Vintage 2025

From wine to oil, from west to east: Donnafugata has been cultivating olive groves on the northern slope of Mount Etna since 2016 – where volcanic soils and extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night produce olives of particular intensity. The Nocellara Etnea is the defining variety of this region: large-fruited, juicy, with a favourable ratio of flesh to stone. For this single-variety oil, the olives are harvested by hand in the second half of November and immediately cold-pressed – gramolatura is carried out in a controlled atmosphere to prevent oxidation and preserve the flavours.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

Cottanera's Etna Bianco draws its expressiveness and a certain depth from Carricante grapes, which thrive at an altitude of around 750 metres in the barren, dark volcanic soils on the north side of the volcano. The interplay of high altitude, cool climate and mineral subsoil characterises the tension and freshness of this charismatic white wine. Straw yellow in colour with a silvery sheen. White flowers meet yellow citrus fruits, crisp pears and a hint of wet stone on the nose. Clear and straightforward on the palate with lively acidity, a fine texture and salty minerality that reflects the Etna terroir. A refreshingly purist Etna Bianco that harmoniously combines finesse and depth – ideal with oysters, ceviche or simply as a meditative soloist. SUPERIORE.DE

Burdigai is the Ligurian dialect for the shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis – the fragrant, wild vegetation that occupies every free spot in western Liguria that is not cultivated by man. This small, isolated terrace facing west is surrounded by it – and it is here that a grape variety grows that nobody can fully explain. It is alternatively called "Franseise" because it apparently originates from the south of France. Nobody knows who planted the vines. Nobody knows how old they are. Not even the Bruna family knows their exact origin. Nevertheless, the vines have been cultivated and cared for over decades – out of that instinctive respect for old vines that good winegrowers never give up. At some point, the family council decided to press an independent rosé from them.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. It wasn’t because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn’t. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island. Tenuta delle Terre Nere – the Black Earths – was one of the sparks that ignited the Etna phenomenon. The Etna Bianco is the cornerstone of this vision: a blend of four indigenous grape varieties – carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico and Minnella – from several vineyards on the cool northern slope of the volcano, at altitudes of 600 to 900 metres. The soil is black volcanic earth, rich in minerals but low in nutrients – — ideal for vines that need to dig deep. Hand-harvested in early October, cold sedimentation, fermentation at 13 to 15°C in stainless steel tanks.

Vermentino can get burnt. Too much direct sunlight before the harvest and the berry loses its aromatic precursors – the bouquet flattens out, the palate becomes broader, oilier, with an almond-accentuated finish that conceals terroir instead of revealing it. This is a well-known pitfall on the Tuscan coast. In Montebamboli, it is deliberately avoided. The training is programme: Guyot on both sides, foliage kept dense so that the fruit zone remains in the shade. Only the shadiest grapes are harvested, where diffuse light protects the flavour. End of August, beginning of September, by hand, with careful selection. Cooled to 3°C overnight, then whole bunch pressing, static clarification. Fermentation 70% in steel at 18–20°C, 30% in new barriques. Six months on the fine lees with regular bâtonnage, six months in the bottle.

Luigi Veronelli affectionately called him "Il Contadino". And in doing so, he captured the essence of Livio Felluga better than any label ever could. A man from Istria who survived two world wars, saw borders shift, lost his homeland and settled on the rolling hills of Rosazzo in the late 1930s to give Friulian viticulture a new future. What this winegrower has built up is now one of the leading names in the north-east. The Rosato is, in the estate’s own words, “a new way of expressing the most characteristic thing we have: the character of our terroir.” 85% Merlot, 15% Pinot Nero, from flysch soils of Eocene origin – that characteristic alternation of marl and sandstone which distinguishes the Collio and Rosazzo from the rest of Italy. Pinot Nero is harvested at the end of August – earlier than Merlot, which follows in mid-September. The grapes are placed in small crates, gently destemmed, cold-pressed, and the must clarified by decanting. Fermentation takes place in steel and terracotta, with ageing on the lees.

Italy's smallest wine region doesn't do things by halves. The Aosta Valley lies wedged between the highest peaks of the Alps, crossed by the Dora Baltea, characterised by moraine soils left behind by glaciers and a climate that demands everything from the vines: short summers, long winters, extreme temperature differences between day and night. Viticulture here is not a decision for the faint-hearted.

