Vintage 2025

The MONSTER WINES from Tenuta di Tagignano are more than just a crazy experiment. They stand for pop, punk and freak. It is an exciting project of vinophile free spirits who combine serious and traditional winemaking with something new. The wines are produced according to the Metodo Ancestrale: Here, the residual sugar is completely fermented in the bottle, resulting in a fine mousseux. They are unfiltered and cloudy, but extremely fresh. They are incredibly enjoyable and extremely versatile.

The name is self-explanatory: Ansonica + Morisfarms = AMOR. A play on words that is also a commitment. Since 2019, Morisfarms has dedicated its own wine to this old coastal variety – proving that the Tuscan Maremma is not just red wine country. Ansonica grows on the Poggetti estate in Massa Marittima, seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, on clay-rich, slightly acidic soils of the Colline Metallifere. South-west exposure, hot days, cool nights, sea breeze. Harvest is in mid-October – late, typical of this variety, which takes its time. The must is processed under dry ice protection, fermented in steel at 18 degrees and left on the fine lees for 45 days.

Fuori Misura – beyond all standards. The name is not coquetry. It is a description. This rosato is not made like other rosés. It is not a by-product, not a separate decision. It is a saignée – a bloodletting – from the same mash vats in which the Chianti Classico, the Riserva Le Baròncole and the Percarlo are produced at the same time. The must is drawn off 12 to 24 hours after maceration. To this is added 10% freshly pressed grapes, which are left to macerate for up to 12 days. Sangiovese, Canaiolo – the souls of the house in a different light.

The Lageder winery from Magrè in southern South Tyrol has been one of the region's defining forces for six generations – and since 2024, all the cultivated areas, including around 60 partner winegrowers, have been fully certified biodynamic or organic. Not just lip service, but a conviction that is put into practice. The Pinot Grigio comes from selected vineyards between Magrè and Salorno, at an altitude of 230 to 420 metres – stony, sandy soils with a high lime content, alpine temperature fluctuations and plenty of light. The vinification is based on a small proportion of maceration, which gives the variety texture and aromatic depth; the rest matures for four months on the lees in steel tanks.

Lageder's Lagrein Rosé is a finely characterised expression of South Tyrolean origin: lively, mineral and carried by quiet precision. The grapes come from vineyards around Margreid and Salurn, where the Lagrein finds ideal conditions for aromatic depth and cool freshness on warm, gravel-rich soils.

Kretzer – this is what the rosé from Lagrein has been called in South Tyrol for centuries. The name sounds more determined than Rosato, and it is: Lagrein is one of the most independent grape varieties in the country, almost exclusively at home in South Tyrol, with an aroma that no other rosé grape displays in the same way. Wild berries, violets, a hint of dark spice – and the freshness that comes from vinification as a rosé. Martin Foradori aptly describes this wine as a character type between two worlds: "the freshness and fragrance of a white wine, the fruity juiciness and delicate spiciness of a red that can be drunk young".

Pinot Grigio is Italy's best-selling white wine variety – and at the same time one of the most misunderstood. What becomes a pale all-purpose weapon on an industrial scale shows a completely different face in South Tyrol. The grapes for Hofstätter's version come from Mazzon and Egna in the Adige Valley, where the soils are skeleton-rich and well-drained and the vine builds up its aromas with a concentration that gives the wine real substance.

Lagrein is the quintessential red wine of South Tyrol. This grape variety is grown in any significant quantity almost nowhere else in the world – it is so intrinsically linked to this region that its name still evokes the Adige Valley to this day. Kellerei Tramin sources its Lagrein from Auer, the warmest part of the growing region, where the Ora breezes from Lake Garda sweep through the valley every day and the vines reach full maturity in a climate that Lagrein clearly thrives in. The winery was founded in 1898 by the parish priest of Termeno. Since then, it has remained true to its commitment to getting the very best out of every vineyard – from the highest Gewürztraminer plots to the warm Lagrein vineyards on the valley floor in Auer.

