Wine

Montegrilli is a declaration of love to the Langhe terroir and a deliberately chosen distance from the house's Barolo style: no woody notes, instead the focus is on pure Nebbiolo purity. The grapes come from a vineyard of just 1.4 hectares in the Ravera zone near Novello. They ripen on sandy, calcareous soil under the sun of the southern slopes, in a microcosm that ensures immediate, elegant freshness. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, followed by eight months of ageing in steel.

A wine with history, personality and depth of character: Centovie is the centrepiece of a long-term project at the organically farmed Tenuta Centovie near Roseto degli Abruzzi. The 35 hectares of vineyards on the southern slope near Montipagano, with a view of the Gran Sasso, produce elegant Montepulciano, among other things – equipped with traditional training systems (pergola in long tendone and short cordon training) and an optimal microclimate.

Forcole is produced in a surprisingly small quantity for a Chianti Classico - just 15,000 bottles. The bouquet begins with a slender texture and aromas of wild berries, sour cherries, pressed violets and sweet earth. Supple, generous and inviting on the palate, it captures all the natural intensity of the vintage. Its attractive silky tannins and the rather darker and crispy-cool Sangiovese flavour profile of the Panzano region make it a great soloist as well as food companion. SUPERIORE.DE

In the Ligurian dialect, bansigu means vigour, verve and could not describe the character of this lively, typically Mediterranean red better. It is primarily made from Granaccia, an autochthonous grape that, together with Rossese, Barbera and Cinsault, ensures great juiciness and freshness.

The name already reveals the philosophy: DA-DI means "great earth" in Chinese – virginie Saverys' homage to the yin-yang principle that characterises her biodynamic work at Avignonesi. This experimental white wine from Cortona combines four indigenous grape varieties in just as many vinifications: Orpicchio matures in amphorae and used barriques, Vermentino exclusively in amphorae, Grechetto undergoes a six-day carbonic maceration, while Trebbiano macerates for 48 hours. After ageing on the fine lees, the components are assembled in the summer.

Every year, Istine's Chianti Classico is one of the most racy and authentic representatives of its genre. Its weightlessness and at the same time precision make up a large part of its appeal. A finely knit bouquet of red berries, flowers, chalk and white pepper. Medium-bodied on the palate, its fine fruit, creamy tannins and plenty of personality come to light with further aeration. A red wine that takes hearts by storm with its lively, dancing and extremely fine nerve! SUPERIORE.DE

From one of the region's most famous winegrowers, this sparkling wine from a single vineyard shows the serious side of Valdobbiadene. A single vineyard from the year 2000, located directly in front of the winery and therefore close to the village. San Floriano opens with delicate scents of white spring flowers and white stone fruit. The elegant, unobtrusive palate draws all the attention to itself and offers creamy white peach, ripe green apple and a hint of citrus - and all this together with an extremely refined perlage. Delicious! SUPERIORE.DE

Opposites attract – here they become a principle. Cristina Geminiani, whose feel for terroir is honed not least by daily dialogue with her husband Alessandro Masnaghetti, has created a wine that celebrates contradiction with Antitesi: Merlot meets Sangiovese, 60 to 40, two vineyards whose soils and exposures could not be more different. And a vinification process that treats the two varieties separately – the Merlot classically in steel tanks, the Sangiovese dried using the appassimento method. The result is not a compromise, but a synthesis.

Here comes a wonderful Barbera from selected parcels in the Barolo and Barbaresco communes. After the cool, parcel-by-parcel harvest, the musts are fermented in stainless steel; the Barbera then matures classically in French oak – mainly in large barrels, with a smaller proportion in barriques – to refine the texture and keep the varietal fruit clear. Bright ruby red in colour with a violet rim. Juicy cherry, plum and blackberry on the nose, underpinned by violets, a hint of liquorice and delicate spice. Fresh and supple on the palate: powerful, pure fruit, lively, well-integrated acidity and fine tannins ensure balance and flow. The finishing touches from the wood ageing remain skilfully in the background. A classic Barbera d'Alba full of character that combines versatility and origin – immediately accessible, with reserves for the coming years. SUPERIORE.DE

One of the best rosati in Lazio, only 2,800 bottles are filled: The grapes for the rare Sorèlle come from Cotarella's younger Merlot vineyards and the historic Aleatico vineyard. The grapes, which are pressed at different times, are left in the press at a temperature of 10°C for two hours after destemming. This allows the flavours to be fixed and their characteristics to be brought out to the full. Once alcoholic fermentation is complete, the wine remains in steel tanks in contact with its fine lees. Only then is it blended. Salmon pink in colour, a bouquet of roses and blueberries full of character. Perfect structure on the palate, good acidity, a firm wine with excellent texture and persistence. SUPERIORE.DE

When you start afresh on Etna, you don't start small. In 2016, Davide Rosso acquired fourteen hectares in Solicchiata, at the foot of the extinct small crater Montedolce on the north-eastern slope of the volcano – at 730 to 750 metres, in a microclimate that immediately brought to mind the Langhe precision with which he grew up: cool nights, strong temperature amplitudes, mineral-rich lava sand soils, constant ventilation. "Contrade Nuove" – the new sites – stands for the estate's younger Carricante vines, cultivated as Alberello in a north-north-easterly exposure. They represent a different tone to the old vines of the main cuvée: livelier, more direct, with a freshness and accessibility that makes the terroir of Montedolce immediately recognisable. 100% Carricante. Spontaneous fermentation at low temperatures in stainless steel for 15 to 20 days. Then five months sur lie with weekly bâtonnage – no wood, no intervention, just the volcano with its soil and climate.

