Vinum

Rubatsch is a vineyard in Terlan at 250 metres, on a south-western slope with sandy soil on weathered porphyry rock. Two thirds of the Lagrein vines for this wine are rooted here, while the remaining third comes from the Seehof vineyard in Caldaro, where the soil is loamier and heavier. Two soils, two characters, one indigenous grape variety that belongs to South Tyrol like the Dolomites belong to the horizon.

Some vineyards become the property of a family through strategic acquisition, others through a marriage that unites two Piedmontese families. When Aldo Pola took Luisella from nearby Serracapelli as his wife, this union not only brought two people together, but also the Pola family with the cru that is now one of the most sought-after in the municipality of Neive: Serraboella. Here, on calcareous soils of medium structure, 300 metres above sea level, Nebbiolo thrives in an interpretation that differs from the powerful Bordini – more reserved in its youth, almost shy, but with an elegance that comes to full fruition over the years. What Matteo Pola vinifies from the 30-year-old vines of this single vineyard is a Barbaresco of remarkable harmony – a wine that impresses not with its volume, but with the crystalline precision that characterises great terroirs.

There are wines that define an appellation. And there are wines that show where an appellation can go. The Gran Selezione from Lilliano belongs to the second category. When the Chianti Classico producers created the new top of the quality pyramid in 2010, there was a great deal of scepticism: is there really a need for another category above the Riserva? Lilliano answered this question with deeds rather than words. While other estates defined their Gran Selezione with an international use of wood and concentrated opulence, Lilliano remained true to its line: tradition, terroir, typicity. The Gran Selezione comes exclusively from the two best single vineyards of the Tenuta – piagge and Casina, both situated at an altitude of around 300 metres, both characterised by the calcareous Alberese soils that make Castellina in Chianti one of the most mineral terroirs in the entire appellation. Piagge is south-facing, fully exposed to the sun, and produces Sangiovese of concentration and vigour. Casina, on the other hand, exposed to the east-south-east, produces Colorino and Sangiovese of elegance and aromatic finesse. Together they produce a cuvée of 90% Sangiovese and 5% each of Colorino and Merlot – an assemblage that seeks perfection within the rules rather than innovation.

Only one wine at a time bears the estate's name – and there is a reason for this. The Montecucco Rosso Riserva is the centrepiece of the estate's production: the wine that most directly expresses the estate's philosophy. Italian passion meets Swiss precision – that is how the Tipa Bertarelli family themselves describe their approach. In the glass, it impresses anew every year. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes from vineyards on sandstone, marl and clay at an altitude of 300 metres. Spontaneous fermentation on natural yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, followed by 16 months' ageing: the Sangiovese in 40-hectolitre oak barrels, the Ciliegiolo and Cabernet inLiters French oakLiters.

What remains when the Prosecco goes into the bottle? The Glera marc – aromatic, fresh, full of potential. Nonino recognises this value and transforms it into a grappa that combines the lightness of Prosecco with the depth of barrique ageing. Fresh, destemmed vinacce from selected growing areas are immediately fermented and distilled in Benito's copper steam stills. Then 24 months begin in barriques and small barrels under customs seal – time enough to turn clarity into warm amber with golden reflections. The result is soft and floral: green apple and almond blossom are reminiscent of the original grape, before subtle notes of vanilla and chocolate join in. Creamy and flattering on the palate, with a hint of milk chocolate on the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In the historic vineyards of Mazon and Glen, where two micro-terroirs between 400 and 600 metres above sea level merge to form a poetic name, one of the most subtle interpretations of Pinot Nero in the whole of South Tyrol thrives. The fine Pinot Noir grapes ripen in a climate of extreme contrasts on sandy clay soils that lean westwards towards the evening sun. The Mediterranean warmth of the day meets the icy mountain winds of the night – a dialogue between passion and restraint that gives the Pinot Nero complexity and elegance. Ruby to garnet red in colour in the glass, with aromas of sour cherries and wild berries, accompanied by delicate orange notes and spicy hints. Fine fruit unfolds on the palate with a salty freshness, delicate, elegant and with a length that lingers in the memory long after the last sip. A Pinot Nero that combines Burgundian soul with Alpine precision, destined for a decade of ageing and beyond. SUPERIORE.DE

Vorberg – the name gives away its location: on the steep southern slopes of the Tschöggelberg, at altitudes between 450 and 650 metres, a Pinot Blanc thrives that reveals the full potential of this famous South Tyrolean grape variety. The stony, sandy-loam soils, formed from weathered porphyry, with their high quartz content and slightly acidic pH levels, characterise a terroir of extremes: high water permeability, limited nutrient availability and naturally restricted yields. This microstress elicits unique, terroir-specific polyphenols from the vines. Hand-harvested, gently pressed as whole bunches, followed by natural sedimentation. Slow fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature in large oak barrels (70 and 30 hl), followed by partial malolactic fermentation and 12 months' ageing on the fine lees in traditional wooden barrels.

