Wine

The name is derived from "Avenal", the Etruscan name of the area from which the grapes originate. It thus epitomises the ancient culture present in the San Felice area. Complex and persistent bouquet of citrus fruits, white flowers with clear notes of straw and acacia. The palate combines balanced freshness with a pleasant softness. This wonderful interpretation of Chardonnay with small amounts of Sauvgnon and Semilion goes perfectly with starters and light first courses, white meat and sushi. SUPERIORE.DE

Lamole. Giovanni Manetti has long regarded this zone as one of the most distinctive in Chianti Classico. At an altitude of 620 metres, far from the heart of the region, a few plots of old Sangiovese vines survived the wave of deforestation in the 1970s. Giovanni took cuttings from these Alberello vines from the 1920s to grow his own vines in Panzano: the foundation for Fontodi's quality. This wine is made from seven hectares of Macigno sandstone, whose loose, permeable structure ensures elegance and finesse. Cool nights, long growing season, south-south-west exposure. The sandy soils give the Sangiovese a lightness that is clearly different from the powerful wines from Panzano. Vinification in concrete, certified organic.

Bright ruby colour with purple reflections. The vintage reveals a fresh yet concentrated bouquet: juicy cherries, red plums, violet blossom and a hint of freshly crushed almonds. On the palate, it is firmer than the basic Dolcetto, with concise fruit, clear, present acidity and a dense, fine tannin that gives it exceptional balance. The Falletto di Serralunga d'Alba site is unmistakably characterised by its mineral backbone and noble texture – a serious Dolcetto that brings its terroir to the glass with aplomb and can develop over the years. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2017, Stefano Pola was proposed to plant a vineyard in the heart of the beautiful area of the Belluno Dolomites, more precisely about 9 hectares in the Valbelluna area on a well-exposed high plateau at about 650 metres above sea level. The soil here is medium-heavy with calcareous deposits typical of mountain regions. Some layers contain solidified sands that form sandstone, and in other areas marls, i.e. old clays, are exposed. The soil structure is very stony, which provides good drainage and aeration conditions. The high lime content gives the wines a distinct olfactory finesse.

Santa Cecilia is Planeta's Nero d'Avola icon – born in the barren, sun-baked cultural landscape of Noto, on white limestone soils that give the variety depth, elegance and saltiness. A dense ruby red colour with a purple core in the glass. The bouquet opens with ripe black cherry, plum and mulberry, flanked by balsamic herbs, black tea, some liquorice and a fine graphite note. Powerful on the palate, but never overpowering: dense, ripe fruit meets a firm tannin structure that is well integrated and lends length. The acidity is precisely set, the finish is long and carried by a salty nuance that reflects the terroir of Contrada Buonivini. An expressive, high-class Nero d'Avola with a profile of origin, character and an ageing process that enhances rather than masks the variety. For Planeta, it has been a reference and expression of a new, confident Sicily for years. SUPERIORE.DE

The Vigna del Rolat vineyard – barely two hectares in size – lies on the south-eastern slopes of Monte Quarin. There, where the view extends over the gentle waves of the Collio as far as Slovenia. Here, on the fossilised marl soils of the Ponca, Friulano has been growing for generations. The grape variety that defines the Collio like no other. Dario Raccaro is not a man of big words. His family has been cultivating these slopes since 1928, and nothing has changed in his philosophy over the decades: The vineyard speaks, the winemaker translates. The Vigna del Rolat is considered by connoisseurs to be one of the most important single vineyards in the Collio, and the Friulano produced from it has the class that recently led Daniele Cernilli from Doctor Wine to name it the best white wine in Italy. It is a wine that lingers.

Feudi di San Gregorio's DUBL project was born in 2004 out of an awareness of the great richness of the indigenous vines of the Irpinia region and the desire to open up new horizons for them: as Metodo Classico Spumante or by means of the famous Méthode Champenoise. A consultant was quickly found for this - none other than Anselme Selosse, who is known for his champagnes and his flair for the specialities of the vines and vineyards.

There are wines that possess that unmistakable clarity that summarises the terroir in a nutshell. The classic Barbaresco from Fontanabianca is one such wine – composed from various parcels around Neive, vinified with the precision that Matteo Pola has made the philosophy of the house in the third generation. Where the single vineyards Bordini and Serraboella express the specific characteristics of their crus, this Barbaresco paints the bigger picture: 5.5 hectares on the typical limestone-clay soils of the municipality, 300 metres above sea level, where Nebbiolo has been developing the elegance that Neive stands for in the world of Barbaresco for generations.

