Wine

Back then, a dowry changed everything. In 1929, a triangular plot of land changed hands – not through purchase, but through marriage. Since then, Montefico has belonged to the Roagna family, longer than any other vineyard in their portfolio. Almost a century later, this quarter of a hectare remains the most intimate chapter in their history. In the Piedmontese dialect, this plot is known as "Mont der fi" – the hill over there, towards Neive. The small triangle lies exactly in the centre of the amphitheatre, at 230 metres, overlooking the neighbouring village. The soils, consisting of calcareous marl with a high proportion of active limestone, are among the oldest in Barbaresco – the result of seventy million years of marine sedimentation. The vines, all over 50 years old, are deeply rooted in this history. Of the family's four "Vecchie Viti", Montefico is the one with the most intense bouquet.

Beguiling aroma of sweet, dark berries with hints of cassis, cedar and antique leather. Very balanced on the palate, of beautiful viscosity with an elegant melting. Fine-meshed tannin, restrained mineral tones and a wonderfully polished fruit accompany into a remarkable finish. For all its elegance, it shows pressure and power and, with the right dose of acidity, promises a long life and almost reaches the level of its famous big brother. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the profound Le Vigne come from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (for the power), Villero in Castiglione Falletto (for the precision), Vignane in Barolo (for the purity of the flavours) and Merli in Novello (for the fullness of the fruit). It opens wide with aromas of fresh red fruit and a delicate spicy note. Very intense on the palate, remarkably elegant, fine-grained tannins, extremely clear, structured and long. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that define regions. Gaja's Barbaresco is one of them. It has been produced since 1859, over five generations, and in all these decades it has remained what it always was: the calling card, the brand ambassador, the essence of what Barbaresco means. While the single-vineyard wines – sorì San Lorenzo, Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi – show virtuosity, it is this classic Barbaresco that captures the soul of the terroir. It is the sum of fourteen vineyards spread across the municipalities of Barbaresco and Treiso, each parcel a mosaic stone in the big picture.

Serradenari is the highest Barolo vineyard, majestically situated above La Morra at around 520 metres. The limestone-rich marl sea, interspersed with tuff and clay subsoil, provides an expressiveness that is both peculiarly clear and exciting at the same time. Giulia Negri works this parcel with an almost Burgundian focus: close to nature, spontaneous fermentation and careful ageing – 30 months in generous tonneaux, leaving the structure intact with minimal intervention. The 2021 vintage, sophisticated and elegant, fascinates with its cool, precise fruit – fresh and vibrant, matured over cool nights, this Nebbiolo is clear yet deep.

Marco Bacci's Brunello Riserva from the dream vintage 2016 presents itself full and generous on the nose. Cascades of violet and black fruits wash over the senses with black cherry, blackberry jam and smoked tobacco. The opulent overall impression is completed with a hint of bitter almond and suptile notes of smoke and nuts. These give the wine a deep and dark character. Very well structured on the palate and built for a long life with its well-formed acidity-tannin framework. SUPERIORE.DE

Spineda is an exceptional Merlot selection produced in honour of the Treviso family that began developing the Venegazzù area in the 1500s, where the very first Merlot was cultivated in Italy. The grapes come from a 2-hectare plot which, thanks to its soil and location, careful soil cultivation and extremely low yields, produces fruit of exceptional elegance. The label is a reminder of the deep connection with the territory and shows a section of a 19th century Napoleonic map of the Spineda lands with the vineyards and the rustic outbuildings that are still an integral part and centrepiece of the Conte Loredan Gasparini winery today.

