wine classics

In 1978, the first bottle of Brunello from Casanova di Neri found its way onto the market – then still called "Vino Rosso dai Vigneti di Brunello", five years after the first harvest. Giovanni Neri had found his dream and his son Giacomo began to realise it. The white label was there from the very beginning – and still is today. The Brunello White Label comes from specially designated vineyards around Podere Fiesole to the east of Montalcino – the same vineyards from which the estate has been making its Brunello for over four decades. After a cool, slow spring, 2021 brought a balancing, dry summer and even ripening into September.

In the early decades of the 19th century, one man shaped the landscape of Bolgheri like no other: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, ancestor of the Incisa family, who commissioned the construction of the area's first mills and churches, laid out fields and designed the Viale dei Cipressi – that famous avenue of cypress trees immortalised by Carducci, which still marks the entrance to Tenuta San Guido today. This wine is dedicated to the pioneer of this landscape. Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, who had long maintained that he wished to produce just one wine, recognised in the mid-1990s the potential of new plots along the Viale dei Cipressi, on clay-loam soils that proved particularly well-suited to Merlot. The first harvest was in 2000. Today: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot, from vines with an average age of 18 years. Hand-harvested, short maceration, indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 12 months in French barriques, approximately 40% of which are new.

The grapes for this wine come mainly from a vineyard in the north-east of Montalcino with Galestro soils at an altitude of 330 to 480 metres above sea level. In addition to five different sites there, the Neri family also owns three vineyards in the south between the villages of Sant'Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell'Abate. L'Etichetta Bianca, as this Brunello is called, is medium-bodied and noble and offers bright, fresh red cherry flavours. Hints of rust and warm stone as well as subtle sweet spices add complexity. Tactile but fine, sandy tannins give it the necessary grip, the finish is delicately salty, lively and fragrant. A classic from one of the best houses in the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

At 618 metres above sea level, where the air already carries the coolness of the mountains and the view sweeps over the entire Chianti Valley, lies one of the most venerable vineyards in Tuscany: Coltassala – once born as a rebellious Supertuscan, today ennobled as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the UGA Radda, embodies the revolution and evolution of Tuscan viticulture like no other wine. In 1980, Federica Mascheroni Stianti's family took the plunge: when the DOC system was still forcing Trebbiano and Malvasia into Chianti, they pressed a pure Sangiovese wine up here in small barriques based on the French model instead of the traditional large Slavonia barrels. What was then still misjudged as Vino da Tavola heralded a new era. Today, with the new UGA rules of Chianti Classico (Unita Geografiche Aggiunte, in Germany one would say Lage, in France Cru), Coltassala is finally finding its well-deserved home – as a Gran Selezione from the Radda geographical unit, which stands for the most extreme and elegant expressions of Chianti Classico. The altitude gives the 2021 vintage that characteristic freshness that makes Radda so unique – despite the warm weather, the wine retains its crystalline acidity and vibrancy.

A Barbaresco from our own vineyards in Treiso and San Rocco Seno d'Elvio. Each parcel is harvested separately and fermented in stainless steel; gentle remontage, selective délestage, followed by calm malolactic fermentation. For the maturation phase, the winery uses large Slavonian barrels, supplemented by a smaller proportion of French oak – not to provide flavour, but to fine-tune the texture and balance. Thanks to stable summer weather and cool nights in autumn, 2020 produced fully ripe, healthy harvestwith a well-proportioned acidity line.

The grapes for the Annata, which was certified organic for the first time in 2020, come from a 13-hectare site at an altitude of 500 metres. The soils here are somewhat lighter and stonier than the average for the appellation, with slate-rich Galestro and calcareous Alberese. As always, Poggio Antico's 2020 vintage is authentic and classic, with bright fruit tones, wild cherries, roasted nuts, blue flowers and forest floor. While the other wines in the portfolio mature in smaller tonneaux, this wine is aged in large Slavonian barrels. We like the energetic lift and the simultaneous brightness of the fruit - the winery achieves this like no other. As the wine progresses, the approach is very delicate with a convincing intensity of floral aromas and a silky mouthfeel. A lively acidity ensures balance and freshness right to the end, while a salty, mineral note is added on the finish. As always, this Brunello from the best winery is a safe bet! SUPERIORE.DE

The name is a tribute. Giodo – composed of Giovanna and Donatello, the names of his parents. Carlo Ferrini, one of Italy's most important Oenologist, has dedicated his life to Sangiovese – as a consultant for estates from Montalcino to Etna and as the designer of some of the most influential wines in Tuscany over the last three decades. It was not a question of if he would found his own winery at some point, but when. In 2002, he found it: ten hectares in Sant'Angelo in Colle, south-west Montalcino, seven of them woodland, three for the vine. And the vine here is exclusively Sangiovese – 15 carefully selected clones, planted with the patience of a man who knows that great wines are not made, but accompanied.

There are moments in the life of a winemaker when past and present merge in a magical way. For Matteo Ascheri, Barolo Ascheri is such a moment – a wine that comes from the vineyard that not only bears his name, but is also the cradle of his family. It was here, in the Località Ascheri in La Morra, that the history of a winegrowing dynasty that is now one of the most respected in the whole of Piedmont began in the early 19th century. The MGA Ascheri is located on the gently sloping southern slopes of La Morra, at an altitude of 350 metres, where the fertile soils of clay, limestone marl and sand produce the lush fruitiness for which La Morra is famous. When Matteo vinified a separate Barolo from this two-hectare vineyard for the first time in 2010, it was more than just an oenological decision – it was a return to the roots, a tribute to the ancestors who once laid the foundations for the family heritage here.

