Wine Spectator

The name Il Bruciato, literally "the fire", recalls a historic, catastrophic forest fire on the Guado al Tasso estate: in the early 20th century, a vast area of woodland on the estate was completely destroyed by fire. Ever since, the wine has told the story of this event in a poetic way – and of the reconstruction, which is also a symbol of perseverance, identity and the connection between the landscape and wine. Since its debut vintage in 2002, Guado al Tasso has used this wine to pursue the idea of an accessible Bolgheri red that remains true to its origins and terroir. The vines grow in the immediate vicinity of Bolgheri Superiore, and the wine is vinified with precision and an eye for balance.

Vigna Andrea is the centrepiece of Clelia Romano's work – a single-vineyard Taurasi, grown at an altitude of 500 metres on limestone and clay-rich soils near Lapio. Not a 'monumental' Taurasi, but a wine of profound intensity, dignity and ageing potential – a unique wine that rewards patience and interprets Aglianico in its finest form. A great southern Italian wine, far removed from any exaggeration, yet full of depth and substance.

A rosé brimming with finesse and freshness, in which tradition and modern harmony come together perfectly. In the glass, it displays a delicate peachy-pink colour with a light mousse. The bouquet entices with notes of ripe strawberry, raspberry, exotic flowers and a hint of brioche. On the palate, it is juicy, dry and finely structured: the subtle acidity carries the ripe fruit, the yeast character lends creaminess, whilst the finish is clean and lingering – with delicate minerality and an inner tension. A rosé with personality that works equally well as an aperitif or a dining companion – charming, vertical and stylish in its expression. SUPERIORE.DE

A commitment, not a compromise: whilst other Chianti producers have long since turned to international grape varieties, Castellare di Castellina remains true to the authentic formula. No Cabernet, no Merlot – just Sangioveto and Canaiolo, as tradition dictates. The grapes for this Riserva ripen in a natural amphitheatre near Castellina, on limestone and galestro at an altitude of between 350 and 400 metres. Fifteen months in French oak, followed by a further fifteen in the bottle – enough time to develop character without obscuring the wine's origins.

Until 2012, this wine bore the name of the estate itself – passopisciaro. However, when Andrea Franchetti began to vinify his best individual vineyards separately in 2008, he renamed the basic Etna Rosso: Passorosso. A blend from different altitudes and contrade – from Malpasso to Guardiola and Santo Spirito –which shows the full range of what Nerello Mascalese can achieve on Mount Etna. The higher vineyards lie on coarse-grained lava gravel, the lower ones on finer, oxidised lava powder: each layer contributes to the complexity of this wine. 80 to 110-year-old vines, fermented in steel tanks, matured for 18 months in large neutral wooden barrels and concrete tanks, bottled unfiltered.

Collepiano (gentle hills) is what Marco Caprai calls the vineyards where his vision took shape at the end of the 1980s: to restore the Sagrantino, this ancient Umbrian vine with the highest tannin content in the wine world, to its lost greatness. Not as a sweet passito behind monastery walls, but as a dry red wine of international calibre. What followed was a revolution: collaboration with the University of Milan, clone selection, high-density plantings – and, in 1996, the legendary "25 Anni", the Sagrantino that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones chose for their wedding. Collepiano comes from pure Sagrantino from the Val di Maggio vineyards. After the harvest, the must underwent temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by gentle extraction over ten to fourteen days. The cuvée matured for twenty-two months in French barriques and a further six months in the bottle – time that gave this tannin-rich wine structure and soul.

