Wine

A Friulian wine with a subtle French accent: Tunella's Chardonnay combines the purity of the Colli Orientali terroir with hints of Burgundian elegance. The vines grow on Ponca soil on a gentle slope, which gives the wine precision and structure. A light golden yellow colour with greenish reflections in the glass. White flowers, yellow apple, a little roasted hazelnut and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Harmonious on the palate, with a creamy texture, fine acidity and subtle minerality. A well-balanced, charming Chardonnay with a clear expression of origin and stylish depth. SUPERIORE.DE

Le Ragnaies Troncone Rosso is a pure Sangiovese that interprets the fruit beautifully and in all its spiciness and red berry flavour. Notes of dried cherries and nutmeg in the glass, along with wild berries and redcurrants. The first sip is a warm potpourri of red fruits and a racy blend of piquant acidity, minerals and spices. The finish is long and grippy, but also delicious and fresh, with savoury berry and mineral notes and a slight tannic kick. On the finish, the pure fruit provides plenty of drinkability, freshness and savouriness. Very successful! SUPERIORE.DE

Pietra nera – black stone. This is the name of the introduction to the world of Piaggia, the small winery in Carmignano founded by Mauro Vannucci in the 1970s and now run by his daughter Silvia. Carmignano, the forgotten DOCG at the gates of Florence, where Cabernet has been permitted in blends since the Medici era – centuries before the Super Tuscans were invented. Pietranera shows this tradition in small format: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Franc. Fermented with natural yeasts, eighteen to twenty days on the skins, then only three months in used barriques – just enough to smooth the edges, not enough to let the wood taste.

As an introduction to the world of Gulfi, Rossojbleo is a restrained Nero d'Avola full of character. The grapes come from organic farming in the heart of southern Sicily – very close to Noto and Ragusa, on ancient hills characterised by limestone and clay soils. Here, deep origin and precise acidity combine to create a charming red wine full of transparency. Ruby in colour with delicate violet reflections. The aromatic freshness attracts the nose with red sour and wild berries, subtle herbal notes and a mineral flavour. Convincing on the palate with its balanced proportions: Juicy fruit, lively acidity, light spice and delicate, soft tannins – everything seems light as a feather, but the flavour is clear and harmonious. The finish is delicately savoury, elegant and immediately prepares you for the next sip. SUPERIORE.DE

Fragrant charmer with depth: "Valmasìa" is made from Malvasia Istriana, which grows on the typical Ponca soils of the Colli Orientali. The terroir gives the wine an animating freshness and fine minerality. Pale straw yellow with a greenish tinge in the glass. On the nose, floral notes of orange blossom, ripe pear and nutmeg, accompanied by a hint of herbal tea. Fragrant and lively on the palate, with a gentle texture, delicate spiciness and an elegant, dry finish. A versatile, characterful white wine with a Mediterranean soul - ideal with antipasti, fish or risotto with herbs. SUPERIORE.DE

Radda in Chianti is one of the coolest municipalities in the appellation. Here, at an altitude of 400 metres, where dense forests surround the vineyards and stone-walled country lanes run through the hills, Sangiovese thrives in ideal conditions. The strong day-night temperature fluctuations give the grapes the freshness and aromatic clarity that make Radda wines unmistakable. Castello di Radda has been cultivating its vineyards in a fully certified organic way since 2020, with each parcel vinified separately and only brought together at the time of blending. The cuvée of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo is destemmed after manual harvesting and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Maceration on the skins lasts two to three weeks – this is made possible by the perfect physiological ripeness of the grapes. Malolactic fermentation takes place in both steel and wood before the wine matures partly in 500-litre Liters and partly in 20-hectolitre French and Slavonian oak barrels. Several months of bottle ageing round off the harmonious development.

Brilliant and intense straw yellow colour with bright reflections. Fine citrus fruit, white-fleshed fruit and wild flowers on the nose, followed by a hint of herbs, then slightly spicy and very elegant. Elegance, longevity and freshness on the palate with a return of the bouquet flavours and a great spiciness, ending with the minerality characteristic of the Pecorino grape variety, simply delicious! SUPERIORE.DE

This great Chardonnay comes from the Kleinstein estate in Signat near Bolzano. Bright yellow in colour with green reflections, a wonderfully fruity bouquet with aromas of apple, pineapple and banana. The typical flavour of a fresh Chardonnay on the palate: clear, elegant, full and pleasantly dry, with a long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

If Pecchenino is traditionally known for its great Dolcetto and Barolo, the Maestro reveals another facet of this family winery: the ability to give Chardonnay at 700 metres above sea level in the Alta Langa a form of expression that combines freshness with elegance. Since 1994, this wine has been produced from the vineyards around Bossolasco, where the Piedmontese hills rise up towards the Ligurian Apennines. Here, on medium-heavy soils with a high proportion of limestone and clay, the Chardonnay benefits from a south-easterly exposure and the cool climate that ensures pronounced acidity and aromatic intensity. After the harvest at the beginning of September, the chilled grapes are gently pressed, the must is naturally decanted and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Maturation takes place partly on the fine lees in steel and partly in barriques.

If any wine has made an appellation world-famous, it is this one: Santa Cristina comes from the Vigneto Massoni, Zenato's oldest and most historic vineyard, which is regarded as the greatest site in the entire Lugana region. Here, on the calcareous and clayey moraine soils south of Lake Garda, Trebbiano di Lugana reaches its most elegant expression. The vines at Podere Massoni benefit from an ideal southern exposure: optimal sunshine during the day and cool nights from the lake. After gentle pressing, the must ferments for 15–20 days at a controlled 16–18°C, followed by five months of ageing in stainless steel and further bottle ageing.

