wine classics

Essence Millesimato brut shows the noble signature of Antica Fratta: 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Nero, grown on the moraine hills of Franciacorta. The first fermentation in stainless steel is followed by a long maturation period of at least 36 months on the lees, which adds depth and texture. Pale golden yellow in the glass with a fine, persistent perlage. Ripe apple, white flowers, citrus zest and a hint of toasted almond on the nose. Elegant and precise on the palate, with fresh acidity, creamy fullness and subtle spice. The finish is long, clear and mineral-accentuated. A Franciacorta with substance and fine balance – perfect for special occasions or as an accompaniment to fine seafood cuisine. SUPERIORE.DE

A Satèn with supple fullness and fine elegance: the 2021 Millesimato edition shows how velvety Chardonnay can be. The grapes come from Chardonnay parcels on moraine hills that harmoniously reflect the cooler climate of Franciacorta. Maturation in the bottle on the lees lasted around 36 months, giving the wine its silky texture and fine complexity. A light golden yellow colour in the glass with only a fine effervescence – typical of Satèn. Ripe yellow fruit, white flowers, a hint of brioche and almond notes on the nose. Clear and soft at the same time on the palate: creamy structure, minerality, elegant acidity and a restrained perlage. The finish is dry, harmonious and lingers for a long time. A wine that perfectly combines fullness and finesse – charming, impressive and without any heaviness. Ideal as a festive aperitif or with Mediterranean fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright silver-grey with a persistent, finesse-rich perlage. A wonderful nose of white flowers and light-coloured fruit. Full, broad and creamy elegance on the palate, supported by a delicate interplay of sweetness and acidity. A very expressive and sensual Prosecco Superiore from the top Cartizze vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

The Ghezzi family has been cultivating the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino since 1957 – 530 hectares in total, 50 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso alone, on clay-limestone soils with silt and fossil inclusions. A Brunello that combines the power of the south with the elegance of careful clonal selection comes from this sunny, warm location on the Ombrone. 20 to 30 days of maceration on the skins, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of bottle ageing. The 2021 vintage is considered a classic great Annata: late frost in April noticeably reduced the yields, a warm but never overheated summer and two saving August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising approach to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their best grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the community. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected communal vineyards, some of which are adjacent to the crus, on chalky and clayey soils. Vinification was carried out traditionally: a long maceration period, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further resting period in the bottle.

The Brunello di Montalcino "50 anni" is much more than just an anniversary bottling – it is Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini's emotional homage to half a century of Caparzo history and at the same time her legacy for the future. In 2020, the year of its 50th anniversary, she deliberately chose this exceptional vintage to embody the essence of what Caparzo has stood for since 1970: the combination of tradition and innovation in the service of one of the world's greatest terroirs.

Uccelliera is not only famous for its outstanding Brunello every year, the Rapace, which has now become an icon, also demonstrates the high quality with which the winery has been delighting wine connoisseurs all over the world for decades. Deep dark ruby red in colour, the aroma spectrum is skilfully balanced with a mix of dark red cherries, plums, liquorice, smoke, spices and menthol. The beautifully cherry-like primary fruit is embedded in a warm texture, the silky tannin skilfully takes over on the sidelines and the wine storms into a long, nuanced and delicately mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The De Ferrari brothers select their Riserva from the oldest vines on the estate's best plots. Ruby red in colour with a garnet hue. The wine opens discreetly with subtle but captivating hints of sage, leather and allspice. On the palate, it is supple and agile and feels confidently extracted, with firm, straightforward tannins, but not overdone. The wood supports rather than imposes on the wine, and the vibrant acidity of the vintage comes through nicely. Long, seductive and delicately spicy on the final. SUPERIORE.DE

Finely structured Rosé Millesimato with elegance and depth – the essence of time in every sip. The cuvée of predominantly Chardonnay with a proportion of Pinot Nero reveals its perfection after a long lees contact. Delicate old rose colour in the glass with a subtle perlage. The bouquet combines fine aromas of red berries, particularly redcurrant and raspberry, with delicate brioche and almond notes and a hint of dried rose. On the palate, it impresses with juicy fruit, lively acidity and elegant creaminess. The perlage is subtle, the finish dry, precise and persistent with a slightly salty length. A rosé that is powerful and subtle at the same time – noble, classic, with very good balance. Ideal with salmon, tuna carpaccio, tender veal or as an aperitif. SUPERIORE.DE

Obtained from a small, high-altitude vineyard in the historic San Cristoforo cru site above Neive, this Barbaresco combines terroir depth with contemplative maturity. The clay and limestone-rich soil, the exposed south-east exposure and the late harvest characterise the concentrated style. Three weeks of maceration are followed by a long, patient ageing regime: two years in large oak barrels, a further six months in concrete and then many more years in the bottle – until it opens up with the expression that only time can give.

