Weinwisser

Brilliant, dark ruby colour. Deep bouquet of rich blackberry and cherry flavours with mentholated herbal notes that give it lift, while notes of cedar and clove develop in the glass. On the palate, the wine is a pure silk that slowly lays over the palate, with an admirable density and weight balanced by bright acidity and minerality. This still very young wine is full of potential with a core of dark primary fruit that already offers a good foretaste of the charm of later years. A finely woven tannin structure on the long final. Wonderful ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

When Sergio Rossi took over Podere Colombaio from the Biondi-Santi family in 1976, nobody could have guessed that the Milanese advertising expert would become one of the architects of modern Montalcino. He was one of the 24 founders of the Consorzio, one of the first 35 Brunello bottlers of an appellation that will number over 250 by 2024. What he brought with him: the legendary Sangiovese clones of Biondi-Santi, planted on marl and limestone in Canalicchio – vines that are now over forty years old. Brunello 2020 unites two souls: the cool elegance of the north from the historic Canalicchio parcels and the sun-kissed vigour of Castelnuovo dell'Abate in the south. The wine rests for three years in large Slavonian barrels and a further eight months in the bottle – time that you can taste.

Lisini's vineyards are located between Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate on the inner edge of the Sesta area and are cleansed by the constant breeze from the Tuscan coast. The stony soils with a significant proportion of limestone and the altitude of over 300 metres help to maintain the freshness of the wines. The 2018 is wonderfully fragrant, almost exotic. Plump red fruits and sweet summer herbs fill the mouth, but instead of being heavy, it is balanced and transparent. The powdery tannins are fine and lead to a long, maritime finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A long-cherished vision of Elisabetta and her daughter Clara finds its completion in this crescent. This 100% Syrah builds on all that the winery has achieved in recent years and for which it has gained world renown. The best grapes, careful selection and a sensitive, clever and innovative vinification combined with a clearly recognisable signature and the already proverbial quality fanaticism.

Once upon a time, there was a vineyard that was particularly spoilt by the Montalcino sun; it still bears the name Vigna Loreto to this day. Only in the best vintages does a Brunello come from this exposed site that is bursting with richness, complexity and assertiveness. It possesses a textural depth and balance that is captivating. Fruit, spice and very unique nuances such as savoury herbs, liquorice, tobacco and a firm tannin make this impressive wine monument linger on the palate and in the memory for a long time. With every sip, it opens up further layers and you might almost sink into it, such is the shift in the boundaries of what is comparable. The 2019 Vigna Loreto is not only extremely elegant, but also profound and almost outrageously juicy. SUPERIORE.DE

A ruined castle towers above the entrance to the village of Terlan. First mentioned in a document in 1206, much has changed since then – the languages, the borders, the owners. What has remained is the porphyry rock, the northern foehn and the will to make wine here that does the place justice. Nova Domus – new house. Founded in 1893 by 24 winegrowers with the simple aim of being better together than alone. What they created back then is now Terlan's white flagship – a cuvée of 70 per cent Pinot Blanc, 25 per cent Chardonnay and 5 per cent Sauvignon Blanc, the individual components of which are distributed across the vineyards as precisely as the notes of a well-composed score. The Pinot Blanc comes from 500–600 metres, where the downdraughts keep it cool even at the height of summer. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from 300–350 metres, where the volcanic quartz porphyry unleashes its full mineral energy.

If there is one thing that Giacomo Neri has mastered 100%, it is harvesting at the optimum ripening time. He knows his estate and his vines better than most and it shows. The fruit for Tenuta Nuova is harvested from a south and south-east facing slope at 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The soils are loose and mixed with gravel, which allows access to air and moisture.

The fruit for Tenuta Nuova is harvested from a south and south-east facing slope at 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The soils are loose and mixed with gravel, which allows access to air and moisture.

Sandro Chia had the right instinct when he acquired the very high vineyard, which his neighbours had actually advised him not to buy. Named after this single vineyard, the famous artist and his son Filippo vinified a wine here that is somewhat denser than the normal Annata. The full bouquet has lively notes of dark red cherries, spices, plums and leather. Filo di Seta is racy and lush, but still has a clearly recognisable structure and impresses with its impressive balance. Sweet floral and spicy notes lend it exciting nuances on the expressive finish. A bold and incredibly viral Brunello and a masterpiece every year! SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Loreto from the sun-drenched single vineyard of the same name right next to the winery is only vinified in the best vintages and delivers an even more intense interpretation of the Sangiovese grape every year. If you are looking for a soft and contemporary expression of Sangiovese, this is the wine for you. It offers a deep richness and texture infused with black fruits, spice and tobacco. This wine goes a step beyond the normal boundaries of Brunello in terms of richness and extraction. For all its undoubtedly beguiling opulence, it is nevertheless a straightforward and altogether superb wine that will gain in finesse and elegance with age. SUPERIORE.DE

The Piero selection was created as a tribute to the work of Pierluigi Talenti, who has selected and worked the Sangiovese with passion over the years. A 1.95 hectare vineyard near the centre of the winery, with unique pedoclimatic characteristics, is distinguished from all other vineyards by its consistent quality. The gently sloping terrain is surrounded by woods rich in marl, with a south-eastern exposure at an altitude of 410 metres above sea level, where Pierluigi followed and cultivated his personal clonal selection in the 1970s. It is a wine with intense and persistent character, ruby colour, fine and elegant tannins. After ageing in tonneaux for at least 24 months, it is bottled until it is released to the market. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Noir, which originates from France, has been cultivated in South Tyrol since 1850. The best sites, low yields, meticulous care and perfectionism in the cellar guarantee a fine, extremely sensual Pinot Noir with considerable ageing potential. In his constant search for perfection, cellar master Hans Terzer presents the fourth edition of the Pinot Noir Riserva "The Wine Collection" this year.

