Wines from Veneto

The sparkling classic from Italy's leading Prosecco winery is now certified organic. Radiant in the glass, with the scent of white flowers and fruit, extremely fine and elegant in flavour. Clean, delicate finish. SUPERIORE.DE

This is the epitome of a trattoria or bistro wine with an unmistakable Alpine flavour. The Carménère and Merlot grapes are matured separately for 12 months, 80% in third and fourth passage barriques and 20% in stainless steel. This is followed by the blending of the "Carménère Più", which then matures for four months in stainless steel before being bottled. Before being released for sale, it is left to refine in the bottle for at least six months. Deep red colour with blue-violet reflections. Elegant aroma of small dark berries, cocoa and black pepper. Balanced on the palate with optimum freshness, fruity with well-integrated tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

Integral, which means zero dosage or brut nature, celebrated its premiere with the 2018 vintage. And the name says it all: this Prosecco from the core zone of Valdobbiadene is a 100% Glera sparkling wine of unadulterated quality. It is the successful result of years of experimentation to vinify a fruity and complex Prosecco with minimal residual sweetness. Straw yellow colour with crystalline reflections. Light, fine-pored and persistent perlage. Fresh and mineral on the nose, with pronounced notes of white fruit. Dancing, smooth and wonderfully dry on the palate. An unmistakable sparkling wine that could not be more complex, exciting or original. SUPERIORE.DE

Valpolicella Superiore Case Vecie is made mainly from Corvina and Corvinone grapes. It takes its name from the vineyard of the same name in Grezzana, where the ripening of the grapes is subject to strong temperature fluctuations between day and night: a climatic peculiarity that gives the wine a special spiciness on the nose and a completely unique polyphenol profile. Bright ruby red in colour with notes of cherries, vanilla and spices. Beautiful fruit and acidity on the palate, wonderfully balanced body. Juicy and long. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 1.5 kilometres separate the vineyards of Capitel Croce and Foscarino – but geologically they are worlds apart. While Foscarino is rooted in volcanic rock, Croce is enthroned on the pure limestone of the Zoppega hill. "Croce like Calcareo", Roberto likes to say as a mnemonic. Here, in the highest areas of his estate, perhaps his most uncompromising wine has been growing since 1982: 100 per cent Garganega, matured for eight months in old Allier barriques. What makes this wine so exceptional is not just its origin, but Roberto's radical approach: only 45 hectolitres per hectare, late selective harvest with up to twelve passes until only the most perfect berries remain. Fermentation takes place directly in barriques, allowing fruit and wood to merge right from the start.

Next to the Villa della Torre in Fumane, this elegant testimony to the Italian Renaissance, lies a vineyard that awoke from its slumber in 1960. Giovanni Allegrini recognised the potential of the neglected terrain and began to recultivate it. In 1978, it became a wine in its own right and the name became the programme: Palazzo della Torre, a cru that brought Allegrini international fame. Six times in the Wine Spectator Top 100, the secret? In 1990, Franco Allegrini introduced an innovation that changed Valpolicella: double fermentation. Some of the grapes, Corvina, Rondinella and Sangiovese, undergo a short appassimento. The freshly fermented wine is then added to this dried marc, where a second fermentation begins. More elegant than Ripasso, more complex than classic Valpolicella.

One of our favourite Prosecco Superiore brut made from high-quality, hand-picked grapes and with an aromatic sophistication. Delicate citrus fruit on the nose, a hint of grapefruit and an aftertaste of white rose petals. Dry on the palate, beautifully balanced and accompanied by a graceful perlage. SUPERIORE.DE

Roberto Anselmi and red wine? That doesn't really go together. While his colleagues in the Soave region have long since jumped on the lucrative Amarone bandwagon or, like Inama in the Colli Berici, produce exceptional red wines, the white wine purist has basically remained true to his line for decades. With one exception: at the foot of Monte Zoppega, hidden among his beloved Garganega vines, a little secret has been thriving for years: Realda, named after a historic church estate. Only 7,000 bottles of this single red wine in the Anselmi portfolio are produced each year – a little gimmick, as Roberto himself says, but a damn good one, in our opinion. 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in French Troncais barriques, with a further six months of bottle ageing.

