fresh and ripe and complexly muscular. It contains a healthy dose of the deeply coloured Pugnitello grape, and on the nose liquorice, tarragon and broom mingle with lush plum and subtle roasted aromas that are highly seductive in their complexity. Deep, taut and lively on the palate, loaded with black cherry and rich, velvety tannins. The texture is silky, while subtle chalky notes and a salty minerality give it plenty of energy and lead it into a juicy, refreshing finish. Vigna San Marcellino is a convincing wine with enormous ageing potential every year. SUPERIORE.DE

The Popoli vineyard bears witness to the fact that the Valle Reale plateau has been a wine-growing area since time immemorial. Several rows of this vineyard stretch out in front of the ruins of a cave cellar dating back to 1300. This is where the Benedictine monks from the monastery of San Benedetto in Perillis produced and stored their wine. A small plot of around 1 hectare is dedicated to Trebbiano d'Abruzzo.

In the past, the northern slope of Montalcino was not planted with vines, but was cultivated with cereals, olives and cherries. In this area influenced by the Apennines, the seasons are more pronounced, continental and the north wind significantly lowers the temperature in winter. It is therefore the coldest Brunello region at this time of year, but also the wettest. This northern slope is a gentle hill: a characteristic that is more reminiscent of the Crete Senesi area, right next door, than the two stiffer, steeper and warmer southern slopes of Montalcino.

In the annals of northern Italian wine history, I Palchi marks a turning point – the moment when Stefano Inama realised that he had created a white monument that could compete with the world's great Burgundies. Born from the visionary search for "maximum purity", as Alessio Inama puts it, this Soave Classico not only represents the white flagship of the house, but also a new dimension of what the old Garganega vine is capable of achieving on volcanic soil. The name I Palchi – the terraces – is more than just a geographical designation. It refers to the broad, terraced slopes of Monte Foscarino, which have been characterised by the traditional Veronese Garganega pergolas for over half a century. It was here, on this extinct volcano that has watched over the Po Valley for 30 million years, that Giuseppe Inama began his quiet crusade in the 1960s. While other producers focused on quantity in the plain, he recognised the extraordinary potential of these ancient terraced vineyards – an intuition that today has left his grandchildren a legacy of priceless value.

Contrada Rampante is one of the highest and most renowned vineyards on the north-east slope of Mount Etna. At around 1,000 metres above sea level, Nerello Mascalese thrives here on volcanic sandy soils with a high lava content – a terroir of rare expressiveness that combines cool nights, long vegetation cycles and extreme slopes. The vines are over 100 years old – partly ungrafted – produce small-berried, concentrated grapes. After fermentation in cement, the wine matures for around 12 months in large wooden barrels and then for several months in the bottle.

The Romanesque Pieve di San Marcellino was built in the year 1000. It still stands today – in the middle of the vineyards of Rocca di Montegrossi, seven kilometres south of Gaiole, at the southern tip of the Chianti Classico. The vineyard bears its name. And the vines that surround it are older than most of the appellations that appear on labels today. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is a descendant of Baron Bettino Ricasoli – the "Iron Baron" who defined the formula for Chianti Classico in the 19th century. Not as a marketing idea, but as a genetic link to this soil. The vineyard has been certified organic since 2010 and has been planted with Pugnitello alongside Sangiovese since 2006 – an autochthonous Tuscan grape variety that was almost extinct in the 1980s. Pugnitello deepens the colour, thickens the structure and sharpens the profile of the Sangiovese grape. Hand-picked, separate fermentation of both varieties on wild yeasts in upright wooden tanks, 24 months in Allier barriques and tonneau, bottled unfiltered. Only produced in outstanding vintages – the 2020 is one of them.

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. From this "private reserve" comes Nerosanloré 2010, which is now - in spring 2023 - offered in small quantities with 9 years of further bottle ageing quasi in Riserva quality.

The Nerello Mascalese vines for the Archineri Rosso are rooted deep in the terraced vineyards of Contrada Rampante – at an altitude of around 850 metres on pure volcanic rock. It is a barren, yet vital terroir which, in combination with old, ungrafted vines and strict selection, produces wines of almost ascetic precision. The grapes are fermented spontaneously, then matured for around 12 months in large, used oak barrels before being bottled without filtration.