A top-class Falanghina that is immediately and uncompromisingly inviting: juicy and aromatic, with ripe fruit and mineral freshness in fine harmony. The Montefredane (Irpinia) vineyard provides calcareous and clay-rich soils, and the 2022 vintage benefited from moderate temperatures and a cool ripening phase – good conditions for finesse and acidity structure. Matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks, the wine appears unadulterated and varietally typical in expression. Bright, pale straw yellow in the glass – clear and transparent. The bouquet is fine and appealing: white flowers, yellow peach, citrus zest, complemented by fruity notes of pear and fine herbal tones. A delicate spiciness and salty minerality round off the bouquet. SUPERIORE.DE

In the sun-drenched hills of Castelnuovo Berardenga, where Fèlsina has been one of the undisputed stars of Chianti Classico since 1966, the Poggiali family is writing another story: that of a world-class Tuscan Chardonnay. I Sistri – named after the traditional rattling instruments of the ancient mystery cults – epitomises the experimental passion that led Fèlsina to plant French Chardonnay clones on the nearby Farnetella vineyard back in the early 1980s. Between the Ombrone river and the Poggiolo farm, various plots with different clones, rootstocks and soil formations produce the grapes that have formed the heart of I Sistri since 1987.

Smooth Nebbiolo that shows the clear signature of Giovanni Rosso: This Langhe Nebbiolo presents itself in a bright garnet red with a ruby-coloured rim as an elegant companion with a presence of origin. The naturally cultivated vines are rooted in calcareous and clayey soils around Serralunga d'Alba. The bouquet reveals delicate notes of violets, red wild berries, white rose and a hint of dried herbs – wonderfully balanced between freshness and depth. The palate reveals a fine, supple body: lively acidity, gentle tannins and a fine mineral vein that accompanies the finish with clarity and elegance. A young Nebbiolo with youthful agility and plenty of charm – a lively picture of the terroir in youthful form. SUPERIORE.DE

La Caduta epitomises an exception to the rule – here Caparzo shows that a Rosso di Montalcino can be far more than just the "little brother" of Brunello. The winery has been vinifying grapes from this exceptional single vineyard separately since 1983, creating a cru that has set new standards for the Rosso category. La Caduta is not just a geographical name, but a statement: this wine proves that exceptional terroir can also produce wines of remarkable depth and complexity in the younger DOC category. The La Caduta vineyard stretches over 7.5 hectares in the western zone of Montalcino at an altitude of 300 metres – the highest site in the Caparzo portfolio. The terroir is characterised by slate-sandy soil with a loose structure and a high proportion of skeleton, which is fundamentally different from the other Caparzo sites. This geological peculiarity, combined with the exposed southern exposure, creates a unique microclimate that lends the Sangiovese a special minerality and freshness that would be intensified in classic Brunello maturation.

Lagrein is the great autochthonous red wine variety of South Tyrol – and at Tiefenbrunner it finds ideal conditions. The grapes come from the slopes of Entiklar and Margreider Leiten, at an altitude of 220 to 350 metres, where limestone gravel soils from moraine deposits provide mineral depth. Some of the vines were planted back in 1967 – experience you can taste. Maceration in stainless steel is followed by malolactic fermentation, after which the wine matures for eight months in large and small wooden barrels. The result: a Lagrein that combines power with elegance.

A charismatic representative from the Alba region: this Barbera reflects the diversity of the Vajra vineyards – a spirited expression of the grape variety, vinified with attention to detail and many years of biodynamic expertise. The colour in the glass is a bright ruby red with a violet hue. An elegant bouquet of fresh cherries, fine spicy notes and a floral touch on the nose – delicate violet accents included. This wine simply smells of lively freshness and archetypal Barbera characteristics. On the palate, it reveals a juicy fruit structure, supported by a balanced, lively acidity and softly framed tannins. The ageing in stainless steel preserves the varietal purity, the natural flavours and provides an invigorating freshness. The finish is slightly spicy and persistent with an elegant aftertaste. A Piedmontese all-rounder for everyday enjoyment: charming, clear as a bell and highly drinkable – a stylish statement for uncomplicated enjoyment! SUPERIORE.DE

The trilogy is complete: after Core Rosso (since 2011) and Core Bianco (since 2015), Silvia Imparato is finalising her homage to Campania's great grape varieties with the first Core Rosato 2025. Core – neapolitan for heart, for love – also comes from the volcanic vineyards of the Sannio near Benevento, where tuff, volcanic ash and limestone give the Aglianico a unique minerality. Short skin contact, then vinified like a white wine under the direction of Riccardo Cotarella.

What the Carricante is for white wines, the Nerello Mascalese is for red wines on Etna: a grape variety that is not so clearly moulded by any other terroir in the world. Thin-skinned, light-coloured, low in tannin – fragile at first glance. At second glance: precise to the bone. The younger Nerello Mascalese vines from the Contrada Montedolce form the basis of the Contrade Nuove – direct, accessible, with the fresh character that the northern slope climate at 730 to 750 metres almost inevitably produces. The warm summer of 2022 gave the wine a little more texture and dark fruit than usual – the timely rain in autumn kept it fresh. Davide Rosso vinifies with a kit that is unusual by Etna standards: amphorae for oxygen contact, conical oak barrels and stainless steel. Giovanni's deliberate way of breaking the reduction tendency of the Nerello without sacrificing fruit and minerality.

Ruby red in colour with a violet hue. Ripe cherry, blackberry and violet on the nose, with a hint of herbal spice. Juicy, fresh and precise on the palate, carried by fine tannins and lively, pure-toned fruit. The pure stainless steel maturation reinforces the varietal character. Winemaker Chiara Boschis is considered a pioneer of organic winegrowing in Piedmont – her tireless, quality-driven work and likeable personality characterise each of her wines. SUPERIORE.DE