Leonia Rosé is a tribute to the woman who, in the 19th century, planted French grape varieties in Pomino and pressed them in Italy's first gravity-fed cellar: great-great-grandmother Leonia, who was awarded a gold medal in Paris in 1878 for her work. This Metodo Classico made from Pinot Nero carries on her legacy in rosé form. Harvested by hand into 15-kilo crates during the cool morning hours, the grapes come from the same high-altitude vineyards in Pomino that preserve the Burgundy grape's freshness. Gently pressed to produce a precise must and cold-settled for twelve hours, the wine ferments in steel tanks, partly in wood, before blending takes place in March, followed by a long ageing on the lees with shaking and disgorging.

The origins of the name Bertinga are lost in the mists of time; at some point, Le Bertinghe became Bertinga, and to this day, the land it describes is far from gentle: rock and wind, according to the estate. Nine hectares, divided into five plots, lie at an altitude of around 420 metres; most face south and south-west, and the vines are between 15 and 25 years old. The soil dates back to the Eocene epoch, formed some 50 million years ago; it is a clay-rich calcareous marl known as Alberese, containing compact, weather-resistant stones, and is only 30 to 40 centimetres deep. It is precisely this moderate depth and the limestone content that give it its strength. Half Sangiovese, half Merlot; each variety is fermented separately in stainless steel and concrete vats. The wine is then aged for 18 months in Austrian tonneaux and French barriques – 10% of which are new – and bottle ageing lasts at least as long.

Smells intensely of redcurrants and black cherries, leather, spices and liquorice. Lush and flowing on the palate, all elements merge into a great, striking wine. Great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Fresh, vibrant and full of energy, Geremia 2019 is highly entertaining and lively. Its flavours are remarkably intense, yet it also has a certain lightness that keeps it balanced and brilliant with every sip. Crushed stones, menthol, liquorice, sage and gravel envelop its core of blue and violet fruits, the tannins are well-built and it convinces not least with its beautiful length. Geremia always has something magical about it and its special personality makes it one of the most remarkable red wines from the Chianti Classico region for us every year. SUPERIORE.DE

Geremia founded the Ricasoli family in the 7th or 8th century – at a time when Chianti was not yet the name of a wine, but a battleground between rival noble families. His descendant, Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi, now runs the same estate, on the same land, in Gaiole in Chianti. And he named this wine after his ancestor. This is particularly intriguing given that the Geremia is not a Sangiovese. In 1997, Marco planted Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon across 2.5 hectares of his hillside – deliberately, out of curiosity, and with a clear question in mind: what does this terroir express in a different language? The calcareous-clay soils at altitudes of between 340 and 510 metres, the south-southeast exposure, the microclimate between Florence and Siena – everything that shapes Sangiovese is also available here to the Bordeaux varieties. Hand-harvested in baskets, fermented in temperature-controlled tanks, aged for 24 months in medium-toasted Allier barriques, bottled unfiltered, and aged in bottle for 18 months. Certified organic.

A name carries weight when it is the programme. Stilèma – derived from "Stile" and the name Mastroberardino – is not a marketing term, but a commitment. It was Antonio Mastroberardino, known as the "archaeologist of vineyards", who began digging in the early 2000s: experimental projects, selection of pre-phylloxeric clones, revision of all protocols in the vineyard and cellar. His goal was not a new style – it was a return to a lost one. The great white wines of Irpinia from the 1970s and 1980s had a density, a texture, a depth that later decades could not match. Stilèma was not intended to preserve this memory, but to translate it into the present.

