Wine Enthusiast

"The Barolo DOCG Margheria comes from the calcareous soil with a slightly higher proportion of sand than in our other sub-areas, which has a strong influence on its character. It was produced for the first time in 1985 and has great ageing potential. The grapes come from our vineyard in the MGA Margheria in Serralunga d'Alba." Franco Massolino

"For the Barolo DOCG Parussi, we left the confines of Serralunga and opted for a vineyard in Castiglione Falletto. Thanks to the characteristics of Nebbiolo, which is perfectly capable of capturing the differences in microclimate and soil composition and translating them into sensations, the result amazed us. Structured, important, austere. Made with Nebbiolo grapes from our vineyard in the MGA Parussi in Castiglione Falletto." Franco Massolino

Cerretto is a fruit-driven wine of virile, explosive power that shows, among other things, how different the wines of Serralunga can be. Black cherry, plum, sage, menthol and liquorice hit the palate in a firm, tannic Barolo that will require some patience, but already presents itself with remarkable freshness, purity and nuance. Cerretta is the embodiment of the richness and structure of Serralunga. SUPERIORE.DE

Livo Felluga's second top cuvée Abbazia di Rosazzo is closely linked to the abbey of the same name, a centuries-old centre of Friulian wine culture. The blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla comes from steep vineyards with marl and sandstone soils. The climate between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea ensures warm days, cool nights and a long growing season – ideal conditions for aromatic precision and elegant acidity. The 2019 vintage brought a balanced ripeness with cool minerality and fine structure. After being harvested by hand, the wine was matured on the fine lees, partly in stainless steel and partly in wood, giving it depth and complexity.

Terre Alte is a masterpiece of Friulian white wine artistry – a wine that has been setting standards since its first cuvée in 1981. The combination of Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon from the best vineyards around Rosazzo is condensed here into a vinological ideal of the Collio.

The Rosso di Montalcino comes from slightly younger Brunello vines and is matured for 12 months in large oak barrels. It undoubtedly bears the signature of the top winery Biondi Santi: delicately sweet, open flavours of red berries, flowers and cloves. Like all of the winery's other wines, the Rosso is classic and firm in style, with a bombastic structure and a brilliant, long finish. True to the house, it also has a long ageing and maturation potential and can compete with some of the Brunello wines of the appellation today and in the future. SUPERIORE.DE

The Sangiovese grapes for this wine come from the vineyard of the Empire of His Royal Highness, the Count of Turin, Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, who planted it in 1935. The soil is a mixture of clay and gravel, rich in marl and rock, which gives the grapes a spectacular minerality. The temperature fluctuations during the day play a decisive role in developing the finest flavours, which are elegant and complex. The wine, bottled in numbered bottles, is not filtered in order to preserve all the typical varietal notes and characteristics of Sangiovese. SUPERIORE.DE

This Riserva is only made available each year in very small quantities to hand-picked specialist retailers and top restaurants. Brilliant ruby red colour. Fine raspberry and floral notes dominate the spicy nose. Very juicy on the palate, tannins and acidity are well integrated. Riecines Riserva has length and suppleness right through to the long fruity finish. The elegance and fine melting texture are impressive. Once again, this is Sangiovese at the top level that Riecine is known for! 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.

Pacentis Brunello Vecchie Vigne radiates with attractive aromas of black berries, dark cherries and coffee. Extremely delicious and very elegant in flavour with silky tannins and considerable length. Siro Pacenti is one of the most historic houses in the region and it is precisely with this solid expression that Vecchie Vigne enchants the senses. SUPERIORE.DE

1961: Beppe Colla makes a decision that will set a precedent in the history of Barolo: no more blends from different vineyards, but a wine from a single vineyard – bussia. An amphitheatre in Monforte d'Alba, seven hectares, at around 350 metres, exposed from south-west to south. Soils of limestone, marl, the famous "Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili". Terroir that gives the Nebbiolo strength without taking away its soul. 2021 was the year that the classic needs: a snowy winter with a good water supply, a long, temperate summer without heat peaks, strong temperature fluctuations in autumn. The light frosts in April reduced the yield – and concentrated what remained. Harvest from 29 September to 13 October, in perfect condition. Destemming in the cellar, maceration for 8 to 10 days at a maximum temperature of 30°C, malolactic fermentation before winter. Then 18 months in large oak barrels of various capacities – traditional, unobtrusive, serving.

Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruit float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. On the palate, the typical, medium-bodied characteristics of Bricco delle Viole are evident, while the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years to mature, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

Ai Suma is Braida's epitome of exceptional Barbera – ai Suma, which means "We did it" in the Piedmontese dialect, was first created in 1989 by a lucky coincidence: a late harvest that gave the wine enormous maturity and complexity. Since then, Braida's top Barbera has only been vinified in outstanding years, from hand-picked grapes from old vines in sun-drenched vineyards around Rocchetta Tanaro. The 2021 vintage benefited from a harmonious vegetation cycle: a mild spring, warm but balanced summer months and a dry, sunny harvestthat lasted well into October. These conditions allowed for a late harvest with perfectly ripe berries that characterise the wine. Careful fermentation is followed by the classic ageing period of around 15 months in French barriques, followed by a longer period of rest in the bottle, which brings structure and flavour into full harmony.

