wines

In the first century BC, the Pelasgians brought – immigrants from Thessaly – brought a grape variety to the hills of Irpinia that the Romans later called "Aminea Gemina" because of its characteristic two-part grape. Two millennia later, this vine still has the same character: unconventional, mineral, with a longevity that is unrivalled among white varieties. Mastroberardino has not only cultivated the Greco – the family rescued it when it had almost disappeared after the Second World War and made it the flagship of Campania for decades. The vineyards of Tufo and Petruro Irpino are situated at 450 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-east, in clayey and calcareous soils – and in Tufo the soil is literally named after the rock that was once important as a sulphur mine. This sulphur tone in the terroir is no coincidence: it is a signature. Hand-picked in the second decade of October, classic vinification in steel tanks at a controlled temperature, followed by several months of bottle ageing – precise, without distraction.

Non Confunditur – "not to be confused": The family motto on the Argiano coat of arms is also the programme for this wine. Founded in 1580, the winery is one of the founding members of the Brunello consortium and has been cultivating its 60 hectares organically since 2018. The NC combines Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese from the estate's younger vines – a "Junior Super Tuscan", as cellar master Bernardino Sani calls it. Vinification in stainless steel and used barriques preserves the freshness of the fruit.

Buonsenso (common sense) is simply matured in steel tanks and left on the lees for four months. It is already visually impressive with its bright straw yellow colour. Attractive bouquet of wild flowers, mint, peach and green melon. The palate is refreshing with a great acid wire, rounded off by citrus and peach notes with a subtle hint of saltiness. SUPERIORE.DE

A top-class Valpolicella, fine and haunting spicy flavour with a full and fleshy fruit development of blackberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied with good intensity and a firm tannin structure, with a wonderfully pleasant bitter note on the long finish. The delicious harmony between aroma and flavour is a delight. SUPERIORE.DE

The classic from the heart of Chianti Classico: Brolio combines the excellent drinkability of a young Chianti Classico with a complex, complete structure. The vineyards grow on the historic Castello di Brolio between 280 and 480 metres above sea level on five representative soil types – from sandstone to galestro and marine sediments. Intense ruby red colour. Fresh, floral nose with notes of chinotto, violets and mimosa, leading to fruity nuances of black cherries and sweet mint. Velvety and complex on the palate with great harmony, elegant structure and a long, mineral final. A textbook Chianti Classico from a historic terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

The word Lamuri stands locally for "love" – and the vineyards of Tenuta Regaleali reflect this as well as the passion with which this Nero d'Avola was created. The vines thrive on barren limestone soil between gently rolling hills at an altitude of 450–750 metres above sea level. Bright ruby red in colour with a violet hue. The bouquet is charming and open: Ripe blackberry, white pepper and violet accents mingle with a delicate undertone of damp lava stones. The whole is fresh and earthy at the same time. On the palate, Lamuri dances between fullness and elegance: the fruit is juicy, not overloaded, underpinned by a crisp acidity that supports the body. The tannins are velvety soft, but present and carried by a mineral trace. The final is clean, unobtrusively spicy, with a hint of cassis and liquorice that lingers in the memory. SUPERIORE.DE

The vineyard overlooks the house. Visitors to the Cantina Bergaglio look out from the courtyard directly onto the Minaia slope – a single hectare on a medium slope, 300 metres above sea level, with red clay soil with an exceptionally high iron content. This soil is the reason why Minaia is a cru: Not because some committee decided it, but because this patch of earth produces something that no other hectare in the appellation can replicate. 100% Cortese, hand-picked, fermentation and ageing in steel on the lees – no wood, no intervention that does not serve the terroir. The Ligurian breezes that blow over the hills from the south slow down the ripening process and maintain the mineral tension that Daniele Cernilli once summarised in five words: "un vero Chablis à l'Italienne." Tre Bicchieri Gambero Rosso confirm this almost every year.