Gualtiero Morellino di Scansano Riserva from Morisfarms shows why this traditional family winery is a firm favourite in the Maremma. The cuvée is predominantly based on Sangiovese (Morellino), supplemented by small proportions of international varieties. The vines grow on sun-drenched hills between the Tyrrhenian coast and the cool foothills of Monte Amiata, whose clay and sandy soils lend the wine fruit and structure. Careful manual harvesting was followed by temperature-controlled fermentation, after which the Riserva matured for 12 months in a combination of barriques and large wooden barrels to harmoniously combine elegance and complexity.

Torrette Superiore is the epitome of traditional Aosta Valley culture: a cuvée with a clear focus on Petit Rouge, complemented by Mayolet, Fumin and Cornalin. The grapes come from steep slopes around Aymavilles at an altitude of 600 to 750 metres. The wine is matured in stainless steel, sometimes with a short wood passage to preserve the alpine freshness. Transparent ruby red colour in the glass. Red cherry, rosehip, alpine herbs and a hint of pepper on the nose. Lively on the palate, with silky tannins, animating acidity and fine mineral pressure. A polished, finely bitter red wine with a profile of origin - tart, fruity, independent and full of character. A true original from the roof of Italy. SUPERIORE.DE

On a car journey to Bordeaux – francesca Moretti and her father Vittorio – the dream that drives Petra was born. Great red wines with a Mediterranean soul and Bordelese precision. Back in Suvereto, the family planted their first vines on the Tenuta San Lorenzo. The vineyard right next to the cantina – named after the gnarled oaks on the edge of the maquis – is Francesca's most personal terrain. Merlot is her favourite grape variety. 88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc – a Bordelese choice for a Tuscan terroir. 26-year-old vines on clay-sandy, slightly calcareous soils, 80 quintals per hectare. Fermentation in the Guyot training system on 6,200 vines per hectare, then nine months in barriques, nine months in cement – a combination that gives the wine structure while retaining freshness. Aged in the bottle for at least six to seven months.

On the gently rolling slopes of Monte Quarin, in the heart of the Collio Goriziano, lies the small domain of the Raccaro family. Since 1928, they have been cultivating their seven hectares with the quiet perseverance that characterises true craftsmanship. Dario Raccaro is recognised by connoisseurs as one of the "great silents" of the Collio – his wines have a powerful essentiality that lingers on. His Collio Bianco combines Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia Istriana to create a cuvée that speaks unmistakably of the terroir of the Ponca soils. Gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation at 18 degrees, six months of maturation in stainless steel – a vinification that favours clarity.

Piera Dolza means "soft stone" and is the name of a very rare, historic dessert wine that was first produced in the traditional Prosecco region around Conegliano around 1600. It is only thanks to the initiative of 7 small local producers that it is being produced again today.

Villa di Capezzana has been the Tenuta's flagship since 1925 and is a living testimony to Tuscan wine culture. This Carmignano DOCG epitomises the vision of the Contini Bonacossi family, who for five generations have been cultivating the heritage of a wine estate whose first documented mention dates back to 804. In 1975, Carmignano was the first Tuscan DOC zone ever to officially include Cabernet Sauvignon in the assemblage – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The tradition goes back to the 16th century, when Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux.

Deep purple-red colour, distinctive bouquet that does not deny the Apulian home of the Susumaniello and enchants us with a stimulating freshness. Hints of ripe black cherries and fine spicy notes on the palate, dense, harmonious, long-lasting and with beautifully integrated tannins. An original, rustic flavour experience! SUPERIORE.DE

In 1966, when the Italian wine world was at a crossroads, Domenico Poggiali took the bold step of acquiring the then neglected lands of Castelnuovo Berardenga. His son-in-law Giuseppe Mazzocolin, the humanist professor and friend of Luigi Veronelli, subsequently turned this adventure into a legend. Together with the young OenologistFranco Bernabei, they created the first Berardenga in 1967 – a Sangiovese that epitomises the true essence of south-eastern Chianti Classico. The vineyards extend over the geologically heterogeneous terraces between 320 and 420 metres above sea level, where quartz-rich sandstone and calcareous Alberese in the upper areas meet sandstone and clay towards the Crete Senesi. This "Terra di Confine" – the borderland between Chianti Classico and the Colli Senesi – characterises the unmistakable character.