Pinot Grigio Unterebner is an exceptional wine: golden yellow in colour, with elegant aromas of blossom honey, lavender and tropical fruits. Delicate, buttery notes; very well-balanced and charismatic, with a long and full-bodied finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A limited-edition anniversary release featuring a special label to mark the birthday of the icon of modern Sicilian winemaking: 30 years of Planeta Chardonnay – and to celebrate the anniversary, the label is on fire. Not literally, but almost: "On Fire" is the title of the artwork by Claire Fontaine that adorns the 2024 vintage in a limited edition. The artist collective, founded in Paris in 2004 and based in Palermo since 2017 – whose work "Foreigners Everywhere" gave its name to the 2024 Venice Biennale – has transformed the flame emoji into a light sculpture: extracted from the digital realm, made physical, bewitchingly beautiful. The original hangs in Ulmo's Studiolo, just a few steps away from the Chardonnay vines. The special edition is available in 300 Jeroboams – and only one of the six 0.75-litre bottles per case bears the art label. The proceeds go towards "A Long and Magnificent Walk", a greening project in the archaeological park of Selinunte: a symbolic act against the fires that threaten Sicily every summer. Thus, an anniversary becomes a statement – and a Chardonnay becomes a manifesto.

La Grola is the eponymous, historic vineyard where Corvina, the indigenous grape of Valpolicella, is believed to have originated. The replanting of the vineyard by Giovanni Allegrini triggered an agronomic revolution and laid the foundations for the success of this wine-growing region, which today stands for convincing, great red wines from north-east Italy. With the 2022 vintage, La Grola returns to its origins: declared Valpolicella Classico Superiore DOC for the first time, it marks a new phase for this iconic wine from Allegrini. The cuvée of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella comes from the limestone terraces of the La Grola hill, exposed to the south-east and consistently selectively harvested. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is matured in barriques, some new, some used.

In 1970, Caparzo produced its first Brunello, at a time when there were just thirteen wineries in Montalcino – one of the appellation's historic estates. What continues to set Caparzo's Brunello apart to this day is the provenance of its Sangiovese grapes: The estate is one of the few in Montalcino to own vineyards spread across various geographical zones throughout the entire appellation. Rather than drawing from a single terroir, this Brunello combines the microclimates of four vineyards into a complex whole: "Caparzo" itself in the north at 220 metres, sandy-clay Pliocene sediments; "La Caduta" in the south-west at 300 metres, loose, stony sandstone-schist; "Il Cassero" in the south at 270 metres, Pliocene sediments with a sandy, stony and schistose matrix; and "San Piero-Caselle" in the east at 250 metres, sandy-clayey.

1976 was Paolo De Marchis's first year at Isole e Olena. He was 25; at that time, Chianti Classico was a wine that hardly anyone thought had a future, and the two medieval hamlets – Isole and Olena – were what his father Francesco had bought in 1956: two dilapidated farmsteads in the hills west of Castellina. Paolo stayed. For almost fifty years. What he made of this estate changed the history of Chianti Classico. He was one of the first to vinify Sangiovese separately, one of the first to bring the hillside terraces back into cultivation, and one of the first to take Sangiovese seriously as a single-varietal wine. His Cepparello – first bottled in 1980 – became one of Italy's benchmark wines. Emanuele Reolon, the new technical director at Isole e Olena, sums it up as follows: "Paolo brought the Piedmontese style to Tuscany. He treated Sangiovese like Nebbiolo." At the time, that was revolutionary. Today, it is dogma.

The grapes for this high-calibre Valpolicella Classico Superiore come from the rather barren, calcareous and terraced vineyards of Tenuta Novare above the Ognisanti church. Wines of greater complexity, perfect structure and higher concentration are produced here than in most other vineyards in Valpolicella. Sparkling ruby-garnet colour. Fragrant nose with wonderful overtones of sour cherry, dried flowers and white pepper. Perfectly balanced on the palate with firm tannins and wonderful spice and depth of fruit thanks to the ageing in wood. A superior, winning wine from the heart of the Valpolicella region. SUPERIORE.DE

Behind Noà is Cusumano's vision of a Sicilian red wine of international calibre, rooted in the barren highlands of Presti e Pegni near Monreale. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Nero d'Avola thrive on calcareous, stony soils at an altitude of around 300 metres – a place where the heat of the day and the coolness of the night allow a precise interplay of ripeness and freshness. In the glass, Noà is a dark ruby colour with violet hues. The bouquet reveals a complex composition of ripe blackcurrants, sour cherries, blackberries and dried plums, underpinned by notes of espresso, cedar wood, tobacco and dark cocoa. Powerful and structured on the palate with velvety tannins, a supple texture and the characteristic depth that comes from the volcanic terroir and the barrique-aged composition. The final is long, with hints of liquorice, herbs and mineral spice.