Castelnuovo dell'Abate has a character all of its own – rougher, denser and more mineral than many other parts of the appellation. The loamy-sandy soils with their high proportion of gravel, the vineyards situated between 150 and 350 metres, the lee of Monte Amiata, the cool nights from the Orcia Valley: anyone who plants vines here produces Sangiovese with character. Andrea Cortonesi has been planting vines here for almost four decades. 2021 proved a challenging year for this terroir – and for the winemaker. The late frost in April hit lower-lying plots hard, and the harvest was around 15% smaller overall than the previous year. A hot, dry summer followed, before two spells of rain in the second half of August provided the vineyards with water and gave the grapes their final aromatic depth. The long September nights did the rest: phenolic ripeness, without any signs of heat stress, and without compromising on freshness. What Uccelliera subsequently brought into the cellar was concentrated, healthy, clear – and possessed that crisp fruit intensity that makes Castelnuovo wines so distinctive.

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

Guado al Tasso presents itself with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as convincing as its harmonious structure. Deep, dark, rich ruby-purple colour. Very clear and intense nose, with aromas of blackberries, cassis and dark cherries, underpinned by fine, spicy notes with hints of white pepper and leather. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with plenty of sweet flavour, elegant tannins and a very long finish. A finesse-rich red that offers maximum drinking pleasure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Vigneti del Versante 2019 come from the Scopeta, Cancello Rosso and Bassolino di Sopra vineyards. Bright red colour. Very deep, complex, expressive aromas of red cherries, raspberries, balsamic oils, violets and sweet spices on the highly perfumed nose, clearly recognising the terroir of Sesta. Great fibre and density on the palate, with much of this power coming from the heavier soils of the vineyards. The overall expression is profound and precise, with pungent aromas of wild berries, liquorice, lavender and lightly toasted almonds. Violets on the finish, supported by a silky, fine texture. One of the most stunning Brunello from the dream 2019 vintage, which, as always, comes onto the market a year later than its neighbours. SUPERIORE.DE

Fine, silky tannins frame a core of crushed berries, flowers, liquorice and new leather. The wine's inner extract sweetness reveals itself only with time of aeration, adding harmony and class. Already today, a super-elegant and at the same time refined and open Brunello presents itself, which always remains graceful and fresh at the same time, despite all its fruit fullness. Our perspective: With increasing bottle maturity, the drinking pleasure of this first-class Sangiovese increases even more! SUPERIORE.DE

Almost every year, Barolo Campè takes top places among its high-calibre competitors. Fittingly, the majestic red wine bears the king of beasts, a lion, on its ornate yellow label. We think: There could hardly be a better graphic interpretation of this deep and stately wine. An all-round successful experience. Aromas of flowers and berries on the nose, with notes of vanilla and a hint of rosebud, full-bodied and very concentrated, with great, initially still chewy tannins and a long, powerful final. SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro - a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot - is a great cru from the Maremma and brims with opulence and diversity. Rich, dark ruby with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruits, chocolate and spices, soft, full body, polished tannins. It is impossible to exaggerate the joy of the magnificence of this wine. SUPERIORE.DE

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

In 1998, Brancaia moved to the Maremma. It was no mere whim, but a conscious decision: this coastal landscape north of Grosseto, with its sandy loam soils, Mediterranean climate and the salty breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea, was a terroir that would respond in its own way – if the right grape varieties were planted. Ilatraia’s answer is clear: three Bordeaux varieties, no artificial irrigation; roots reaching deep into the sandy subsoil. At altitudes of 75 to 175 metres, facing west to south-west, on soil comprising two-thirds sand and one-third silt and clay. The Mediterranean climate is uncompromising: very hot summers, mild winters, and a marked temperature range between day and night. What ripens here does so without assistance – and you can taste it.

"Vürsù" – the longing, the passion, the insatiable desire. This is what Giorgio Rivetti called the feeling that drove him in 2000 when he acquired the first hectares in Grinzane Cavour and thus realised his greatest dream: to create his own Barolo. The Vigna Campè covers eight hectares, majestically situated at an altitude of 280 metres with a perfect southern exposure, where seventy-year-old Nebbiolo vines take root in alluvial soils with calcareous clay. Giorgio immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of this site, which had previously been cultivated by a producer who never intended to produce great wines. All the grapes went to other Barolo producers as bulk wine. But Giorgio saw what others had overlooked: the terroir for one of Piedmont's greatest Barolo. He reduced yields by 75 per cent, banned all chemicals in the vineyard and worked the vines with horses - Morro and Pipo still plough between the venerable vines today.

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices, with a soft, full body and polished tannins. One cannot overstate the sheer delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices; soft and full-bodied, with polished tannins. One cannot overstate the delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

When Georg Weber set foot on the hills below Capalbio in the early 2000s, he knew his search was over. The Bordeaux enthusiast had travelled the world of wine – from Pauillac to Napa Valley – only to finally find, in the southern Maremma, the terroir that would make his dream a reality: Tuscany's first Premier Grand Cru. Monteverro – named after the wild boar, the 'verro', which has roamed the scrubland of this coastal landscape since time immemorial – was born.