Vintage 2025

Sauvignon bianco doesn't come from here. And that was never a problem – on the contrary. The variety from the Bordelais has long since found a second home in the hilly locations of the Collio Goriziano: The windy slopes, the marly soils of Eocene origin, the cool nights between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea – all this forms a Sauvignon that has nothing in common with Loire or Nouvelle-Zélande. It's simply Friulian. Mario Schiopetto knew this. He had travelled Europe, learned precision in German cellars, elegance in France and elegance in Capriva del Friuli – and in Capriva del Friuli turned both into something of his own. His Sauvignon bianco was one of his early passions. The Pompiere version that Emilio and Alessandro Rotolo bottle today is the direct, accessible interpretation: hand-picked at the beginning of September, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, a few months on the lees.

We are talking about the summit of the extinct volcano Monte Foscarino, 350 metres above sea level. Up here, where volcanic tuff forms the bedrock and oak forests provide cool night-time breezes, one of Roberto's most precious treasures has been thriving since 1982. The Capitel Foscarino was already legendary whilst Roberto was still tied to the Soave Consortium – today it epitomises pure terroir expression without the regulatory compromises of DOC status. 90% Garganega and 10% Chardonnay from horizontally trained vines, which are rigorously thinned out in June so that only the most vigorous berries survive.

In 1966, Vernaccia di San Gimignano became the first wine in Italy to be awarded DOC status. This was followed by DOCG status in 1993. A long history for a grape variety whose name derives from "vernacolo", meaning "local" or "native to the area": A grape so deeply intertwined with a place that it bears its name. Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara is situated on the San Donato hill, at an altitude of 250 to 360 metres, on sandy soils rich in stones and fossilised marine organisms: a fossilised sea beneath the Tuscan sky. Organically farmed, 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-harvested in the third week of September.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

"Selida" is an Old High German word for a small farmstead, and it is precisely such farms that the Tramin Winery continues to support to this day: its members cultivate manageable plots and harvest by hand. The vines for this wine are situated at altitudes of between 300 and 500 metres on a south-east-facing slope, on calcareous loam with gravel. Sunny, Mediterranean-style days give way to cool nights there, when the downdrafts come sweeping down from the surrounding mountains. The yield is 50 hectolitres per hectare. After a short maceration period, the grapes are gently pressed and fermented at 18 degrees in steel tanks; malolactic fermentation is not carried out.

At dawn, a rosy glow lies over the Sangiovese vineyards to the east of the estate, which gave this wine its name. Il Borro has been officially certified organic since 2015, and the Rosato comes from these vineyards. The early-ripening grapes are harvested by hand into 10-kilo crates; the must remains on the skins for just one hour, fermentation takes place in stainless steel at 15 to 17 degrees, after which the wine rests in the tank for two months. The year 2025 begins mild and dry; the summer turns hot, but rain in September and October restores the water balance.

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.

Pale straw yellow with a delicate greenish tinge. Clear and inviting on the nose: green apple, pineapple and citrus, underpinned by white flowers and a fine hint of fresh bread crust. Dry, straightforward and juicy on the palate, with lively, well-integrated acidity, a delicate mellowness and cool, mineral tension. The finish is fresh and lingering, with an elegant, slightly salty flavour. A modern, no-frills Langhe Chardonnay that impresses with its clarity, drinking flow and fine depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Mongrana is a name taken from Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, the 16th-century chivalric epic, and at Querciabella it is associated with the coast. Near Alberese in the Maremma, close to the sea and the hills of the Uccellina Nature Reserve, the vines were planted in 2000, facing north-south, at an altitude of 20 to 50 metres. The soil is acidic and rich in iron, with fine-grained sediments intermingled with alluvial sand. For this wine, Merlot and Sangiovese from certified organic cultivation are placed in stainless steel tanks; after just 48 hours on the skins, the must is racked off. The short maceration period is intentional; it preserves what matters most here.

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.

As early as the end of August, the grapes for the Prinsìpi are harvested in Monforte d'Alba, by hand and at the peak of ripeness. Chardonnay and Manzoni Bianco – a cross between Riesling and Pinot Blanc – grow there on west- and east-facing slopes, at altitudes of between 300 and 550 metres, in organically farmed vineyards. The soil is silty, with varying proportions of sand and limestone. The altitude lends the wine its freshness, whilst the stainless-steel tank helps to preserve it: fermentation and ageing take place entirely without the use of wood. This wine has been produced since 2005, with around 15,000 bottles made each year.

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.

A vibrant, radiant colour, rich in green-gold hues. The rich bouquet of this Moscato d'Alessandria (Zibibbo) is floral, with notes of white roses and acacia, followed by mineral notes, peach and orange blossom, finishing with candied citrus fruits and a hint of honey. On the palate, the mineral-driven aromas are confirmed, along with a fresh, spicy and enveloping structure. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Bianco was first introduced to South Tyrol as early as 1850 – and the Schulthaus vineyard, situated above Castel Moos in Appiano Monte, is probably the most historic Pinot Bianco site in the entire municipality. The Schulthauser has been bottled as a wine in its own right since 1982 – and has since 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.

High above Bolzano stands the legendary Mockhof – a single vineyard that offers Sauvignon Bianco the perfect conditions in which to develop its full potential. Situated at an altitude of 500 metres on steep porphyry slopes, the vines benefit from extreme daytime temperatures and cool nights, which allow for an exceptionally slow ripening process. This exposed site is one of the latest-harvesting areas in South Tyrol – a factor that lends 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 ageing exclusively in stainless steel preserve the intensity typical of the grape variety.