Wine

There are stories that only the terroir can tell – and Roccato is one of them. What began in 1988 as a visionary experiment, an equal marriage of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, developed into a legend of the Tuscan Renaissance. In 2015, Sergio Zingarelli took the decisive step. Based on decades of experience that the terroir speaks louder than the grape, the new Roccato was created: a single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon from the "Poggio alle Pecchie" vineyard planted in 1996. A paradox of nature – a Bordeaux grape variety that actually breathes Tuscan soul.

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

Vergine – this is not a style statement, this is a philosophy. No cooked must, no sweetening, no flavour additives. Just wine, alcohol and the quiet labour of time in oak wood. What ends up in the bottle is the result of radical reduction – and therein lies the greatness of this category. The 2000 vintage – then still young in the barrels of Pellegrino's historic winery in the heart of Marsala – spent more than a decade in large oak barrels of between 30 and 80 hectolitres. No haste, no intervention. The oxidation process is slow, controlled and precise. Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia from the westernmost tip of Sicily – soils over which the salt of the nearby Stagnone lagoon still lingers in the air.

An idiosyncratic wine with character: Paolo Meroi's Ribolla Gialla comes from high-altitude plots around Buttrio, where cool nights and limestone-rich soils preserve the freshness of the grape variety. Unlike many wines from the region, Meroi's wine is not matured in steel tanks, but partly in used wood - a careful, finely balanced process that adds texture and depth without masking the varietal character. Brilliant golden yellow in the glass. Pear, yellow stone fruit, lime blossom, citrus zest and a hint of hazelnut on the nose. The palate is full-bodied, silky and delicately melting, supported by fresh acidity and subtle spice. The finish is long, cool and salty-mineral. A modern interpretation of the indigenous grape variety - focussed, elegant and absolutely harmonious. SUPERIORE.DE

Pas Dosé – here, the dosage that is normally added after disgorging, which determines not only the sugar content but also the style of the bottle-fermented sparkling wine, is omitted. Instead, the volume naturally lost during the years of ageing in the bottle is replaced by other wines from the house, which have no further influence on the sugar content. The result is an extremely dry sparkling wine that is by no means lacking in volume, character and finely modelled nuances of flavour.

"La Firma" - "The signature". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary. La Firma is a single-varietal Aglianico that matures in natural caves made of volcanic tuff, carats and French oak barrels. Beautiful ruby red colour with bright violet reflections. Complex bouquet with aromas of small black berries, liquorice and hay. Powerful and very harmonious on the palate, characterised by velvety tannins and a long, balsamic finish. Great ageing potential! SUPERIORE.DE

Intense ruby red, persistent, fruity bouquet with notes of wild berries, violets, cloves and cinnamon as well as sweet tobacco flavours. Rich and velvety on the palate, with an abundance of ripe red fruit and tactile mineral tones, complemented by a hint of sage. The lively acidity provides balance. On the finish, the spicy tones merge with a pleasant fruity flavour. An unbeatable wine every year at a very attractive price! SUPERIORE.DE

In 2002, Benanti dared to do the unthinkable: a Metodo Classico from pure Carricante – the first ever bottle fermentation from Etna from this noble indigenous grape variety. What was then an experiment is now a reference: hardly any other Sicilian sparkling wine comes close to the perlage quality of this house. The grapes come from the eastern and southern slopes of the volcano, where 20 to 60-year-old vines are rooted between 700 and 850 metres in mineral-rich volcanic sands – partly as traditional Alberello, partly on the trellis. Hand-picked, gentle whole-cluster pressing, fermentation at 16–18 °C in stainless steel. The wine rests on the fine lees until late spring, followed by bottle fermentation with selected yeasts. After 24 months on the lees, disgorgement and dosage take place; a further three months of rest complete the maturation.

The combination of two such different personalities as Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon blend brilliantly in Grifi, giving this wine a unique character. The Cabernet gives the wine an extra kick of depth in the mid-palate as well as a tannic backbone that gives the wine plenty of persistence and energy.

The grapes for this delightful red cuvée of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère come exclusively from the estate's own vineyards. Terre offers present notes of black cherry, spices and blackberry. It is a moody, lively and very fruit-orientated red that will give a lot of pleasure over the next few years! SUPERIORE.DE

Poggio Anticos Lemartine 2021 combines elegance and depth in an impressive balance. The cuvée of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon matured partly in French oak and retains a precise freshness despite its structure. The 2021 vintage benefited from a moderately warm climate with cool nights, which allowed for slow maturation and great aromatic clarity. Very nuanced on the palate, with dark fruit, fine spice and a hint of graphite - a wine of subtle power and Tuscan nobility. SUPERIORE.DE

Bordeaux grandeur meets South Tyrolean clarity: Mumelter Cabernet epitomises this encounter in its purest form. Named after the south-facing Mumelterhof farm near Bolzano, where weathered porphyry soils and a sub-Mediterranean microclimate at an altitude of 330 metres allow the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to develop to their full potential. This cuvée of two Bordeaux classics combines the best of both worlds: the structure and power of Cabernet Sauvignon with the elegance and finesse of Cabernet Franc.