Balduccio is made up of around 9,000 organically cultivated olive trees, all located on the picturesque Montalbano hills between Florence and Montecatini Terme, and an oil mill that is so popular with local farmers that the most popular dates for pressing between 15 October and 15 November have been fully booked on the waiting list since the summer. This is because Balduccio not only presses its own olives, but also makes its modern technology available to other olive producers. Over the last 20 years, Balduccio has gained recognition and respect as an oil mill among local producers. It is not only the customers who are impressed by the quality. The ambition to produce top-quality oils is also increasingly inspiring other olive growers.

The Winkl has been vinified as a single variety since 1956 – at a time when Sauvignon Blanc was still a rarity in South Tyrol. Winery manager Rudi Kofler says that this grape variety has always felt at home around the oldest farms in the Terlan DOC area. You believe him when you taste the wine. The vineyards lie at 280 to 580 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-southwest, on steep to very steep slopes. The soil is quartz porphyry – volcanic primary rock, crystalline-mineral, with a slightly acidic pH value and an almost natural self-limitation in yields. It is precisely this microstress that produces the terroir's own polyphenols, which give Terlano wines their characteristic saltiness and tension. No other soil, no other result. Hand-picked, gentle whole-cluster pressing, slow fermentation – then 7 to 8 months on the fine lees, 80 per cent in steel, 20 per cent in large wooden barrels. This silent wood component only serves the texture, it gives the wine substance without masking its origin.

In the Conca d'Oro, the golden amphitheatre of Panzano, around 400 olive trees per hectare grow alongside the famous Sangiovese vines. Giovanni Manetti, the mastermind behind the legendary Flaccianello della Pieve and president of the Chianti Classico Consortium, applies the same precision to his olive oil as he does to his wines. The cuvée of 80% Correggiolo and 20% Moraiolo is harvested by hand and gently pressed on the same day – freshness and fruitiness are thus fully preserved. Fontodi has not used herbicides or pesticides since it was founded and has been certified organic since 2008.

Bruno Giacosa was convinced that great wines begin in the vineyard – and the best way to access the vineyard is through trust in experienced farmers. Whilst other estates bought land, Giacosa spent decades building up a network of reliable grape suppliers whom he knew better than their own accountants. From these relationships emerged the Barbaresco and Barolo wines that are now among Italy’s most iconic. And from the same relationships comes the Dolcetto. The grapes come from selected vineyards in Neive, Neviglie, Treiso and Alba – the heart of the Langhe, which Giacosa had known since his youth at the family estate. Since Bruno’s death in January 2018, his daughter Bruna has been running the estate, guided by the same conviction: no intervention that obscures the grape’s identity. The Dolcetto is produced entirely without the use of wood: 7 to 10 days of maceration in steel, full malolactic fermentation, 6 months in steel, one month in bottle.

While Lagrein traditionally dominates rosé production in South Tyrol, Franz Haas goes his own way. As a Pinot Nero specialist who has vinified and meticulously documented 592 different Pinot Nero versions in over three decades, he devotes the same attention to his rosé. The vines for this wine grow on Guyot vines at extreme altitudes of between 700 and 750 metres – significantly higher than usual for rosé. Grapes of exceptional quality ripen on dolomite weathered rock, with a high planting density and selected clones. Only 5,000 bottles are produced annually. Vinification consistently follows the white wine method: after destemming, the grapes are pressed directly, without maceration. The must ferments at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, undergoes malolactic fermentation and matures for several months before being bottled. This purist approach preserves the freshness and elegance that can be expected from Pinot Nero at altitude.

Chardonnay doesn't really need an origin. The world drinks it everywhere, it adapts, it works. This is precisely its problem – and this is exactly where it so often fails. Those who grow it in the Aosta Valley, on granite moraine between 600 and 800 metres above sea level, with short summers, long winters and temperatures that drop to extremes at night, ask a different question: what happens to this variety when the mountain has the last word?

Solicchiata is located on the northern slope of Mount Etna, where the volcano still gives everything to its soil – minerality, warmth, tension – without imposing the glowing ripeness of the southern flank. The Faro family founded Pietradolce here in 2005, on 35 hectares between 600 and 900 metres above sea level. The credo: exclusively indigenous varieties, separate vinification of the individual vineyards, as little intervention as possible. The Etna Bianco is the gateway to this universe – and at the same time an unequivocal commitment. 100 per cent Carricante, Alberello, 800 metres above sea level. Sandy volcanic soils, rich in minerals. Hand-picked in the second half of October, when the long, cool nights on the northern slope have given the acidity its final touch. Gentle pressing, ageing exclusively in steel.