Sauvignon bianco doesn't come from here. And that was never a problem – on the contrary. The variety from the Bordelais has long since found a second home in the hilly locations of the Collio Goriziano: The windy slopes, the marly soils of Eocene origin, the cool nights between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic Sea – all this forms a Sauvignon that has nothing in common with Loire or Nouvelle-Zélande. It's simply Friulian. Mario Schiopetto knew this. He had travelled Europe, learned precision in German cellars, elegance in France and elegance in Capriva del Friuli – and in Capriva del Friuli turned both into something of his own. His Sauvignon bianco was one of his early passions. The Pompiere version that Emilio and Alessandro Rotolo bottle today is the direct, accessible interpretation: hand-picked at the beginning of September, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, a few months on the lees.

Castelnuovo Berardenga marks the southernmost tip of the Chianti Classico, where the gentle hills of the historic centre merge into the austere beauty of the Crete Senesi. Here, on south-facing slopes at an altitude of 280 metres, the Sangiovese finds the warmth that gives it fullness without losing its lively acidity. Poggio Bonelli presses its Chianti Classico as a genuine expression of this grape variety: 90 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by a small proportion of other red varieties. After temperature-controlled fermentation and ten days of maceration, the wine matures for ten months in French oak barrels.

Light yellow in colour. The nose reveals an elegant richness of yellow apple, peach, almond and fine floral aromas. On the palate, invigorating freshness meets recognisable origin: citric acidity, delicate finesse and a salty, mineral final that underlines the special character of this vineyard. A pure Cortese, matured for three months in stainless steel tanks – precise, clear and with stylistic lightness. Gavi del Comune di Gavi is not a mainstream white wine, but a charming and authentic short dialogue with the core area of the famous Gavi region. SUPERIORE.DE

Anyone who understands Ribolla Gialla understands Friuli. The variety is old, unique and uncompromising – it gives the best of itself on poor soils and does not forgive any laziness in the cellar. It is no coincidence that the small vineyard around the archbishop's castle in Capriva del Friuli is still home to Ribolla Gialla today: as a silent commitment to the regional identity of the house. The soils of the Schiopetto vineyards – flysch, called "Ponca" in Friulian, from marine sediments of Eocene origin – are the ideal terrain: poor, stony, draining. The vine has to fight, and this fight shapes the character. Harvest at the end of September, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short ageing in steel – the technique takes a back seat, the fruit takes centre stage.

The three sisters from Fittà: Meri, Valentina and Alessandra Tessari have turned the winery founded by their parents Giovanni and Rosetta in 1982 into one of the most respected addresses in Soave Classico. Suavia is the Germanic origin of "Soave" – the name says it all. While their neighbours from the flatlands have long since bowed to industrial pressure, the sisters cultivate exclusively the autochthonous Garganega and Trebbiano di Soave grape varieties on twelve hectares at an altitude of 300 metres. Their vineyards are located on the volcanic hills of Fittà, on copper-red, black and grey soils full of basalt and other volcanic rock. Here, where 50-year-old vines thrive on mineral-rich subsoil, wines of unmistakable expressiveness are produced.

South Tyrol's autochthonous king grape variety finds its ancestral terroir on the permeable gravel and crushed stone soils of the Bolzano valley floor at 250 metres. Here, where "Lagrinum" was first mentioned in a document as early as 1379, Lagrein thrives in its heartland – the warm, sun-drenched vineyards around Gries with their extreme day-night temperature fluctuations. The traditional mash fermentation in stainless steel with controlled fermentation and gentle mash movement, followed by malolactic fermentation and six months of ageing in large oak barrels, gives Rubeno its characteristic structure and elegance.

While the Blanc des Rosis brings together four grape varieties, the Friulano speaks only for itself. That is intentional. Because Friulano – the historic grape variety that Mario Schiopetto was the first to bottle pure and unblended in 1965 – needs no company. It is Friuli. The vineyards of Capriva del Friuli lie on Eocene clay and marl: soils that impart minerality and a cool, herbaceous depth to the grapes. Harvest by hand in the second and third decade of August, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, eight months on the lees – no wood, no effort that would distract the wine from itself.

Re Manfredi is a masterpiece made from the indigenous Aglianico grape variety. Its label is emblazoned with the coat of arms of the ruling house of Emperor Frederick the Hohenstaufen, who was at home here. Deep ruby red in colour, fragrant, intense and multi-layered bouquet, rich fruit, robust structure, fine tannins and clean, pleasant bitter tones in harmony, very dense, elegant, spicy and complex with a subtle woody note. A wonderful, characteristic red! SUPERIORE.DE

Here comes the Vermentino for demanding and everyday life at the same time. Is Argiolas is the melody of the Sardinian coast – a white protagonist, elegant and multi-layered. The grapes come from sandy, chalky hills around Selegas (single vineyard), where they develop mineral depth in the granite subsoil. After cool fermentation, the wine matures on the fine lees in stainless steel – a concept of clarity without compromise.

Mozart knew what he was doing. In the second act of Don Giovanni, his hero calls for wine – and it is the Marzemino that he desires: "Eccellente Marzemino!" It was to be his last indulgence before his just punishment. The variety, which is related to Refosco and Teroldego, has lost little of its seductive power since then. Maculan cultivates it in Fara Vicentino, on a vineyard called Cornorotto – volcanic tuff hills, mineral-rich soil. The grapes are lightly dried for a week before being placed in steel tanks – a quiet trick that brings concentration and depth without heaviness.