The "Sassorosso" vineyard is located on a rocky promontory that is separated from the rest of the mountain and has been almost completely eroded by the glacier over the centuries. It is visually characterised by the unmistakable red colour of the ferrous inclusions in the rock. The overlying shallow soil layer consists of clay and sand and lies on friable, metamorphic rock into which the roots can penetrate. The unmistakably elegant and mineral character of the terroir is therefore particularly evident in this Nebbiolo.

Above the cellar walls of Passopisciaro lives a woman whose stories are older than the centuries-old vines she can see from her window every day. Nerina Russo, mother of Giuseppe and widow of the late Girolamo, is more than just the namesake of this extraordinary white wine – she is the living heart of a family that has given Etna all its devotion. At harvest time, when their famous dishes mingle the flavours of the kitchen with those of the fermenting grapes, it becomes clear that wines are made here out of love, not just passion. Giuseppe has created a monument to his father with the winery, but has dedicated the wine that perhaps best expresses the essence of his family to his mother. Nerina embodies the soul of the Sicilian white wine tradition – a harmonious union of all the autochthonous grape varieties of Etna, which once thrived together in the mixed vineyards of the Contrade. Seventy per cent Carricante forms the backbone, while thirty per cent Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico, Minnella and Coda di Volpe provide the multi-layered complexity that can only come from centuries-old winemaking wisdom.

Monica Raspi remembers: "I took my first steps as a winemaker in the Omino vineyard. The grapes grown here produce the wine that is the absolute benchmark for my very personal interpretation of the Sangiovese grape."

L'amore mio – my love. Rarely does a wine carry its character so openly in its name. This rosé spumante is Benanti's declaration of love for the Nerello Mascalese – the noble red grape variety that is otherwise synonymous with elegant red wines with a Burgundian grace on Etna. As Metodo Classico, it reveals a completely different, no less enchanting side. The grapes come from the south and south-east slopes of the volcano, where the vines are rooted between 700 and 750 metres in mineral-rich volcanic sands. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressing without destemming, fermentation at 16–18 °C in stainless steel. The base wine rests on the fine lees until late spring, followed by bottle fermentation with selected yeasts. After 24 months on the lees, disgorgement and dosage take place; a further three months of rest complete the maturation.

A classic Franciacorta from the Montenisa vineyards around Calino near Brescia, made from Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and a small proportion of Pinot Bianco. Gently fermented in stainless steel tanks and then matured on the fine lees for around 24 months, it gains elegance and aromatic finesse. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a fine, persistent perlage. Fresh citrus fruits, white peaches, fine brioche notes and a hint of roasted almonds on the nose. Lively and harmonious on the palate, with a creamy texture, fine acidity and a subtle mineral freshness that leads to an elegant, balanced final. A versatile sparkling wine from the Antinori family that shows its class from an aperitif to a refined meal. SUPERIORE.DE

There are words that tell more than entire stories. Sgarzon: In the ancient dialect of Campo Rotaliano, it means "young shoot", "sapling" and embodies the essence of youthful vitality and the impetuous vigour of new beginnings. This name is the programme for a Teroldego that revolutionises conventional ideas of this powerful grape variety. Just one kilometre from the famous Morei vineyard as the crow flies, but completely different in character, is the 2.5-hectare Sgarzon vineyard. Here, the Noce River has deposited sandy sediments over thousands of years, creating a cooler, more open microzone. While other Teroldego vineyards are already harvesting their grapes, the Sgarzon berries ripen a week longer – a decisive difference that gives this wine its exceptional finesse.

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. From this "private reserve" comes Neromaccarj 2011, which is now - in spring 2023 - offered in small quantities with 8 years of further bottle ageing quasi in Riserva quality.

Between light and shade, between strength and elegance, sometimes only a few hundred metres decide the character of a wine. Less than ten minutes' walk from Sgarzon, but geologically in a different world, lies Morei, "the dark one" in the old Trentino dialect. Here, on the warmer, rockier terrain of Campo Rotaliano, Elisabetta Foradori has been writing another exciting chapter in the Teroldego story since 1984. The name says it all: where Sgarzon embodies youthful freshness, Morei reveals the deep, mineral soul of this extraordinary grape variety. The 2.5-hectare plot rests on the ancient riverbed of the Noce, where thousands of years of erosion have left behind a mosaic of pebbles, sand and dolomite rock. This stony matrix stores the heat of the dolomite sun and releases it to the vines at night – a natural heat reservoir that gives Teroldego its characteristic depth and concentration.

A Chardonnay with a clear expression of origin and subtle noblesse: Paolo Meroi ferments and ages his white wine from high-altitude vineyards around Buttrio partly in used wood - enough to give it depth and structure, but without any intrusive woody flavours. The result is a wine of great balance. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. On the nose, yellow apple, ripe lemon, some quince, white flowers and a fine hint of vanilla and roasted hazelnut. Dense yet precise on the palate, with a smooth, salty flavour and cool minerality. The acidity is present but well integrated, the finish is elegant and accompanied by a slight spiciness. A Friuli Chardonnay with a Burgundian soul - focussed, multi-layered and far from arbitrary. SUPERIORE.DE