wine classics

Grattamacco was the second winery in Bolgheri in 1982 and is still a firm favourite for great, terroir-driven wines with an independent character. The Rosso Superiore comes from high, coastal hillside vineyards with an excellent microclimate and matures for almost two years in French barriques after spontaneous fermentation. The cuvée deliberately does not follow the classic Bordeaux pattern: in addition to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Sangiovese also characterises the wine as an indigenous soul – a sign of identity, not convention.

Maternigo means "mother's land" and is also the name of one of the Tedeschi family's vineyards. The vineyards cover around 33 hectares in two municipalities, Tregnago and Mezzane di Sotto. The new Cru-Amarone Riserva Maternigo is only produced in the best years and its grapes come exclusively from the Barila vineyard. This single vineyard was selected after careful zoning and characterisation of the soil, which is characterised by very low vigour and consequently produces grapes rich in structure.

In 2021, the DOCG Montalcino delivered a vintage of rare transparency. Cooler nights, pronounced temperature fluctuations, slow and even ripening until well into October – conditions that allow the Sangiovese Grosso to show what lies behind the fruit: Minerality, structure, the fine geological layers of a vineyard that has been producing wine since the Middle Ages.

Strong ruby red. Opulent aromas of dark berries, mint, spices, forest floor and undergrowth. In the balanced, powerful drink very clear, juicy and tight. Spreads comfortably with notes of plum, raspberry compote and chocolate. This great Amarone captivates from the first sip - its long, silky finish leaves nothing to be desired. SUPERIORE.DE

Brunello Magistra is an extremely rigorous selection of the best grapes from the small vineyard of the same name, which is located south of Montalcino at an altitude of around 400 metres above sea level. The vines are surrounded by a holm oak forest, which benefits from exposure with night-time ventilation from the Orcia Valley. This favours the development of the aromas, which are noticeable in the intense Sangiovese bouquet of crushed sour cherries, spiced blood oranges, minty herbs and a hint of sweet smoke. Silky yet lively on the palate, driven by a lively acidity that effortlessly carries the mineral fruit of the red berries across the palate together with the polished tannins. A gem of a wine! SUPERIORE.DE

An exotic blend of sweet smoke and cloves gives way to dusty black cherries and a hint of sour citrus fruit as the 2019 vintage unfolds in the glass. After a while, there are hints of musk and floral undergrowth. Pure elegance on the palate, delicate and silky, but also with a core of salty minerals that adds unexpected depth to the vibrant flavours of tart wild berries and spices. Finishes with incredible persistence but also composure, structured yet primary, just as it should be at this young stage. The higher altitudes and almost minimalist winemaking at Le Potazzine have helped to produce one of the most balanced and interesting wines of the 2019 top vintage for us. SUPERIORE.DE

Le Macioche Riserva 2019 has the same slender and bright appearance as the Annata and the fine aromas of wild berries and cassis associated with Sangiovese. Racy and supple, it sweeps across the palate with a silky texture and shows tart wild berries and sour citrus fruit, all accompanied by lively acidity. The finish is long, with an earthy aftertaste. A very successful Riserva from a wonderful year, which has been interpreted very convincingly in this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Gigliola Giannetti was born on the Argiano wine estate, the daughter of an employee in the wine cellar. She grew up among barrels and vines, the smell of fermenting must was the scent of her childhood. At 19, she joined Franco Biondi Santi, and later Giulio Gambelli encouraged her to make wine herself. In 1993, the time had come: first parcel, first child – daughter Viola. Three years later came two more hectares and daughter Sofia. Today, three women stand together in the cellar and three generations of Montalcino in one line. Le Potazzine is one of the highest vineyards in the appellation: 450 to 530 metres, where the harvest begins up to three weeks later than in the valley. What used to be considered a disadvantage is now worth its weight in gold – the grapes ripen slowly, retain their acidity and develop finesse instead of mere vigour. Vinification is uncompromisingly traditional: spontaneous fermentation, 30 to 45 days of maceration, no temperature control. The wine then rests for 42 months in large Slavonian oak barrels – six months longer than is even required for a Riserva. So every Brunello from Le Potazzine is actually a Riserva. Why don't they call it that? Modesty, or perhaps quiet pride.