In 1991, the personal and professional relationship between Gianni Masciarelli and his wife, Marina Cvetic, gave rise to the range that still bears their name today. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva is their best-selling wine, available in 55 countries, and has played a key role in strengthening the reputation of this grape variety worldwide – today it is regarded as one of its most recognisable and distinctive expressions. The grapes come from four distinct vineyard sites around San Martino sulla Marrucina, at an altitude of 400 metres: Colle di Paolo, Fonte Filippo, Schiavone and Colle Rosina, on medium-textured clay soil, trained using the Guyot system, with vines aged between 15 and 30 years.

La Fabriseria comes across as an elegant, medium-bodied Amarone. Its intensity, tannin structure and density are hard to beat in this price range. Very juicy on the palate, full-bodied and soft, with notes of cherries, cardamom and cloves. And always with the elegant seriousness of the Tedeschi family's great flagship of the same name. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer has been a true benchmark for years and is also a wine that impresses with its ageing potential. A bright yellow colour with greenish highlights. Perfectly typical of the variety – complex and deep, yet also lively and fresh with lovely nuances. The bouquet offers a wide range of aromas, from rose blossom to smoke and oriental spices. On the palate, it flows with silky smoothness, velvety and spicy, with a long finish – magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

Since 1957, the Ghezzi family has been managing the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino – covering a total area of 530 hectares, 50 of which are planted exclusively with Sangiovese Grosso, on clay-limestone soils containing silt and fossil inclusions. From this sunny, warm site on the Ombrone river emerges a Brunello that combines the vigour of the south with the elegance of careful clone selection. 20 to 30 days of maceration, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of bottle ageing. The 2021 vintage is regarded as a classic, great 'annata': late frosts in April significantly reduced yields, whilst a warm but never overheated summer and two timely August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

For over 60 years, the Produttori del Barbaresco have stood for an uncompromising commitment to quality, supported by over 50 winegrowers who contribute their finest grapes from Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso to the cooperative. The Barbaresco 2022 is a prime example of collective precision and classic style: the Nebbiolo grapes come from selected municipal vineyards, some of which border the crus, on limestone and clay-rich soils. Vinification was carried out using traditional methods: extended maceration, ageing for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, followed by a further period of rest in the bottle.

A bold "statement wine" from the south-west coast of Sardinia: Barrua blends 85% Carignano with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – a powerful composition from old vines growing on calcareous sandy-loam soils close to the sea. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand, vinified separately and then aged for 18 months in French barriques. Following a period of rest in a concrete tank and several months' bottle ageing, the wine now displays impressive balance.

There are vintages that make history – and 2023 will be one such milestone for Valdicava. In a decision that prioritises pure perfection over commercial success, Vincenzo Abbruzzese made a choice that only a true purist can make: Not a single drop of the 2023 vintage will leave the estate as Brunello di Montalcino. Instead, the entire precious harvest from the legendary Montosoli vineyards will be channelled into a Rosso di Montalcino of historic significance. What would normally be considered "declassification" becomes a deliberate art form here. All the grapes from the famous vineyards, those that would normally be reserved for the celebrated Brunello and even the mythical Madonna del Piano Riserva, come together to create a Rosso that pushes the boundaries of its category.

Ben Ryé – Donnafugata's great, naturally sweet and world-famous white wine. The grape harvest begins in mid-August, and the grapes are left to dry naturally for 20 to 30 days. In September, the later-ripening grapes are harvested and processed whilst still fresh. The hand-picked, raisin-like berries are added to the must in several stages during fermentation. Pale orange-yellow in colour. Overwhelming aromas of apricot, peach and orange peel. On the palate, creamy notes of passion fruit and peach with impressive elegance and length. For us, one of Italy's finest sweet wines every year! SUPERIORE.DE