The small, museum-like island of Mozia in the Marsala lagoon is a production site of unrivalled uniqueness. It is a marine ecosystem that has always been linked to the vineyard. The English, who came to Marsala at the beginning of the 19th century and recognised its great potential, initiated the first planting. The vines are cultivated naturally using the Gobelet system with natural irrigation. The grapes are harvested in crates, brought to the mainland in flat-bottomed boats and then transported to the Regaleali winery in air-conditioned lorries to guarantee their aromatic integrity.

The Nerello Mascalese vines for this exceptional rosato grow on the northern slopes of Mount Etna at an altitude of over 600 metres – barren, stony soils of pure lava rock characterise the microclimate and give the wine its clear contours. The wine is matured purely in stainless steel to emphasise freshness, purity and terroir expression. Delicate pink in the glass with a copper-coloured shimmer. The bouquet is elegant and restrained: wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, a hint of blood orange and some fennel green. Lively on the palate, with juicy fruit, animating acidity and mineral tension. The cool finish is dry, precise and surprisingly long. An Etna Rosato with Alpine freshness and Mediterranean soul – ideal for warm evenings, grilled fish or a classic insalata di mare. SUPERIORE.DE

The same hills, the same family, the same philosophy – what applies to the wine also applies to the oil. Around a thousand olive trees grow on the slopes of Monti in Chianti, mainly Correggiolo with some Moraiolo in between, in mixed cultivation with fruit trees according to old tradition. Marco Ricasoli Firidolfi harvests by hand before the olives are fully ripe – lower yields, but acidity levels below 0.2% and a wealth of polyphenols. The olives are pressed on the day of harvest, under nitrogen, to prevent any oxidation.

Biancolella epitomises the heart of Ischian wine culture – an indigenous grape variety with a millennia-old tradition that grows almost exclusively on Ischia. Its existence documents the inseparable link between the island and the vine since the times of the ancient Greeks, when the first amphorae carried the precious wine as far as France. The four hectares of vineyards grow on the mineral-rich volcanic soil of Monte Epomeo at an altitude of 300 metres overlooking the sea. The green tuff stores the Mediterranean warmth and passes it on to the vines, while the salty sea breezes provide natural freshness and elegance. This unique combination of volcanic power and maritime mildness characterises its unmistakable character.

The Giachis think in music. Where others soberly number their oils, they compose: Adagio – the slow, gentle tempo. A name that is the programme. This deliberately mild oil comes from the hills of Mercatale Val di Pesa, in the centre of the Florentine Chianti Classico. Frantoio and Moraiolo, complemented by Leccino and Pendolino, result in a blend that does not want to overwhelm, but rather accompany.

After the Adagio comes the Allegretto – a touch livelier, a touch more gripping. The Giachis have composed this oil for the kitchen: robust enough to withstand heat, full of character to add depth to dishes. The same Tuscan varieties from the hills of Mercatale Val di Pesa – Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino – are blended here in such a way that they do not lose their flavours when roasted and braised, but rather develop them. The low acidity ensures excellent digestibility, while the fuller body ensures presence on the palate.

Giovanni plus Olio equals Giolio – the name reveals what it's all about: the family's oil, its daily companion, its all-rounder. Not a specialist for one task, but a generalist for all. The cuvée combines the best of the Tuscan varieties: Frantoio as the backbone, Moraiolo for structure, plus Pendolino, Leccino and Maurino as subtle nuances. The result works just as well raw on a salad as it does in a hot pan – versatile without being arbitrary.

Long before Andrea Cortonesi bottled his first Brunello, his family cultivated the olive groves around Castelnuovo dell'Abate. The cultivation of olives is part of the very fabric of life here – rooted in the same soil from which his wines come. Classic Tuscan varieties: Frantoio brings structure and flavour, Moraiolo the dark fruit and depth, Leccino the smoothness on the finish. The grapes are harvested by hand in November when the fruit is still firmly attached to the branch – cold pressing immediately afterwards, without delay.

Giacosa grows Dolcetto on the Falletto – that cru in Serralunga d'Alba which seems made for Nebbiolo and for wines that take decades to develop. No other estate in Piedmont would do this so matter-of-factly. The monopoly in Serralunga, supplemented by plots in Lirano di Sinio, provides the Dolcetto with soils otherwise reserved for Barolo – rich in limestone, structurally robust, with a minerality that has characterised this site for generations. The vinification is restrained: 8 to 10 days’ maceration in wood, full malolactic fermentation, then 6 months in steel, one month in bottle. The south-western and western exposure, the soils of Serralunga – all of this shapes the character without anyone needing to intervene.