Vintage 2025

Anyone who understands Ribolla Gialla understands Friuli. The variety is old, unique and uncompromising – it gives the best of itself on poor soils and does not forgive any laziness in the cellar. It is no coincidence that the small vineyard around the archbishop's castle in Capriva del Friuli is still home to Ribolla Gialla today: as a silent commitment to the regional identity of the house. The soils of the Schiopetto vineyards – flysch, called "Ponca" in Friulian, from marine sediments of Eocene origin – are the ideal terrain: poor, stony, draining. The vine has to fight, and this fight shapes the character. Harvest at the end of September, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short ageing in steel – the technique takes a back seat, the fruit takes centre stage.

South Tyrol's autochthonous king grape variety finds its ancestral terroir on the permeable gravel and crushed stone soils of the Bolzano valley floor at 250 metres. Here, where "Lagrinum" was first mentioned in a document as early as 1379, Lagrein thrives in its heartland – the warm, sun-drenched vineyards around Gries with their extreme day-night temperature fluctuations. The traditional mash fermentation in stainless steel with controlled fermentation and gentle mash movement, followed by malolactic fermentation and six months of ageing in large oak barrels, gives Rubeno its characteristic structure and elegance.

While the Blanc des Rosis brings together four grape varieties, the Friulano speaks only for itself. That is intentional. Because Friulano – the historic grape variety that Mario Schiopetto was the first to bottle pure and unblended in 1965 – needs no company. It is Friuli. The vineyards of Capriva del Friuli lie on Eocene clay and marl: soils that impart minerality and a cool, herbaceous depth to the grapes. Harvest by hand in the second and third decade of August, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, eight months on the lees – no wood, no effort that would distract the wine from itself.

We are talking about the summit of the extinct volcano Monte Foscarino, 350 metres above sea level. Up here, where volcanic tuff forms the base and oak forests provide cool night breezes, one of Roberto's most precious treasures has been thriving since 1982. The Capitel Foscarino was already a legend when Roberto was still part of the Soave consortium – today it stands for pure typicality of the vineyard without regulatory DOC compromises. 90 per cent Garganega and ten per cent Chardonnay from horizontally trained vines that are rigorously thinned out in June so that only the most vigorous berries survive.

Gavi del Comune di Gavi is the strictest level of the Gavi appellation – only grapes from the commune of Gavi itself qualify. 100% Cortese, 15 days fermentation at 18 °C, no wood. What is created in the vineyard should arrive in the glass. A beautiful white wine with fish, shellfish and everything the sea has to offer. Pale straw yellow with a green tinge – the typical colour of Cortese. Bouquet of flowers, citrus, fresh fruit – direct and clear. Dry and harmonious on the palate, with lively acidity and a mineral freshness that defines the wine. A Cortese of great typicity and personality – quiet, but convincing. SUPERIORE.DE

Christian Bellei has dedicated his life to precision. For generations, his family in Bomporto has been producing excellent sparkling wines with the meticulous care of a watchmaker – everything controlled, everything intended, everything calculated. And then: OOPS. Mi è scappata la bollicina. The bubble that crept in uninvited – and then simply stayed. 100% Pinot Nero from the alluvial soils of the Secchia. What was intended to be a still red wine – —or so the story goes –, took on a life of its own in the cellar. The perlage was not corrected. It became the defining feature of the style.

Brachetto is almost exclusively sweet in Piedmont – as Brachetto d'Acqui, sparkling, aromatic, as a dessert or aperitif wine. Andrea Sottimano shows that this grape variety can become something completely different when fermented dry on a small vineyard near Treiso: Matè – 1.1 hectares, vines over 40 years old on limestone and clay, one of those quiet individual vineyards in the Langhe that are almost unknown but have a lot to say. 20 days of maceration with natural yeasts, malolactic fermentation, 8 months in steel. No fining, no filtration.

Pinot Grigio has a difficult time. Too often softly rinsed, too often vinified for quantity – a name that promises more than it delivers. Things are different in Capriva del Friuli. Here the variety was once called "Ribolla di Capriva", here it is at home on Eocene marl and clay, here it is the last white vine to ripen – it is only harvested in the last decade of September, when the nights get cooler and the flavours settle. Emilio and Alessandro Rotolo vinify the Pinot Grigio with the same rigour as all the wines in the Pompiere line: soft pressing, fermentation in steel at low temperatures, short bottle ageing. No effort that goes beyond the fruit. The wine is allowed to show what the soil has to offer.