When Brigitte and Bruno Widmer bought the abandoned Brancaia estate near Castellina in Chianti in 1981, nobody could have guessed that this would become one of the defining wineries of modern Tuscany. The very first vintage in 1983 took first place in a blind tasting – the beginning of a success story that daughter Barbara Widmer is continuing today as a qualified Oenologist. The entire winery has been certified organic since 2019, a consistent development of the philosophy that has always applied here: no compromises. The Riserva combines the best Sangiovese lots from both Chianti Classico estates – brancaia in Castellina and Poppi in Radda – supplemented by twenty per cent Merlot. The sites between 230 and 400 metres above sea level bring together different soil structures: Clay in Castellina, sandy loam with a stony skeleton in Radda.

"Alma" – the soul. This is what Bellavista calls the wines that have been writing a new chapter in the cantina's history since 2024. What was once called "Gran Cuvée" now bears the name "Alma Assemblage", and the number behind it marks the vintage: Assemblage 2 stands for 2022. Two visionaries are behind this new direction: Francesca Moretti, daughter of founder Vittorio Moretti and current cellar master, and Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave at Dom Pérignon for twenty-eight years. Together they have created a collection that reinterprets Franciacorta – not as a copy of Champagne, but as an independent, proud identity. "Franciacorta needs no imitation," says Geoffroy. "It is a world-class terroir." Alma Assemblage 2 extra brut combines grapes from 75 vineyards in ten municipalities in Franciacorta: 86 per cent Chardonnay, 13 per cent Pinot Nero, one per cent Pinot Bianco, supplemented by reserve wines from the 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages. After at least thirty months on the lees, the wine is disgorged with minimal dosage – extra brut, pure, precise.

Nubiola is a Barbaresco with inner tension: differentiated, unagitated, but with a clear character. The name refers to historical roots: Vitis Nubiola was the name given to Nebbiolo in the 13th century. Pelissero has revived this term – not out of sentimentality, but because it suits the style of the wine: Complexity instead of posturing, depth instead of effect. The grapes come from various plots around Treiso, on soils of calcareous marl with a fine clay content. The sites complement each other – altitude, exposure, microclimate – to create a complex but harmonious overall picture. The wine is fermented with natural yeast and matured for 18 months in large barrels and tonneaux, all with deliberate restraint so that the structure and origin remain visible.

Anagallis arvensis – is the correct botanical name for the small, inconspicuous flower with bright orange petals that grows between the rows of vines in the vineyard plots around Lilliano. When the Ruspoli family decided to give their Bordeaux-inspired cuvée a name, they chose this humble wildflower – a symbol of its roots in the terroir, even though the grape varieties themselves originate from France. While Chianti Classico embodies the soul of Lillliano, Anagallis represents the Tuscan courage to embrace modernity that revolutionised the wine world in the 1970s and 1980s: international varieties on Tuscan soil, vinified with respect for origin and craftsmanship. The blend of 50 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 per cent Merlot and ten per cent Petit Verdot comes from the Tenuta's best plots, selectively harvested by hand and fermented separately in small stainless steel tanks. Each grape variety undergoes its own cycle before being transferred to French barriques after malolactic fermentation, where it matures for 14 months – not in new barrels, but in used ones, which give the wine structure without dominating it.

When Franco Pola bottled the first bottle of his Barbaresco Bordini in 1970, he not only wrote the beginning of a family story, but also symbolised the connection between man and vineyard that lasts for generations. The vineyard bears the same name as the street on which the winery stands – via Bordini 15 – and this geographical coincidence harbours a deeper truth: here, where the winery building looks directly onto the south-east-facing slope, family and terroir are inextricably interwoven. On sandy limestone/clay soil, 280 metres above sea level, Nebbiolo vines 50 to 60 years old take root – one hectare of which is even over 70 years old and ungrafted, a living link to the time when Franco's father Secondo still ran the farm as a farm.