In 1398, Ser Lapo Mazzei wrote a letter in which the word "Chianti" was used for the first time in the modern sense of wine. It is the oldest document of its kind. The family who wrote this letter still makes wine today – they have been doing so for more than 600 years, now in their seventeenth generation. When a family dynasty with such a long history arrived in the Maremma in 1997 and decided to produce its flagship wine on the sandy soils between Grosseto and Montiano, it was a testament to their faith in that terroir. The philosophy is clearly articulated: Tenuta Belguardo is released only in the finest vintages. No compromises. Since the first vintage in 2000, this approach has defined the positioning of the cru: not quantity, but character. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon from plots with the highest proportion of sandstone and skeletal material, which demand of the Cabernet that balance between natural power and elegance that would not emerge in this way on heavier soil. 15% Cabernet Franc acts as the perfect counterpoint: structuring, herbaceous, and characterised by freshness even in hot vintages.

Maurizio Castelli does not like fancy names. That's why he took a simple but original approach to naming the estate and its top wine: 414 – which is the number of the vineyard in the region's land register. His Morellino has become a true Italian classic with a modern interpretation. The grapes come from biodynamically farmed hills around Scansano with deep-rooted Sangiovese. The 2023 vintage was characterised by warm, sunny weather and moderate ripeness, ideal for aromatic clarity and balance. Temperature control during maceration and a subsequent maturation phase of around 12 months in large wooden barrels characterise this wine.

In 1959, Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita planted Perricone and Nero d'Avola on the San Lucio hill using the Alberello system – an investment in a future that hardly any Sicilian could have imagined at the time. In 1970, the first vintage was released: the first single-vineyard wine the island had ever produced. The 2012 vintage showcases the blend in its most complex form: 63% Nero d'Avola forms the foundation, complemented by 37% of other red varieties from the estate, including Perricone and small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Traditional red wine fermentation in stainless steel, 20 days' contact with the skins, full malolactic fermentation, followed by 18 months in newLiters made from Allier and Tronçais oak.

Vintages write wine history – and 2021 is deeply engraved in Montalcino. Extreme drought, intense sunshine, nights that remained cool despite everything: The Sangiovese vines responded with concentrated, aromatically dense grapes that yielded little but showed a clear signature. For La Quinta, the wine from Ferrini's fifth vineyard at 400 metres above the Castello di Sant'Angelo in Colle, this meant an emphatic vintage. The vinification follows the tried and tested rhythm: 7 days of fermentation in steel, 13 days of maceration, then a year of ageing in tonneaux, large oak barrels and cocciopesto amphorae made of baked clay, before the wine is left to rest in cement and finally matures for at least 6 months in the bottle.

Pianodario is a landscape comprising 99 terraces. Held in place by dry stone walls that have become integrated into the hillside over the centuries, the land slopes from south to north at a gradient of seven% – a typical Etna vineyard, in which every single terrace is a microterroir in its own right. The soil tells an even older story: volcanic formations dating from between 4,000 and 15,000 years ago, beneath which far older layers, estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 years old, are thought to lie. Geological time, compressed into just a few metres of earth. The vines were only planted in 2010, at an altitude of 775 metres, facing north-east to south-west, trained using the espalier and gobelet systems. The site – high-altitude, well-ventilated and exposed to the cooling influence of the volcano – significantly slows the ripening of the Nerello Mascalese. Harvesting consequently begins late, often not until the first few days of November. Traditional red wine fermentation at 25 to 30°C, followed by complete malolactic fermentation; then comes the decisive stylistic difference from other Etna Reds: ageing in large 25-hectolitre Slavonian oak casks, rather than in small French barriques. The wood remains neutral, taking a back seat and allowing the fruit and terroir to take centre stage.

Difficult vintages make honest wines. 2023 presented Tuscany with unusual challenges: a cool, rainy spring with peronospora pressure, hail damage in parts of the region, followed by a hot summer. In Montalcino, the favourable protective effect of Monte Amiata and the altitude came together in a positive way: Where the conditions were right, wines of surprising lightness and floral freshness were produced – less powerful than last year's vintage, but with a grace that becomes a strength in good hands. Carla Ferrini's fifth vineyard at 400 metres also yielded single-varietal Sangiovese in 2023, which was vinified according to a tried-and-tested method: 7 days of fermentation, 13 days of maceration, 12 months of ageing in tonneaux, oak barrels and cocciopesto amphorae, rounding off in cement, 6 months in the bottle. A rhythm that allows the wine to tell the story of the vintage – without correcting it.

The Pianodario vineyard is situated at an average altitude of 775 metres above sea level, between the hamlet of Montelaguardia and Randazzo. It comprises approximately 8 hectares of vineyards. The soils are of volcanic origin and date back up to 40,000 years.