wine classics

Bright straw yellow with greenish reflections. Lively bouquet of crisp pineapple and white peach, with components of camomile, elderberry and a fine spiciness. Crisp on the palate with cool, present fruit, light-footed and straightforward with an interesting arc, very full-bodied and multi-layered, ending with a juicy, mineral finish and a subtle almond note. SUPERIORE.DE

Federico Giuntini-Antinori runs the area's most traditional estate, whose family tree can be traced back to the 15th century. Rufina is the northernmost district in Chianti, where the vineyards grow around the Villa di Selvapiana and in the vineyards of San Martino a Quona, Pian de' Marroni and Cerbognole. Mainly Sangiovese with small additions of Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October, partly by hand. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in steel tanks at 28-30°C with a 25-day maceration period. Maturation lasts 12 months in 25-litre French oak barrels and concrete vats.

Silìneo – a neologism born from the fusion of "sinuoso" (supple) and "lineo" (linear). The name epitomises what this wine is all about: elegance, suppleness, balance and harmony. It is the most classic wine from Fattoria del Cerro and has been the most successful for years. Silìneo is made from 90 per cent Sangiovese (locally called Prugnolo Gentile) and ten per cent Merlot and Colorino, from vineyards in Acquaviva di Montepulciano on soils of marine Pliocene origin with clay and silt between 250 and 400 metres above sea level. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place with maceration at 24 to 28°C with daily overflow and délestage. The wine then matures for seven months in tonneaux, followed by eleven months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

The dry and elegant vintage version of Villa Sandi's bestseller: pale yellow, delicate apple flavour on the nose, nutty, a hint of biscuit. A racy structure on the palate, pear fruit, lemongrass, lively and of good length. SUPERIORE.DE

The classic from the heart of Chianti Classico: Brolio combines the excellent drinkability of a young Chianti Classico with a complex, complete structure. The vineyards grow on the historic Castello di Brolio between 280 and 480 metres above sea level on five representative soil types – from sandstone to galestro and marine sediments. Intense ruby red colour. Fresh, floral nose with notes of chinotto, violets and mimosa, leading to fruity nuances of black cherries and sweet mint. Velvety and complex on the palate with great harmony, elegant structure and a long, mineral final. A textbook Chianti Classico from a historic terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

Non Confunditur – "not to be confused": The family motto on the Argiano coat of arms is also the programme for this wine. Founded in 1580, the winery is one of the founding members of the Brunello consortium and has been cultivating its 60 hectares organically since 2018. The NC combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese from the estate's younger vines – a "Junior Super Tuscan", as cellar master Bernardino Sani calls it. Vinification in stainless steel and used barriques preserves the freshness of the fruit.

A small lake, over 60 animal species, some of them rare, and in the middle of it all: 30 hectares of Turbiana vines (Trebbiano di Soave). Oasi Mantellina in Pozzolengo is the Allegrini family's latest chapter, a commitment to one of the most exciting white wine appellations in northern Italy. The soils here differ from classic Lugana: sandier, interspersed with gravel. The result is wines with lively acidity instead of heavy minerality. After gentle pressing, the 2024 matures for four months in steel, followed by two months in the bottle.

A single-vineyard Soave as it should be: pure Garganega from vines over thirty years old on volcanic soils in Colognola ai Colli. The Castagnedi brothers press the whole grapes under nitrogen and use dry ice to preserve the aromas even before fermentation – a technique that demands precision and rewards character. Six months on the fine lees give the wine depth without taking away its freshness.

Intense ruby red colour. Harmonious interplay of fruit, barrel and spice flavours on the nose, hearty and engaging on the palate, reminiscent of dark fruit, violets and spices. Despite its seriousness, the final is full of warmth and elegance. As always with the completely organic-certified winery: top value. SUPERIORE.DE

Behind the Castello di Soave, invisible to the tourists enjoying the view of the plain, lies a vineyard that epitomises the opposite of what Soave has been for decades. No mass product, no compromise. Ferra is single-varietal Garganega from volcanic gravel – of a hilltop that has belonged to the Rizzardi family since 1977 and has been bottled as a single vineyard since 2014. What makes this Soave stand out from the standard, pleasing wines: Garganega gets the full stage here. Fermentation in glazed cement tanks preserves the mineral precision, while six months in large foudres give the wine texture, depth and richness that go far beyond what is expected from the appellation.

While the Rive wines from Andreola each bring a single vineyard to the glass, the Dirupo tells a different story: that of the entire denominazione. For this brut, Stefano Pola draws on the privilege of a vineyard network that extends across all 15 municipalities of the Valdobbiadene DOCG – from gentle slopes at 200 metres to extreme steep slopes at 500 metres, on limestone marls, sandstones, conglomerates and deep clay soils. No other wine of the house represents the territory so completely. The choice of grape varieties emphasises this approach: 90% Glera, supplemented by Bianchetta and Perera – two indigenous varieties of the hills, which have long since disappeared from standard Prosecco, but here they quietly contribute to the aromatic depth.