Coltassala Gran Selezione is an impeccable representative of the royal class in Chianti Classico. The immensely fragrant bouquet shows black fruits, spices and ploughed earth. All the aromas are on the dark and spicy side, but the wine always remains fresh, dense, buoyant and very linear. Shows rich volume and a strong personality and precision. SUPERIORE.DE

Ten years. Appius celebrates its first decade with the 2020 – and what a decade it has been. When Hans Terzer first bottled his dream wine in 2010, he had already been harbouring the idea for a long time. During his vineyard inspections, he had noticed that certain low-yielding old vines in the historic vineyards of Eppan produced a quality that demanded its own framework. Something beyond the celebrated Sanct Valentin line. Originally, the wine was to be called "Oans" – piedmontese for "one" –but the name was taken. So it became Appius: the Roman name for Eppan, derived from Appianum, the "estate of Appius".

1908 is the year in which the Gries winery was founded. The history of the winery is closely linked to three rivers, but it is the Talvera that has shaped it the most. Bolzano is not called the city of Talvera for nothing. The old floodplains have given the winegrowers very special soils. These alluvial soils on porphyry provide the ideal basis for Lagrein in particular, but also for Cabernet and Merlot. With its good water permeability and mineral deposits, Bolzano's volcanic porphyry has always been one of the keys to wines full of character.

Campo del Drago is a single vineyard of just 1.5 hectares and is located on a high plateau in the Montalcino appellation with a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The grapes from here are only vinified separately in the best years for the Brunello of the same name and the result is then eagerly awaited around 5 years later. Dark, concentrated colour with beautiful saturation and density. The bouquet reveals a unique minerality and complexity. The palate is intense, complex and deep. The tannins are present, but remain very elegant thanks to the Sangiovese acidity. Can still mature, but is already irresistible today. SUPERIORE.DE

The Piero selection was created as a tribute to the work of Pierluigi Talenti, who has passionately selected and cultivated Sangiovese over the years. A 1.95 hectare vineyard near the centre of the winery, with unique pedoclimatic characteristics, stands out from all other vineyards for its consistent quality. The gently sloping terrain is surrounded by woods rich in marl, with a south-easterly exposure at an altitude of 410 metres above sea level, where Pierluigi pursued and cultivated his personal clonal selection in the 1970s.

Historically, the vineyards of Castello di Fonterutoli are located in the areas of three neighbouring municipalities of Chianti Classico: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti. With the 2017 vintage, the Mazzei family vinified all three large vineyards separately as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the first time in order to recognise the diversity of the terroir: Castello di Fonterutoli, Vicoregio 36 and Badiòla.

In Andrea Cortonesi's own words, 2019 was the first vintage since the legendary 1990 that gave him the feeling that everything was in balance. A slow start to vegetation after a rainy winter, a summer without heat peaks, even ripening until September. Harvest from 25 September – clean, healthy, concentrated. Already a stroke of luck for the Annata. For the Riserva: a perfect invitation. But not every vintage becomes a Riserva. And not every grape in the best vintage. Cortonesi only uses the oldest vines for the Riserva – planted in 1975, back when the word Brunello was hardly known outside Montalcino. Seven hectares, spread over sites between 150 and 350 metres in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, calcareous-clayey soils with marl and mineral structure. What grows here has decades of life in it.

Historically, the vineyards of Castello di Fonterutoli are located in the areas of three neighbouring municipalities of Chianti Classico: Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Radda in Chianti. With the 2017 vintage, the Mazzei family vinified all three large vineyards separately as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for the first time in order to recognise the diversity of the terroir: Castello di Fonterutoli, Vicoregio 36 and Badiòla.

When the world-famous Oenologist Carlo Ferrini makes his own wine, you can't help but be excited. Here, he has succeeded in creating an interpretation of Sangiovese that brings all his experience from decades of working with this grape variety to the fore as if through a burning glass. The moderate use of wood through ageing in 700-litre tonneaux expresses the clarity and personality of the grape and the unique terroir (there are just 1.5 hectares of the best Brunello sites) in an archetypal way.

The annual production of this boutique winery on Etna is just 9,000 bottles. At an altitude of 950 metres above sea level, the one and a half hectares of vines are divided into eight tiny plots and have been gradually bought up by the well-known Oenologist. The area is planted with Nerello Mascalese bush vines, which have been spared the phylloxera phylloxera and make their way through the lava-covered terraces.

Produced in small quantities, Vallocchio clearly stands out from pure Brunello di Montalcino. Darker, deeper and more mystical, it shows notes of ripe blackberries and plums, complemented by exotic brown spices and a hint of lemon confit. Its texture is like velvet stretching across the palate, black-fruited and ripe, underpinned by minerals and cooling herbal notes. It is youthfully monolithic and dense, revealing its austere tannin core only towards the end, where notes of black tea, liquorice and a hint of cocoa emerge. SUPERIORE.DE

Medium, radiant ruby red. Complex nose of sweet and cedar wood, paired with Mediterranean maquis and delicate sweet cherry. In the mouth, balsamic notes, very finely woven tannins and a wonderful complexity that envelops the juicy fruit core and gives the wine an impressive depth and length. The elegance is also very impressive and will certainly increase with further maturity. SUPERIORE.DE