In the Arbëresh dialect of Basilicata – the language that the Albanian immigrants of the 15th century brought with them to the south of Italy – verha simply means: the wine. Elena Fucci is best known for her Titolo, one of the finest Aglianico del Vulture wines in the world. The Contrada Catavatta is right next door – the same volcanic soils of tuff, ash and pumice, the same altitude at the foot of Monte Vulture, the same manual labour. The vines here, however, were threatened with decay. Elena Fucci saved them: Not with great ambitions, but with the simple conviction that good soil should not waste good wine. 100% Sauvignon Blanc, spontaneous fermentation, steel, no touch of wood. A white wine that tells the story of the Vulture terroir in a language that is rarely heard there: fresh, direct, mineral.

A Vermentino that could hardly be more Gallurese: On the granite-rich soils of the northern hills of Sardinia, moulded by wind, light and salty sea air, Elibaria matures into a white wine that makes its origins tangible in the glass. The wine is matured puristically in stainless steel tanks and for several months on the fine lees – without wood, without fining, but with maximum precision.

Moscato Giallo is one of the most fragrant grape varieties in South Tyrol – and one of the most vulnerable. In the wrong hands it becomes sugary sweet and arbitrary, in the right hands it shows something rare: aromatic depth with complete dryness. Nals Margreid cultivates it in the southernmost part of its vineyard area, in Margreid – the warmest, most Mediterranean tip between Nals and Lake Garda. The vineyards lie at an altitude of 220 to 350 metres, exposed to the south-southeast, on white, broodinglimestone gravel soil with a high humus content. The climate bears the fingerprint of the Ora, the warm afternoon wind that blows daily from Lake Garda over the slopes, extending the growing season and shaping the flavour of the grapes. Hand-picked, three weeks of fermentation in steel, five months of ageing on the fine lees.

Martin Foradori-Hofstätter sees his Chardonnay as an expression of the South Tyrolean lowlands: clear, precise, without detours via the wood. The grapes come from the Mazon and Egna vineyards, where marl soils and the typical diurnal variation between alpine night and warm afternoon give the Chardonnay a natural freshness that no cellar master could force. Vinified at controlled temperatures, matured exclusively in steel on the fine lees until the point of optimum ripeness.

The Eisack Valley between Klausen and Brixen is one of the coolest wine-growing regions in South Tyrol – and one of the steepest. At 615 to 908 metres above sea level, on weathered mica schist and sandy gravel soils, the Müller-Thurgau vines of two winegrower partners, which Alois Lageder looks after organically, grow. This altitude is no coincidence: Müller Thurgau needs coolness and slow ripening to develop its fine flavour – the Eisack Valley has both in abundance. In the cellar, Lageder works with a level of care that goes beyond the usual: temperature-controlled fermentation in steel and in large wooden barrels, a small percentage ferments and macerates on the intact grapes – stalks and skins included. Maturation takes place on the fine lees in steel and on the full lees in large wooden barrels. Not filtered.

Maremma is red wine country. Morellino di Scansano, Saffredi, great Sangiovese and Cabernet – these are the images that characterise this coastal region of southern Tuscany. Elisabetta Geppetti, who has been an ambassador for this region for decades, dared to do something different in 1997: a white wine that works with Nordic varieties – sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Traminer, Semillon – and planted them in the south. The result is called Poggio Argentato, a white wine with – as Geppetti himself calls it – "French accent and Tuscan soul". The grapes come from two vineyards: Pian di Fiora near Pereta on tufaceous, alabaster-rich soil with south-east exposure and San Vittorio near Scansano on clayey silt with quartz and magmatic rock, open to the sea breezes to the north-east. 200 to 250 metres above sea level, 6,500 vines per hectare. The Sauvignon Blanc matures exclusively in steel. The other varieties spend a short time in secondary tonneau. Five months on the fine lees – for texture and depth without the impression of wood.

Branu means "spring" and is a fresh greeting from Gallura: the name alludes to new beginnings and lightness and it is the programme. 100% Vermentino, grown on the granite terraces around Arzachena, captures spring in a glass – primarily in flavour and style, but never too playful. The vineyards are located close to the coast, with granite substrates, sparse scrubland and a constant sea breeze – a terroir that combines minerality and freshness as it matures.

Tiefenbrunner and Müller-Thurgau – is more than just a grape variety and a winery. The family has taken this cross between Riesling and Madeleine Royale to the highest altitudes of their vineyards and created an icon in the process: the Vigna Feldmarschall von Fenner, one of the most famous high-altitude wines in Italy, at over 1,000 metres. And Merus is the start of this story – first vintage: 1968, the grapes come exclusively from the Graun vineyard at 750 to 900 metres above sea level – calcareous-loamy dolomite soils, south-southeast exposure, the coolest of the Merus sites. This altitude is no coincidence: Müller-Thurgau needs coolness to develop its characteristic herbal flavour. Vinified in concrete vats – like Chardonnay, but with a different result.