The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 is a fully impressive creation with a unique and interesting interpretation of this classic vintage. The wine is bold and bright, with great intensity that accompanies it from start to finish. Dark cherry and blackberry flavours stand in balanced contrast to layers of spice, cumin and cardamom. Despite its intensity and richness, this Riserva is very balanced and never oversteps its bounds. The same applies to the mouthfeel. On the palate, it offers a dense, rich texture with complex fruit flavours and bright acidity. The 2019 vintage is once again an exceptional wine from this incredibly ambitious winery! SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Elena is a Ravera parcel of 1 hectare in size. Just 5,000 bottles of Cogno's famous Riserva come from here every year. The Vigna Elena 2019 has just the right balance between fruit and wood, which is often a real challenge in this category. The rather bright bouquet has red fruits and nuances of truffle, ash, dried citrus peel and pressed flowers. Elegant, brooding and powerful, as only a great Barolo can be, Vigna Elena possesses a wealth of nuances and dimensions from the very first sip. Exotic spice and orange peel notes, followed later by ripe raspberries, mocha and autumn leaves. The Vigna Elena 2019 is an absolute delight. SUPERIORE.DE

Gambero Rosso named the Giodo Brunello 2020 "The best red wine in Italy in 2026", and the reasoning reads like a silent tribute: "The sum of his experience with Sangiovese, his first love." His daughter Bianca Ferrini added what is behind the wine: "It is the first vintage in the new cellar, the first chapter together with my father."

In Andrea Cortonesi's own words, 2019 was the first vintage since the legendary 1990 that gave him the feeling that everything was in balance. A slow start to vegetation after a rainy winter, a summer without heat peaks, even ripening until September. Harvest from 25 September – clean, healthy, concentrated. Already a stroke of luck for the Annata. For the Riserva: a perfect invitation. But not every vintage becomes a Riserva. And not every grape in the best vintage. Cortonesi only uses the oldest vines for the Riserva – planted in 1975, back when the word Brunello was hardly known outside Montalcino. Seven hectares, spread over sites between 150 and 350 metres in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, calcareous-clayey soils with marl and mineral structure. What grows here has decades of life in it.

Ornellaia has always sought more. More depth in its red wine, more expression of the terroir, more precision in its selection. But at some point, the question arose: what if all this were translated into a white wine? A white wine from Bolgheri, that coastal region which taught the world that Tuscany is more than just Sangiovese? Ornellaia Bianco is the answer. "Italy's most ambitious white wine", according to the estate itself. No modest claim. Sauvignon Blanc, exclusively. Three small plots in Bellaria, north-facing – an unusual choice in a Mediterranean climate. The cool aspect protects the aromas, prolongs ripening and preserves the freshness that distinguishes a great white wine from a merely pleasant one. Sandy loam soils on limestone, 130 metres above sea level. 13 hectares of white wine in a winery that focuses on 80 hectares of red.

Above the Quintarelli family home in Negrar, north of Verona, lies a purpose-built, ventilated loft. Here, on special racks, the carefully selected, flawless grapes dry for four months, whilst the water within them evaporates naturally and the aromas concentrate inexorably. It is a process that cannot be rushed – and one that the Quintarelli family only dares to undertake in exceptional vintages. Corvina and Corvinone form the backbone of the blend, accounting for a good half of the total, complemented by Rondinella and small proportions of other varieties, which vary slightly from vintage to vintage. Pressing takes place traditionally around Christmas time, and the wine ferments to a largely dry finish – unlike many sweeter interpretations of Amarone. It is then aged for seven years in large Slavonian oak barrels, in the cellars that the family dug directly into the hillside beneath their house, surrounded by their own vineyards.

At Quintarelli, the release of magnum bottles also follows a relentless logic: what matures in 1.5 Litersneeds more time. The 2017 Amarone in standard bottles came onto the market in 2024 – after seven years of barrel ageing. The magnum will only be released now, in 2025, one year later, as the wine develops more slowly, more deeply and with greater inner harmony in the large format. The 2017 marks one of those exceptional vintages that Giuseppe "Bepi" Quintarelli's heirs deemed worthy of becoming Amarone. The cuvée of 55% Corvina and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Croatina and Sangiovese undergoes the legendary ritual: five months of appassimento until the end of January, deliberate promotion of botrytis, 20 days of maceration, 45 days of slow fermentation with wild yeasts, then seven years in large Slavonian oak barrels. This process takes on an additional dimension in the magnum.