At some point in the past, a small metal plate on the roof of the Castagnedi farmstead in the Monti Garbi moved in the wind – like a flag, a "bandina". A landmark for all those who knew these hills. Today, it is the name of the single vineyard that lies at the heart of the Tenuta. Colognola ai Colli, eastern Valpolicella: calcareous sandy soils at around 300 metres. This is the terroir that has belonged to the four Castagnedi brothers since 1995 and which characterises their wines with a characteristic balsamic: liquorice, white mint, graphite, China. Corvina and Corvinone form the backbone with 70%, Rondinella brings freshness, Croatina and Oseleta the flavour. Hand-picked in October, fermentation at a controlled temperature with certified organic yeasts, natural malo. Then aged for 24 months in 25-hectolitre French oak tonneaux – medium roasted, integrated, never dominant.

Lake Garda is white wine territory – lugana, Custoza and Soave dominate the perception. Zenato's Cabernet from the single vineyard Santa Cristina proves that serious red wines can also be produced here. The cuvée of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc combines Bordeaux noblesse with the mild microclimate of the lake. Three weeks of maceration in stainless steel with frequent pumping over extracts colour and structure. The wine then matures for 15–18 months in new and used French oak barriques before being left to rest for a further month in the bottle.

The world-famous Valpolicella Superiore from Zenato, produced using the Ripasso method, is a rich wine with the best value. It is peppery, with earthy tones and gravel giving way to black cherries and savoury herbs. It reveals deep, silky textures balanced by vibrant acids, while ripe red and black fruits resonate under a hint of lavender. Zenato's Ripassa is concentrated and intense, but at the same time conveys elegance and leaves a fresh note of violet candy on the palate that lingers for a long time. SUPERIORE.DE

"This wine was born as a challenge. In 2004, when we started making it, ageing it in steel was against the general trend of ageing complex Soave wines in barrique. Today, we are glad that we took this risk." Graziano Prà

While the whole world was talking about the extinction of Trebbiano di Soave, the three Tessari sisters set out on a mission: to save an almost forgotten grape variety. In collaboration with Professor Attilio Scienza from the University of Milan, they selected the best clones of old Trebbiano vines and planted the Massifitti vineyard in 2006 – named after the "dense rocks", the large, compact basalt boulders that characterise the south-facing slope. Only two hectares at an altitude of 300 metres, where the volcanic minerality shows itself in its purest form. What is produced here is unique: probably the only single-varietal Trebbiano di Soave in the world. It matures for 15 months in stainless steel on the fine lees, then a further 12 months in the bottle before the sisters release it.

Prosecco Superiore Rive di Col San Martino grows on the equally named steep slopes of Valdobbiadene. The second top product from the small family winery is Castè Extra Dry, which comes from the old steep slopes on the castle hill and thus got its name. Brilliant pale yellow in colour, with a bouquet of white fruit, a delicate hint of yeast, lemon and herbs. Very typical of the grape variety on the palate with a fine apple and peach flavour, the barely perceptible fruit sweetness is excellently integrated; fine perlage, long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Lively ruby red colour. Dried cherry, small red berries, fresh eucalyptus, pepper and terracotta on the complex nose. Dry on the palate, very straightforward, pretty elegance on the mid-palate, beautiful herbaceous fruit, then some tangy acidity and well-proportioned tannins, leaving a crisp and very interesting overall impression. SUPERIORE.DE

Soave Classico Wild from the Ponsara UGA is sunny and straw yellow in colour. The complex nose ranges from a strong floral note of broom and hawthorn to fresh, fragrant fruit reminiscent of Granny Smith apples. On the palate, there is a vibrant freshness that is very balanced and perfectly balanced by a lingering, intense finish. SUPERIORE.DE

There are no fixed rules at Zýmē, only the pursuit of experimentation to offer a unique and honest experience that also conveys the character of each individual vintage. Il Bianco From Black to White (sealed with a glass cork) opens with a golden colour and a whitish sheen typical of grapes that have no skin contact. The predominant grape variety is Rondinella Bianca, a mutation that was only discovered by chance in the vineyards of Zýmē and is unique in Italy.

Bright, sparkling silver-grey with a persistent perlage. The nose is fragrant with white roses, juicy pears and white peach. Juicy on the palate, radiant and with a great fruity sweetness, it opens up with presence and balance, pleasantly dosed in all its facets. SUPERIORE.DE