Some wines bear the name of their creator and thus a silent commitment. Gualto is Gualtiero Ghezzi's personal signature: a strict selection of the best exposed Sangiovese Grosso plots near the Castello, at an altitude of over 300 metres, from sandy limestone marl soils with fossil inclusions. Matured for 36 months in oak barrels and a further two years in the bottle – the fact that this Riserva is being released while 2020s are already on the shelves elsewhere is not an oversight, but an attitude. 2019 was the year that rewarded such patience. Spring rains created the water reserves for a warm but never excessive summer. A radiant September with large day-night fluctuations brought full phenolic ripeness – slowly and without haste. International critics are celebrating the 2019 Brunello vintage as one of the most important since 2010 and 2016.

Ugolaia is a 1.7-hectare, south-west-facing plot with a view of the sea, where the temperature fluctuations between day and night are considerable. The estate's oldest vines grow here on red iron soil.

The name alone reveals the poetry of this vintage sparkling wine. For decades, Perlé has been considered the essence of Ferrari's art, born from a meticulous selection of the best Chardonnay grapes from the Trentino mountains. The grapes for this Millesimato come from altitudes between 300 and 600 metres. Here, where the vines are bathed in mountain sunshine throughout the day but rest at night in the cool mountain air, the Chardonnay develops the mineral depth and aromatic complexity that makes Perlé so unmistakable. The Lunelli family only selects the very best batches – the grapes that most purely reflect the terroir. Perlé matures for almost five years on the fine yeasts – an exceptionally patient maturation period that gives the sparkling wine its characteristic creaminess and delicate yeast notes that harmonise perfectly with the fruity elegance of the Chardonnay.

An exceptional milestone in the art of Franciacorta: Palazzo Lana Extrême is masterfully composed and matured on the lees for 84 months before being bottled without dosage. 100% Pinot Noir from old, optimally exposed parcels, rigorously selected and with historic expressiveness. In the glass, it presents itself with bright gold and amber reflections, supported by a very fine-pored perlage. The bouquet is complex and brooding: candied citrus notes, brioche, almond cream, dried apricot, hay ground and a present salty minerality. The palate shows great Franciacorta style: precise acidity, creamy texture, elegant fruit and cool minerality. The finish is long, spicy and shows flavours of toasted almonds, jasmine and Sicilian sea salt in perfect balance. A solitaire that combines origin, depth and style in timeless harmony – serious, generous and with a lasting effect. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep, dark ruby red colour. Floral nose with lots of red, warm fruit and delicate herbal notes. Smooth and elegant on the palate with wonderful depth and complexity with notes of black cherry, herbs, violets, plums and a hint of tar and leather. Saffredi literally sneaks up on you until it fades into a very long and harmonious finish with an impressive presence and finesse. One of Italy's great wines, full of elegance! SUPERIORE.DE

The white enigma of Bolgheri. In a region that has achieved immortality through Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, few dare to make history with white wine. But Cinzia Merli dared to – and created the white alter ego of her legendary red Paleo line in 1991 with Paleo Bianco. What began as a modest creation for local restaurants developed into one of the most enigmatic and sought-after white wines in Italy. The name – derived from "pagliaio", the Tuscan haystack – has the same poetic soul as its red brother, but its character is completely unique. 70% Chardonnay and 30% Sauvignon Blanc merge here to create a symphony of Mediterranean intensity that translates international grape varieties into Tuscan terroir. Originally, Sauvignon Blanc dominated this blend, but over the decades Cinzia has reversed the proportions – an evolution that led the Paleo Bianco from the citrusy freshness of its youth to the structured complexity that characterises it today.

In 1969, Rino Sottimano acquired a vineyard that was to become the foundation of his winery: The Cru Cottà, 2.8 hectares located between the municipalities of Neive and Barbaresco, where south-westerly exposures and sandy soils give the Nebbiolo the fullness and structure that make this Barbaresco so special. The vines, now 80 years old, are spaced unusually far apart, a relic from times when vegetables and artichokes were still cultivated between the rows of vines. A historical planting method that gives the roots room to penetrate deep into the calcareous clay soil. Cottà has always been the most fruit-orientated of the five Sottimano crus, a wine of concentrated power that combines the fleshy polyphenols of the Neive vineyards with the distinctive tannin structure of Barbaresco.

A wine of remarkable aromatic complexity. Amarone aficionados know how many allusions these wines are capable of evoking, and it is not difficult to discern mushrooms, forest undergrowth, truffles, Havana leaves and even wild violets in this wine's aromatic profile, as well as the usual confit cherries and plums. In the mouth, the wine is remarkably concentrated yet elegant, carrying this bundle of allusions effortlessly and seamlessly through the palate. The fine pearly tannins give it support and the concentration of fruit is so great that the acidity almost fades into the background. A dense, polished and stately wine of the highest calibre. SUPERIORE.DE