Barbaresco Sorì Tildìn is a fabulous, incredibly complete wine that rises from the glass with an explosive structure and vertical lift. The tannins are very present, but also beautifully matched by the aromatic intensity and overall drive of the wine. Dark macerated cherry, spice, leather, liquorice, plum and mocha add darker nuances. All elements are impeccably balanced. It is quite simply a majestic wine of true greatness and absolute class, but it is not obvious. The true essence of Nebbiolo! SUPERIORE.DE

A monument of wine! Brilliant dark ruby colour. Fresh, silky, elegant - and majestic. Blackberry jam, violets, bittersweet chocolate, plus crushed rock and minerality. An opulent wine with fabulously polished tannins and considerable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

At the time, Marco Dal Forno initially held back his Amarone from the 2016 vintage – he released the 2017 vintage earlier because 2016 was not yet ready. At Dal Forno Romano, the wine determines the schedule. This is all the more true for the large formats: they are released three years after the 0.75-litre bottle – i.e. another three years later than an already later release. What this means for 2016 can be felt in the glass. Created under conditions that demand everything in the Val d'Illasi: three months of appassimento in the well-ventilated drying rooms of the Lodoletta, controlled fermentation in steel tanks with computer-controlled pump-overs, new barriques made from French and American wood, then the large format that requires hours of aeration – that needs hours of aeration before it begins to open.

A monument of wine! Brilliant dark ruby colour. Fresh, silky, elegant - and majestic. Blackberry jam, violets, bittersweet chocolate, plus crushed rock and minerality. An opulent wine with fabulously polished tannins and considerable ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

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

Elegant and complex: Guado al Tasso with a warm-toned bouquet and an abundance of fruit that is just as impressive 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 cardamom. Very juicy on the attack and on the palate, with a lot of sweet melting flavour, interwoven, dense tannins, supple and elegant, very long finish. An excellent wine that offers maximum drinking pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

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

When a winery like Siro Pacenti meets a vintage like 2016 – one of the style-defining vintages in the history of modern Brunello –then you can confidently ask yourself what this wine is not yet capable of. Cool nights in September, excellent tannin ripeness, a season that forced no compromises and still gave concentration: 2016 was a year of precision, not abundance. And precision is what Giancarlo Pacenti has stood for for decades. The one and a half hectares of the oldest vines in Pelagrilli – planted at the end of the 1960s, beginning of the 1970s, massively selected, never renewed – yielded grapes of exceptional density and balance in 2016. Double hand-picking, fermentation in steel, 24 months in barrique, then bottle ageing.

The Lilium Soldera blooms in the botanical garden of Case Basse. A variety that was named after its founder because when it first bloomed, the grower thought of the flavour of a wine that had given him an unforgettable moment. No coincidence: Gianfranco Soldera was never just a winegrower. He was a botanist, a naturalist, a visionary – one who believed that wine in its purest form is a reflection of the entire biodiversity of a place. The bees, the flowers, the insects, the soil: All part of a single system that ultimately culminates in a bottle.

Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 2020 is a wine for the ages, which needs 10 to 15 years in the bottle to really mature. Sorì San Lorenzo is often a great, virile wine. The 2020 has a lot of power, but at the same time you also find refinement and certain nuances that Sorì San Lorenzo has rarely, if ever, shown. Black cherry, cloves, menthol, liquorice, gravel and incense are just some of the many aromas and flavours that meld together in this dramatic and dramatically beautiful Barbaresco from the Gaja family. Sorì San Lorenzo 2020 literally explodes on the finish with an abundance of mouth watering aromas, flavours and textures. An outrageously beautiful, vibrant wine with real gravitas and power. SUPERIORE.DE