The name says it all: Due lame – two terraces – refers to the extreme altitude range of the vineyards between 420 and 655 metres. These are the highest Sangiovese vineyards in the whole of Tuscany, arroccati on the mineral-rich steps that gave the village of Lamole its name. The ochre-coloured "Macigno Toscano" soils, interspersed with Galestro and Alberese, give the wine its characteristic sharpness and elegance. The winery in the heart of Chianti Classico has been part of the Santa Margherita Group (Herita Wines) since 1993 and vinifies in the historic cellars of a Castello dating back to 1350. The grapes undergo optical selection, ferment in stainless steel with 7-10 days of maceration and mature on the lees until late winter. A short maturation in large oak barrels rounds off the process.

Radda in Chianti is one of the coolest municipalities in the appellation. Here, at an altitude of 400 metres, where dense forests surround the vineyards and stone-walled country lanes run through the hills, Sangiovese thrives in ideal conditions. The strong day-night temperature fluctuations give the grapes the freshness and aromatic clarity that make Radda wines unmistakable. Castello di Radda has been cultivating its vineyards in a fully certified organic way since 2020, with each parcel vinified separately and only brought together at the time of blending. The cuvée of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo is destemmed after manual harvesting and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Maceration on the skins lasts two to three weeks – this is made possible by the perfect physiological ripeness of the grapes. Malolactic fermentation takes place in both steel and wood before the wine matures partly in 500-litre Liters and partly in 20-hectolitre French and Slavonian oak barrels. Several months of bottle ageing round off the harmonious development.

Castelnuovo Berardenga marks the southernmost tip of the Chianti Classico, where the gentle hills of the historic centre merge into the austere beauty of the Crete Senesi. Here, on south-facing slopes at an altitude of 280 metres, the Sangiovese finds the warmth that gives it fullness without losing its lively acidity. Poggio Bonelli presses its Chianti Classico as a genuine expression of this grape variety: 90 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by a small proportion of other red varieties. After temperature-controlled fermentation and ten days of maceration, the wine matures for ten months in French oak barrels.

The three sisters from Fittà: Meri, Valentina and Alessandra Tessari have turned the winery founded by their parents Giovanni and Rosetta in 1982 into one of the most respected addresses in Soave Classico. Suavia is the Germanic origin of "Soave" – the name says it all. While their neighbours from the flatlands have long since bowed to industrial pressure, the sisters cultivate exclusively the autochthonous Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grape varieties on twelve hectares at an altitude of 300 metres. Their vineyards are located on the volcanic hills of Fittà, on copper-red, black and grey soils full of basalt and other volcanic rock. Here, where 50-year-old vines thrive on mineral-rich subsoil, wines of unmistakable expressiveness are produced.

Subtle ruby red colour with light reflections. Warm, well-dosed bouquet of wild berries, cherries and some smoke. Fine tannins on the palate, with plenty of juice and fruit at the core, floral and spicy notes, compact. A fine salty vein in the harmonious finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Vino Nobile is Montepulciano's answer to Tuscany's big question: What can Sangiovese do if you give it time? At Gracciano, the answer has been the same since the 19th century – and it has not changed. The Tenuta della Seta Ferrari Corbelli Greco family is one of the oldest addresses in the appellation, its vineyards on the Rovisci, Maramai and Toraia crus lie at 300 to 350 metres in south to south-easterly exposure, on clay soils that allow the Prugnolo Gentile to ripen slowly and fully, which is exactly what it needs. 90 per cent Prugnolo Gentile, ten per cent Merlot – a classic Gracciano assemblage. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, 20 to 25 days of maceration in steel, then 18 months of ageing: 40 per cent in French tonneaux of 3.5 and 5 hectolitres, 60 per cent in large oak barrels from France and Slavonia.

Wonderfully "different" and complex Soave from vines over 20 years old. Sparkling light yellow colour with green reflections. A restrained, reductive bouquet of bitter almond, flint, white and yellow fruit jam, dried fruit and biscuits. The palate is dry, warm and soft, yet fresh, spicy and slightly astringent, with a full, balanced body. With increasing aeration, it reveals its great complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

Rustico is Nino Franco's bestseller. Brilliant silver-green colour. Fresh aroma of apple, white flowers and cut grass, with a tart coolness and well nuanced fruit on the palate and a delicate melting texture. A stylish and very sociable all-rounder at a high level! SUPERIORE.DE