Vintage 2025

The Mazzei family has been cultivating the hills around Fonterutoli near Castellina in Chianti since 1435. Almost 600 years of experience also flow into this olive oil. The olive groves are located on barren, stony soils with southern exposure at altitudes between 300 and 490 metres. Four classic varieties characterise the olive oil: Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino and Pendolino. The olives are harvested by hand and processed the same day in the company's own mill, in the complete absence of oxygen, in order to optimally preserve flavours and nutrients. Extra virgin olive oil with a lively green colour and golden reflections. Artichoke, green tomato and fresh herbs on the nose. Elegant and balanced on the palate, with a fine spiciness and a delicate bitter finish – characterised by an authentic Chianti Classico oil from the new harvest. SUPERIORE.DE

With "Family & Friends", Feudo Maccari reinterprets the concept of a Mediterranean white wine – not as a light, casual accompaniment, but as brooding, characterful Grillo born within the Moretti family. The wine was originally intended solely for private occasions – a labour of love which, through its name, now celebrates the connection to people and moments that mean more than mere consumption. The grapes used (label: "only the best grapes") come from strictly selected plots around Noto, where calcareous soils, salty sea breezes and intense sunshine shape the wine's aromas and structure. A complex, vibrant wine with structure and balance.

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.

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.

Alberto Graci worked as an investment banker in Milan until the death of his grandfather – who made his own wine in central Sicily – led him back to the island in 2004. His first vineyard was on the northern slope of Mount Etna, in Passopisciaro, where he subsequently devoted himself exclusively to the volcano's indigenous grape varieties. The grapes for his Etna Bianco grow at 600 metres above sea level, on dark brown, volcanic soil that is well-drained and rich in iron. Carricante and Catarratto are gently pressed and fermented in concrete tanks without contact with the skins, then aged for eight months on the fine lees, entirely without oak. The yield is deliberately kept low at around 40 hectolitres per hectare.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. Not 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.

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.

An island within an island. That is how Giuseppe Benanti described Mount Etna, that world unto itself which he pioneered in 1988 as a trailblazer in modern Etna wines. Today, his sons Antonio and Salvino carry on his legacy: they are the only winery with vineyards on all four slopes of the volcano. The Etna Bianco is made from 100% Carricante from the eastern and southern slopes, where altitudes of between 700 and 950 metres, volcanic sandy soils and marked day-night temperature variations create ideal conditions. The vines, aged between 20 and 60 years, are trained partly using the traditional Alberello method and partly on trellises. Hand-harvested in mid-October, gently pressed, then fermented for twelve days at 18 °C in stainless steel using the estate's own Carricante yeast, selected from Etna vineyards. The wine is then aged on the fine lees and undergoes a short period of bottle ageing.

This exceptional rosé hails from the high-altitude vineyards of Gaiole in Chianti and embodies the innovative spirit of the legendary Castello di Ama estate. The estate, run by Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti, has been producing rosé wines since 1982, but Purple Rosé has marked a turning point in Tuscan rosé winemaking since 2017. What makes this wine so special is its revolutionary production method: after around twelve hours of skin contact, the precious juice is drawn off from the finest Sangiovese must tanks using the saignée method. Whilst fermentation traditionally takes place in stainless steel tanks, with Purple Rosé a portion of the must is aged in second-fill French barriques – an innovation that lends the rosé exceptional longevity and complexity. The grapes thrive on the calcareous-clay soils at altitudes of between 460 and 525 metres, where the cooler microclimate shapes the characteristic finesse of Castello di Ama wines. The mild climate in this special vineyard between Gaiole and Radda – which is, however, cooler than the surrounding area – ensures the wine’s elegant acidity and delicate floral nuances.

The Winkl has been produced as a single-varietal wine 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 been at home around the oldest estates in the Terlano DOC region. You believe him when you have the wine in your glass. The vineyards lie at altitudes of 280 to 580 metres, facing south-south-west, on steep to very steep slopes. The soil is quartz porphyry – ancient volcanic rock, crystalline and mineral-rich, with a slightly acidic pH and an almost natural self-limiting effect on yields. It is precisely this micro-stress that produces terroir-specific polyphenols, which lend Terlano wines their characteristic salinity and tension. No other soil, no other result. Hand-harvested, gentle whole-bunch pressing, slow fermentation – followed by 7 to 8 months on the fine lees, 80% in stainless steel and 20% in large wooden casks. This subtle oak component serves only to enhance the texture; it gives the wine body without masking its origin.

Italy's smallest wine-growing region does not do things by halves. The Aosta Valley lies nestled amongst the highest peaks of the Alps, traversed by the Dora Baltea, characterised by moraine soils left behind by glaciers, and by a climate that demands everything from the vines: short summers, long winters, and extreme temperature variations between day and night. Winegrowing here is not 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.

Schiopetto has been producing Pinot Grigio since 1968 – long before it became (unfortunately, in some other regions) Italy's best-selling mass-market white wine – and the Rotolo family has never forgotten what it truly excels at: depth, juiciness and mineral vigour. On the Ponca hills of Capriva del Friuli, in marly soils of Eocene origin, the variety finds a terroir that leaves no room for mediocrity. Gentle pressing, brief sulphur-free decanting, fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature – followed by eight months' ageing on the lees. No oak, no detours, everything focused on the Ponca.

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 lies on the northern slope of Mount Etna, where the volcano still bestows everything upon its soils – minerality, warmth, vitality – without imposing the intense ripeness of the southern flank. The Faro family founded Pietradolce here in 2005, on 35 hectares at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres. Their philosophy: exclusively indigenous grape varieties, separate vinification of individual plots, and as little intervention as possible. The Etna Bianco is the gateway to this world – and at the same time an unmistakable statement of intent. 100% Carricante, Alberello, 800 metres above sea level. Sandy, volcanic soils, rich in minerals. Hand-harvested in the second half of October, when the long, cool nights on the north-facing slope have given the acidity its final polish. Gentle pressing, aged exclusively in steel.

Very rarely do even the traditionalists relax their strict rules. Fuligni, synonymous with classic Brunello di Montalcino for over a century, has taken a step with this rosato that surprises and enchants – and enchants. Only around a thousand bottles of this Sangiovese rosé are produced, which grows on the north-eastern slopes of Montalcino, where the family has cultivated its vineyards since the beginning of the 20th century. Maria Flora Fuligni, who has managed the estate with philosophical calm since 1971, was guided by the joy of experimentation. The vinification follows the classic Rosato method: short maceration, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel.

Macrina shines in the glass in a clear straw yellow colour with a subtle green hue. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white flowers and green apple, carried by an elegant, persistent freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly accompanies the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure varietal and origin presence. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a drinkable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

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

The Nerello Mascalese vines used for this exceptional rosé 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 distinct character. The wine is aged exclusively in stainless steel to emphasise its freshness, purity of flavour and expression of the terroir. In the glass, it is a delicate pink with a coppery sheen. The bouquet is elegant and understated: wild strawberry, pink grapefruit, a hint of blood orange and a touch of fennel. On the palate, it is lively, with juicy fruit, invigorating acidity and mineral tension. The cool finish is dry, precise and surprisingly long. An Etna Rosato with alpine freshness and a Mediterranean soul – perfect 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.