Le Lucére is not a wine for coincidences. The plot – almost 2.5 hectares, east-facing, Galestro and slate, vines that have been rooted in this soil for more than a quarter of a century – only becomes a single-vineyard bottling under certain conditions. 2018 was such a year, although the world of Brunello experts initially reacted cautiously. Wrongly so. The eastern exposure of San Filippo is a quiet privilege for cooler years: no blazing afternoon sunshine that burns the fruit and hardens the tannins. Instead – morning light, slow ripening, precision. The vines did not suffer. They concentrated. Caciorgna vinified in steel, fermented in concrete, put the wine first in barrique and tonneau, then in large 20 to 30 hectolitre barrels. More than three years of ageing, one year in the bottle. The wine needed the time.

Thomas Bär was dreaming out loud. He spoke openly about the fact that he regarded wines such as Solaia from Antinori or Le Pin from Pomerol as a benchmark – not out of arrogance, but out of conviction: That the Pietraforte soils of the Conca d'Oro at 450 to 500 metres in Panzano have the terroir to bear something extraordinary. The Balisca was his most personal answer to this question. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, exclusively from the estate's own Panzano vineyards – a decision that is still unusual in the Chianti Classico zone. 1,200 bottles.

This is more than a wine – it is the essence of a project born in 1999 with the vision of showing the world the finest that Bolgheri is capable of producing. From five selected vineyard sites between 80 and 220 metres above sea level – argentiera, Ginestre, Ventaglio, Porcarecce and Ceccosodo – a cuvée is created that has been a contemporary symbol of Italian winemaking since its debut vintage in 2003. Sourced from the best plots of the Tenuta, where sandy, calcareous and stony soils thrive between Mediterranean scrub and the salty breeze of the Tyrrhenian Sea, each grape embodies the unique terroir identity of this privileged location.

Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin DOCG 2019 comes from one of Monforte's most prestigious parcels with a south-south-easterly exposure at an altitude of around 400 metres. The old Nebbiolo vines are deeply rooted in calcareous marl with veins of clay and sand, which gives the wine intensity and finesse. The 2019 vintage is considered one of the most classic of the last decade: long, balanced vegetation, mild summer heat and cool September nights produced grapes of rare aromatic precision. After being harvested by hand, the grapes were carefully vinified and matured in French oak for around 30 months.

The Riserva Lupi e Sirene (Wolves and Mermaids) label is reminiscent of the good old days when Podere le Ripi was so remote that the howling of the wolves was the only sound you could hear at night.

The Andreola family winery in Col San Martino was founded in 1984 by Nazzareno Pola in the heart of the Valdobbiadene wine-growing region. In his honour, a wonderful Prosecco Superiore is produced here every year in small batches, which once again received the highest award in the Gambero Rosso for the 2024 vintage. For Stefano Pola, the Etichetta del Fondatore represents the highest expression of finesse and olfactory elegance that the Glera grape can give in the core zone of Prosecco Superiore – combined with the verticality and juiciness that the soils give it, without ever losing its lightness and drinkability.

Interesting bouquet of eucalyptus, rosemary and other garden herbs, underpinned by damp forest soil and a beautiful blackberry nose. On the palate, multi-layered and complex after coffee, raspberry jam with an exotic note. Wonderfully aromatic, complex and long - a successful and independent interpretation of the Cabernet grape. SUPERIORE.DE

Albe! ... the poetic name of this Barolo refers to the sky at sunrise, as experienced by the various terroirs of the estate: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. These high-altitude sites each produce slightly different dawns, which is symbolically reflected in the harmony of the cuvée. The grapes come from young but ripe Nebbiolo vines and combine the nuances of each parcel to create a flowing, elegant expression. The grapes were carefully harvested by hand, each parcel was vinified separately and only combined into a cuvée in the spring before bottling. The wine is matured for around 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (40–75 hl) with annual racking – a maturation that allows for depth and harmony.

Albe! ... the poetic name of this Barolo refers to the sky at sunrise, as experienced by the various terroirs of the estate: Coste di Vergne, Fossati and La Volta. These high-altitude sites each produce slightly different dawns, which is symbolically reflected in the harmony of the cuvée. The grapes come from young but ripe Nebbiolo vines and combine the nuances of each parcel to create a flowing, elegant expression. The 2021 vintage is characterised by freshness and balance: Long vegetation phase at ideal temperatures, accompanied by cool nights that preserve intense fruit with lively acidity. The grapes were carefully harvested by hand, each parcel was vinified separately and only combined into a cuvée in the spring before bottling. The wine is matured for around 36 months in large Slavonian oak barrels (40–75 hl) with annual racking – a maturation that allows depth and harmony.