Querciabella's Riserva, with an annual production of 10,000 bottles, is a selection of the best lots. It blends fruit from Greve, where the vineyards lie between 350 and 550 metres above sea level, with grapes from the stony high altitudes of Radda and the chalky soils of Gaiole. Tantalising aromas of spring flowers, cranberries and potting soil are accompanied by vanilla and smoke. On the palate, it is polished and pure, with a delicious, tangy acidity and sinewy tannins. As every year, one of the most refined wines of the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

"Querciabella" – beautiful oak. The name says it all for a winery that has been one of the style-defining houses of Chianti Classico since 1974. Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni was one of the first to switch to organic farming here – back in 1988, when the word "organic" still raised eyebrows in the winegrowing world. Querciabella has been working biodynamically since 2000 and today cultivates the largest biodynamically certified vineyard area in Italy. The fact that Daniele Cernilli (Dr Wine) named the estate "Cantina dell'Anno" in 2024 came as no surprise to anyone who knows these wines. The Riserva combines Sangiovese from three of the best sites in Chianti Classico: Greve brings vibrancy and bright fruit, Radda taut tannins and dark berry notes, Gaiole riper fruit and distinctive limestone minerality. The altitude of between 350 and 550 metres ensures cool nights and slow ripening. Each parcel is vinified and matured individually in the cellar – micro-vinification, which preserves the terroir of each vineyard and only combines it into a multi-layered whole in the final blend. 16 months in French barriques and tonneaux lend structure without dominance.

Barbaresco Serraboella takes you on a fascinating journey to the cool, chalky slopes of Neive, where 30-year-old Nebbiolo vines are rooted in slatey clay and sandy soils. Here, Fontanabianca cultivates grapes with clear depth – vinified with respect for fruit, artisanal precision and the potential of the site. The 2021 vintage opens with gentle elegance. Supported by balanced summer conditions and cool nights, it produced grapes with balance and expression. The result is a multi-layered, elegantly composed framework built on its 12–15 months of ageing in wood without masking its finesse.

The same triad – calcarole, Pojega, Rovereti – and yet a completely different wine. Where the 2019 offered warmth and richness, the 2021 is more about precision and classic contours. The April frost noticeably reduced yields, but what followed was a gift: a summer in which temperatures never exceeded the critical 33-degree threshold for Corvina. The vines ripened steadily, without heat stress, with cool nights that preserved acidity and flavour. The subsequent appassimento in the historic drying rooms of Pojega took place under ideal conditions – dry, cool and even. The winemakers of Valpolicella simply call 2021 "l'annata perfetta".

The name says it all: Marne means marl soil, on which the vines for this marvellous Amarone grow. They are over 20 years old and lie in an ideal 180° direction, from south-west to south-east. Rich, shiny ruby red colour, compact bouquet with intense aromas of plum, black cherry, green tea and tobacco, with a fine chocolate note in the background. The body, coated in fine berry fruit, develops a dynamic flavour experience on the palate with a sweet fruit melt, firm tannins and a long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

1172 – the year in which Volpaia is first mentioned in documents. A small, fortified borgo on a hill north of Radda in Chianti, built as a border fortress between Florence and Siena. Today it is a jewel of peace and beauty and one of the most historic wine villages in Tuscany. Here, where soldiers once stood guard, the Stianti-Mascheroni families now press their grapes within the medieval walls. The bottles mature in the vaults of old churches and almost every cellar contains a tank of organic wine. An entire village dedicated to viticulture. So complete that it becomes poetic again. The Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese from vineyards between 400 and 600 metres above sea level. One of the highest wineries in the region. Up here, where the air is thin and the nights are cool, Sangiovese develops the elegance and minerality that makes Volpaia so distinctive. Sandstone, clay and sandy-loamy soils with a high proportion of skeleton. Manual harvest in the second half of September, temperature-controlled vinification, then 24 months in French and Slovenian oak barrels.

Massolino's Barbaresco is the quintessence of finely balanced terroir: Nebbiolo grapes from the Starderi, Albesani and Serraboella cru sites mature together to create a complex yet transparent wine. The 2022 vintage provided a balanced climate – warm days and cool nights – which harmoniously blends freshness, finesse and aromatic richness. The colour in the glass is a medium garnet red with bright reflections. The nose exudes a velvety elegance of red fruits, violets, delicate lavender, spicy notes, crushed rock and a hint of orange peel – pure, lively fragrance with contoured clarity. A medium body full of energy unfolds on the palate: silky tannins, lively acidity and polished, mineral tension are the carriers of a fruit-emphasised depth. The finish lingers for a long time – intensely floral, spicy and with vibrant freshness. SUPERIORE.DE