Here is a Vermentino that's perfect for both special occasions and everyday enjoyment. Is Argiolas is the melody of the Sardinian coast – a star white wine, elegant and complex. The grapes come from the sandy-limestone hills around Selegas (single vineyard), where they develop mineral depth thanks to the granite subsoil. Following cool fermentation, the wine matures on its fine lees in stainless steel – a philosophy of uncompromising clarity.

The three sisters from Fittà – Meri, Valentina and Alessandra Tessari – have turned the estate founded in 1982 by their parents, Giovanni and Rosetta, into one of the most respected names in Soave Classico. "Suavia" is the Germanic origin of "Soave" – the name says it all. Whilst their neighbours in the lowlands have long since succumbed to industrial pressures, the sisters cultivate exclusively the indigenous grape varieties Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave across twelve hectares at an altitude of 300 metres. Their vineyards lie on the volcanic hills of Fittà, on copper-red, black and grey soils rich in basalt and other volcanic rock. Here, where 50-year-old vines thrive on mineral-rich subsoil, wines of unmistakable expressiveness are produced.

Gewürztraminer is the local variety of the South Tyrolean lowlands – and Kurtatsch is its home. Here, between Bolzano and Lake Garda, on the South Tyrolean Wine Route, the grape variety has found the Mediterranean warmth and Alpine freshness that make its distinctive bouquet possible in the first place. Tiefenbrunner has been cultivating it since 1968 – and Merus Gewürztraminer is its most accessible expression. Three sites give this wine its multi-layered character: Penon, Hofstatt and Rain at 400 to 650 metres with calcareous dolomite soils and eastern exposure – for freshness and minerality. Entiklar and the Margreider Leiten at 220 to 350 metres, on limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits – for structure and depth. Brenntal and Frauenriegel at 220 to 350 metres, on red, sandy loam soil – for warmth and fullness. Vinified in concrete vats, 5.0 g/l residual sugar – subtle, never sweet.

An elegant salmon pink. This rosé, produced from certified organic grapes, offers peppery floral notes with hints of lime zest and green melon. On the palate, it offers an impressively silky texture and a balanced blend of zesty acidity, sweet red berries and minerality. The finish is spicy and lively, with a hint of sour cherry and rose petals that linger long on the palate. It's a real delight!  SUPERIORE.DE

Giovanni Massolino sold his first wine in 1896. It was a Barbera. Since then, it has been the oldest wine of the house, the most constant link between the family and the hills of Serralunga. Four generations, one and the same variety, one and the same promise: to press the Barbera as it is. Massolino calls it "the queen of the Langa table" – and means it without irony. In the Langhe, Barbera is not the entry-level wine that you drink while waiting for Barolo. It is the wine that is opened daily, that accompanies the meal, that carries the company. On the limestone soils of Serralunga – four hectares, well exposed, low yields – it develops more character than elsewhere: more fruit, more tension, more depth. The decision to age it exclusively in steel is an attitude. No barriques, no wood notes, no cladding. 10 to 12 days of maceration at around 30 degrees, BSA, short maturation in steel, release in the spring of the following year. What is in the bottle here is Barbera in purezza.

Pinot Noir, as the South Tyroleans call it – and once you have understood why this grape variety sounds different in the Adige Valley than elsewhere, you will never forget it. The Tramin winery sources its Pinot Nero from slopes between 350 and 450 metres above sea level, on calcareous clay and gravel soils that store Mediterranean heat during the day and cool down quickly at night. This interplay of temperatures is not a climatic coincidence, but the actual tool: it preserves the freshness of the fruit, sharpens the flavours and keeps the tannins lean. Cellar master Willi Stürz – the quality conscience of the winery since the nineties – sees his Pinot Nero as a counter-model to heaviness: light, precise, with red fruit in the foreground.

Pinot Bianco was first introduced to South Tyrol as early as 1850 – and the Schulthaus vineyard, above Castel Moos in Appiano Monte, is probably the most historic site for Pinot Bianco in the entire municipality. The Schulthauser has been bottled as a wine in its own right since 1982 – and since then it has become one of the best-known expressions of this grape variety in South Tyrol. The vineyards are situated at altitudes of 540 to 620 metres, facing south-east, on limestone gravel soils with a slight clay content – high enough for the evening downdrafts from the Mendel Mountains to exert their cooling effect every day. Hand-harvested at the end of September. In the cellar: 85% fermented in stainless steel, 15% in large wooden casks with malolactic fermentation. In February, the wines are blended to create a wine that combines creamy smoothness and pronounced acidity in a rare harmony.