Standing in the shadow of great Brunellos is not an easy fate. The San Jacopo knows this fate – and makes the best of it. Fuligni himself calls it a "variation on the theme of Sangiovese", and that is exactly what it is: an elegant deviation from the strict rules, an experiment with freedom. 85% Sangiovese, obtained from younger clones from the various vineyards, meets 15% Merlot from the Bandita estate, where the tuff and clay soils are favourable to the international grape variety. Paolo Vagaggini, Fuligni's Oenologist for decades, vinifies the grapes separately and then blends them into a harmonious whole. Maturation takes place for around seven months in French tonneaux, which give the wine structure without dominating it.

40 years after acquiring the Montalcino branch Campogiovanni, the Tuscan flagship winery San Felice, which belongs to the Allianz insurance group, has decided on a further expansion called Bell'Aja. In the Bolgheri locality of Le Sondraie, 6 hectares of vineyards with clayey-sandy soils were selected, where mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were planted over 12 years ago. There are only two wines from this new Bell'Aja appellation, Bolgheri Rosso and Bolgheri Rosso Superiore.

An outstanding red wine with origin and personality: "Vicorosso" combines 80% Merlot with 20% Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso - a cuvée that embodies international elegance and regional expression in equal measure. The grapes come from old, slow-growing vines on the typical Ponca soils between Prepotto and Buttrio. After selective hand-picking, the wine matured for around 15 months in French barriques before harmonising for a few months in the bottle. Dense ruby red in the glass with violet reflections. The rich bouquet of black cherry, blackberry and plum is finely underpinned by violets, liquorice, tobacco leaf and graphite. The palate combines juicy fruit, fine-grained tannins and lively acidity in great balance, supported by a hint of salty minerality on the finish. The wine has a precise, compact and stimulating effect at the same time - an (almost) modern Friulian red wine with depth. SUPERIORE.DE

A grape variety like a secret: Rosenmuskateller migrated from Sicily to the Alps in the middle of the 19th century and found its second home on the alluvial soils of the Anreiterhof farm in Moritzing near Bolzano. Today it is one of the rarest grape varieties in South Tyrol – and the Rosis from the Bolzano winery is one of its finest interpreters. After harvest, the select grapes are subjected to natural air-drying, which concentrates their flavours and intensifies their sweetness. Temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and patient bottle ageing preserve the delicate fullness of flavour.

When a winery uses the same label for its Riserva for over sixty years, it is not a lack of imagination – it is an attitude. Castello di Monsanto's Riserva is one of the oldest labels in continuous production in Italy. The label was already there before Chianti Classico was an appellation. It has survived decades and fashions – and it explains what Monsanto stands for: Sangiovese as a conviction. The winery is located in San Donato in Poggio, the westernmost sub-region of Chianti Classico, at an altitude of 280 to 320 metres. Galestro – schistose rock, barren and mineral-rich – is the soil on which the Sangiovese vines from four vineyards take root.

"Giatl" means "small plot of land" in the local dialect – and this name carries history. The ten-hectare single vineyard in the Kurtinig valley floor is one of the most exceptional terroirs for Pinot Grigio in the South Tyrolean lowlands. On sandy alluvial soils with calcareous gravel, vines grafted onto low-growing rootstock using the Guyot system thrive here under ideal conditions. The special microclimate of this sun trap is characterised by two contrasting wind systems: The warm "Ora" blows northwards from Lake Garda in the afternoon and moderates the heat of the day, while cool downslope winds from the Dolomites provide cooling at night. These extreme temperature fluctuations enable long, slow ripening phases with perfect acidity retention and flavour concentration. After manual harvesting and destemming, a short cold maceration is carried out to emphasise the fruitiness. The gently pressed grapes are clarified by natural sedimentation before alcoholic fermentation takes place in small and large French oak barrels (12 months) and in stainless steel tanks (6 months). The ageing on the lees gives the wine valuable complexity and depth, while further months of bottle ageing round off the profile.

With the acquisition of Tenuta Le Macioche in 2017, the Cotarella family fulfilled a dream: a foothold in prestigious Montalcino. The Sangiovese vines thrive on just 3.5 hectares in the southern quadrant of Sant'Antimo, where Galestro, slate and clay form the subsoil at an altitude of 450 metres. The name of the estate is derived from the Corbezzolo bushes, whose roots are called "macioca" in the Tuscan dialect – a symbol of deep roots in the terroir. The Rosso di Montalcino is the more accessible brother of Brunello, ready to drink earlier: 100 per cent Sangiovese, fermented in stainless steel after selective hand-picking and then matured for twelve months in Liters tonneaux. The Mediterranean climate with continental influences and the strong thermal fluctuations between day and night give the wine its characteristic aromatic precision.