Tramin, the heart of South Tyrolean viticulture – and Hofstätter has been its most reliable interpreter for generations. "De Vite" is Martin Foradori-Hofstätter's entry into the world of white wines: a cuvée of Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, vinified in steel, focussed on freshness and drinkability. Light yellow in colour with greenish reflections, lively in the glass. The nose reveals green apples, a hint of lemongrass and delicate elderflower – clear, inviting, alpine. Precise acidity on the palate, good balance, a light, invigorating finish. A direct and beautiful wine for the moment, without detours, without any claim to great complexity, but with the typical Hofstätter sense of care even in simplicity. SUPERIORE.DE

With its Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso, Mastroberardino once again brings all the power and mysticism of Vesuvius to the glass. The soils of volcanic origin and the unique microclimate along the slopes of the volcano characterise this wine with unmistakable spice and expressiveness. The varietal Piedirosso has a medium ruby red colour with a violet hue in the glass. The bouquet is lively and clear: redcurrant, sour cherry, black pepper and a subtle smoky note. Juicy and medium-bodied on the palate, with present but ripe acidity, fine-grained tannins and mineral depth. The fruit remains cool and clear, the impression balanced between fiery origin and stylistic precision. A traditional wine with a cult-like aura – and at the same time a fine everyday red wine from one of Italy's most fascinating regions. SUPERIORE.DE

Delicate straw yellow colour with silver reflections. The aroma: clear, fresh and typical of Friulian Sauvignon - green gooseberry, lemon zest, elderflower and a hint of sage. Lively and juicy on the palate, with well-balanced freshness. The flavour remains precise without being overpowering, the acidity is present but well integrated. The ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves the tension and varietal character, while a fine melting texture lends the wine elegance. A modern classic with a northern Italian soul - its balance makes it a versatile accompaniment to light cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

Merus – the Latin word for pure, genuine, unmixed. The Tiefenbrunner family has given its entry-level line a name that says it all: no distractions, no overlaying – just the character of the grape variety and the place. Chardonnay Merus comes from two very different sites that complement each other: Penon, Hofstatt and Rain at 400 to 650 metres, on calcareous dolomite soils with south-southeast exposure, stand for freshness and minerality. Margreid, Punggl and Kurtinig at the bottom of the valley at 210 to 220 metres, on sandy-limestone alluvial soils, stand for fullness and fruit. Vinified in concrete vats.

Greco di Tufo is one of the most distinctive white wines in southern Italy – mineral, full of character and with a clear profile of origin. The volcanic soils around Tufo in the heart of Irpinia give the wine its typical tension. The vintage is balanced and aromatically precise: a light straw yellow colour with golden reflections in the glass. On the nose, white mandarin, yellow apple, quince and a hint of smokiness – typical of the grape variety. Taut and juicy on the palate, with vibrant acidity, a chalky texture and a salty finish. An expressive, terroir-influenced white wine with serious depth, which is excellent on its own or with grilled fish, shellfish or pasta with mussels. SUPERIORE.DE

The Cantina della Volta is located on a section of the Naviglio di Bomporto canal – the place where river trains used to have to turn round before continuing towards Modena. La Volta means the turn, the hairpin bend. Not an inappropriate name for a frizzante that also goes its own way. 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara from the alluvial soils of the Secchia river, hand-picked in 15-kilogramme crates, cold maceration, first fermentation in steel tanks. What follows is the decisive step: the second fermentation in the bottle – bottle-fermented like a Méthode Classico, then the yeast carefully removed, crown cork. The same artisanal effort that Christian Bellei shows in his great sparkling wines – for a frizzante that should simply be a pleasure to drink.

"A Dolcetto as it should be: flattering and drinkable." This is how Matteo Ascheri describes his Dolcetto. No more, no less and no promise that is not kept. The vines grow in Rivalta between La Morra and Verduno, at 350 metres, exposed to the south-west and south-east – where Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto have always been at home. At least 85% Dolcetto, hand-picked between mid and late September, six days of fermentation at 25°C.