A house that is world-famous for its monumental Barolo crus produces one of the best Moscato d'Asti ever – this is not a contradiction, but a Piedmontese matter of course. The grapes come from forty-year-old Guyot vines in Castiglione Tinella, on soils rich in limestone and clay, where Moscato Bianco has been at home for generations. After gentle pressing and natural cold clarification, the must is stored at the lowest possible temperature without the addition of sulphites – and only fermented in batches in an autoclave when required. At around 5.5 per cent by volume, a cold shock stops the fermentation and thus preserves the natural residual sweetness and delicate aromas.

The legendary Mockhof is enthroned high above Bolzano – a single vineyard site that offers Sauvignon Bianco perfect conditions for its development. Situated at an altitude of 500 metres on steep porphyry slopes, the vines benefit from extreme daytime temperatures and cool nights, which allow for exceptionally slow ripening. This exposed location is one of the latest harvest areas in South Tyrol – a circumstance that gives the Mock its characteristic aromatic complexity. Cellar master Stephan Filippi vinifies this single-vineyard wine with the utmost care: gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation and maturation exclusively in stainless steel preserve the intensity typical of the grape variety.

In the vineyards of Eppan and Kaltern, between 350 and 500 metres above sea level, Pinot Noir finds the alpine conditions that allow it to mature into an elegant interpretation of the Burgundian grape variety. The grapes thrive on moraine debris with limestone and gravel in a temperate climate with cooling winds, which give the variety its characteristic freshness and aromatic clarity. The St. Michael-Eppan winery, one of the leading cooperatives in South Tyrol since 1907, cultivates its vineyards with respect for the grape and favours environmentally friendly cultivation with targeted yield regulation.

Gewürztraminer polarises opinion. Some love the opulence, the rose blossom, the exotic heaviness. Others avoid it for this very reason. Alois Lageder has a clear stance on this: Gewürztraminer should be aromatic – but not overwhelming. It should show juiciness, drinkability and mineral depth. No perfume that overwhelms. A grape variety that shows what it can do without forgetting its limits. The answer lies in the diversity of its origins: twelve winemaking partners in Margreid, Kurtatsch, Tramin and the Eisack Valley – 230 to 740 metres above sea level, calcareous and volcanic soils side by side in rare diversity. The warm Unterland sites provide substance and fruit, while the cooler Eisack Valley delivers freshness and finesse. Temperature-controlled fermentation in steel and partly in large wooden barrels, a small percentage fermented and macerated on the intact grapes. Matured mainly in steel on the fine lees for around four months.

The evening downdrafts from the Mendel Mountains give the entire terroir of the St. Michael-Eppan Winery its distinctive character. They ensure cool nights and endow the grapes with those exceptional qualities that define the wines' aromas, their unmistakable freshness and their longevity. The downwind is the natural force that sweeps across the vineyard every day, positively influencing the climate and supporting the valuable work of the winegrowers at the cooperative winery. The Fallwind wines are ambassadors for their terroir and uniquely reflect the strengths of the growing region. Most are sourced from selected vineyards where wine has been grown for centuries. Strict quality guidelines, low yields, intensive manual labour in the vineyard, and gentle, individual ageing in the cellar make them what they are: wines full of character, precise and unique, which win over every connoisseur with their varietal characteristics.

Fallwind wines are ambassadors for their terroir and reflect the strengths of the growing region in a unique way. Most are produced from selected vineyards where wine has been grown for centuries. Strict quality guidelines, low yields, intensive manual labour in the vineyard, and gentle, individual vinification in the cellar make them what they are: wines full of character, precise and unique, which will win over every connoisseur with their varietal characteristics.

In the gently rolling hills of Contessa Entellina in western Sicily, where Mediterranean winds meet calcareous clay soils, a Chardonnay with an unmistakable island character is produced year after year: La Fuga. The vines grow at medium altitudes of between 200 and 600 metres, benefiting from significant temperature differences between day and night, and develop an expressive range of aromas – a far cry from the opulent style of many international examples of the variety.

A tribute to Saint Maurice, patron saint of the small hamlet of Söll above Tramin – this is how the name came about for this characterful Pinot Blanc from the highest vineyards of this long-established winery. At altitudes of between 400 and 600 metres above sea level, where the vines thrive on calcareous loam soils with a gravelly component, the extreme temperature fluctuations between sunny days and cool Alpine nights shape the unmistakably crisp character of this elegant South Tyrolean white wine.