Wine

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.

It was 1988 when Bruno and Brigitte Widmer ventured a bold dream that would change the Tuscan wine world forever. Their Il Blu – named after the timeless blue label with orange capsule – became the icon of an entire generation of Supertuscans, a manifesto of modernity in the midst of centuries-old traditions. Today, after more than three decades of perfection, the organically certified Il Blu 2022 epitomises Barbara Widmer's visionary continuity. What once began as a Sangiovese-dominated cuvée has developed into an 80% Merlot blend with 10% each of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon thanks to the ever-growing complexity of the Merlot vines from Radda, now over thirty years old. Only the finest, hand-picked grapes for this exceptional wine come from the two Chianti estates in Castellina and Radda. The clay and galestro soils at an altitude of 230 to 400 metres, characterised by a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, give the grapes their characteristic intensity. The vinification follows a ritual of precision: each parcel, each grape variety matures individually for 18 months in French barriques – two thirds new, one third used barrels. Only then is the final blend made, followed by three months of refinement in uncoated concrete tanks and at least one year of ageing in the bottle.

The vineyards of the Löwengang estate in Margreid have been owned by the Lageder family since 1934. Here, on the rubble cone of ancient dolomite rock below steep cliffs, grape varieties such as Carménère and Cabernet find ideal conditions in the mild climate of the valley.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

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.

In a land of great red wines, creating a white wine that can compete with the Grands Crus of Burgundy – once seemed unthinkable. But Aldo Conterno dared to do it anyway. The name Bussiador means "golden Bussia", and that is exactly what this Chardonnay is: the golden version of the legendary cru vineyard of Monforte d'Alba, from which the great Barolo wines are normally made. Only 7,000 bottles are produced, although the winery could easily make 20,000 – but quality, not quantity, is what counts at Conterno. The vinification is a homage to Burgundy: hand-picked at the beginning of September, three to four days of maceration in stainless steel tanks, then the must is fermented in 100 per cent new French barriques with medium toast. The wine matures in wood for twelve months before being returned to the steel tank for a few months – a technique that gives the Bussiador its exceptional balance between power and elegance.

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

With its high location in the hills to the west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of the soil (with marl and fossils from Sant'Agata) and even the harvest times. The slow and careful ageing gives it a very delicate and ethereal bouquet with floral notes, wild mint and liquorice. "Bricco delle Viole is the vineyard that has taught us patience and naturally defines the style of our craft," says Aldo Vaira about this MGA. Graceful and austere at the same time, it has sweet violet and pomegranate flavours, is initially restrained in style, but not without complexity in depth. The attack is firm, with steely acidity and initially austere tannins, dusty and muscular. With further bottle ageing, this great Barolo will become even more impressive! SUPERIORE.DE

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

Intoxicating flavours of yellow fruits, pineapple, nutmeg and the faint memory of clove. An almost magical, bright sweetness on the palate, very complex and long. A great and extremely exciting Gewürztraminer from the registered single vineyard Vigna Kolbenhof. SUPERIORE.DE

Within the walls of history. The Castello di Bolgheri, built in 1796 and thus the oldest winery in Bolgheri, sits enthroned in the heart of the medieval village like a stone witness to great wine culture. While the world of wine underwent its revolutionary transformation around the Castello – sassicaia and Ornellaia wrote their legendary stories –a treasure lay dormant here that only awoke to its true destiny under Count Federico Zileri Dal Verme. The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot not only represents the art of blending, but also the philosophy of the house: finesse over power, elegance over opulence. While the best parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon underwent an exceptionally long maceration of 30 days – only possible in exceptional vintages –the wine matured for 20 months in traditional Italian vats and Liters barrels. This choice of large wooden barrels, a deliberate departure from the small barriques of its neighbours, gives the wine the crystalline purity and mineral depth that makes the Castello the "Château Margaux of Bolgheri".

In the gentle hills of Serdiana, where the Mediterranean sun meets ancient soils, a quiet revolution took place in the 1980s. Antonio Argiolas, patriarch of a family that has been connected to the Sardinian soil for generations, dared to do the unthinkable: he brought the legendary Giacomo Tachis, the creator of Sassicaia, to the island to realise the dream of a great Sardinian wine together. Turriga was born – not just as a wine, but as a manifesto for an entire region. The name itself tells a story: Turriga comes from the Sardinian dialect and refers to the characteristic watchtowers that have guarded the island's coastline for centuries. Like these stone sentinels overlooking the sea, this wine watches over the reputation of Sardinian oenology. This cuvée from various red Sardinian grape varieties comes from the best vineyards of Tenuta Turriga – a composition that combines Tachis' genius for blending with the authentic soul of Sardinia.

The name is history. Sapaio – an old Tuscan grape variety, long forgotten, but not its memory. When Massimo Piccin founded his winery in 1999, he chose this name as a sign of his deep connection to the terroir. A tribute to what was and a promise of what was to come. The vineyards extend over the municipalities of Bibbona and Castagneto Carducci, 40 hectares on quaternary deposits, from loose, coarse-grained sand deposits to alluvial soils with calcareous subsoil. Just ten kilometres from the sea, a microclimate that brings Bordeaux varieties to life. Since 2015, Piccin has been going his own way: instead of the prestigious Bolgheri Superiore DOCG, he deliberately chooses the free IGT Toscana, just to be able to add the handful of grapes from Bibbona that make Sapaio what it is today. Sometimes greatness means renouncing titles and regulations.

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