This Blanc de Noir from Conte Vistarino is made from gently pressed Pinot Nero grapes and is matured using the Charmat method. After fermentation, the wine matures on the lees for six months, giving it finesse and structure. Fine aromas of white flowers, apple and hazelnut on the nose, dry, precise and balanced on the palate. The elegant perlage, straw-yellow colour with a greenish shimmer and clear style make it a sophisticated sparkling wine that impressively reflects the nobility of Pinot Nero - complex and yet immediately accessible. SUPERIORE.DE

A new day, a new vintage – and the first wine of the year to leave the winery each year. While the red wines are still slumbering in their barrels, "New Day" already brings the message of the new 2025 vintage: freshness, joie de vivre and anticipation of what is to come. 100% Sangiovese, harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature in stainless steel, followed by a few months of ageing on the fine lees.

Giravolta – a name with a history. This was the name of the racehorse that once galloped across the Pozzopalo stud farm and always turned round abruptly in front of the old tuff quarry. This "U-turn" gave the wine its name, but it is the terra bianca, the white earth, that characterises it. While the basic Primitivo comes from the Terra Rossa, the Giravolta grows on calcareous, white soil, created by the breaking up of limestone. The tuffy, stony composition ensures rapid water drainage, but the porous stones also store moisture for the roots.

In 2019, UNESCO declared the Prosecco hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene a World Heritage Site. Not because of the wine – but because of the landscape that produces it: steep moraine slopes, stepped in terraces, calcareous soil with marl and clay, lapped by a breeze from the Adriatic Sea. Villa Sandi cultivates over eighty hectares of its own land in this World Heritage area – and for decades has been one of the addresses that have secured Prosecco's reputation as a serious sparkling wine. 100% Glera, hand-picked, pneumatic pressing. Fermentation at a controlled 15–16 °C according to the Charmat method – gentle, flavour-preserving, typical of the region. The Millesimato is a promise of quality: The grapes from one vintage are so good that they do not need to be blended across vintages – they stand on their own every year.

This Dolcetto comes from the gently sloping, gravel- and limestone-rich plots around Barolo, which Sandrone has always regarded as a wine of character in its own right. Hand-picked at the end of September, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and careful ageing in neutral wood preserve the typicality of the grape variety and at the same time lend structure. A clear, bright purple colour with a violet hue in the glass. The bouquet is as inviting as it is precise: black cherry, blackberry and plum, surrounded by violet blossom, almonds and a hint of graphite. On the palate, it displays a harmonious combination of juicy fruit, finely integrated acidity and ripe, slightly grippy tannins. The medium-long finish carries mineral notes and a hint of herbal spice. A Dolcetto with substance and nobility that epitomises the philosophy of the house – clarity, balance and elegance – even in the supposedly simplest grape variety. SUPERIORE.DE

This elegant rosé sparkling wine made from Pinot Nero is produced after a short maceration period and gentle pressing. The base wine matures on the fine lees until December, is then fermented in an autoclave and matures on the lees for a further six months. This is followed by at least two months of ageing in the bottle. The colour in the glass is pale pink with a fine, persistent perlage. Aromas of raspberries, wild strawberries and yellow fruit on the nose. Soft, creamy and fresh on the palate, harmoniously rounded off with 10 g/l dosage. A balanced, aromatic sparkling wine with international appeal - sensual, structured and remarkably elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

Sparkling, bright salmon pink colour. Delicately fragrant nose of fresh peach, white flowers, some cherry fruit, underpinned by light spice. Very juicy, clear on the palate, with a cool fruit centre and well-integrated acidity. This incredibly racy rosato dances in its slender purity from the first to the last glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Prugnolo Gentile – is the name given to Sangiovese in Montepulciano. And mammolo simply means violet in Italian. Anyone who knows the aromas of this wine will understand why the Corradi-De Ferrari family uses both: 85% Prugnolo Gentile for freshness and fruit, 15% Mammolo for the floral perfume that makes this Rosso unmistakable. Boscarelli has been producing Prugnolo as Rosso di Montepulciano since 1989 – from the youngest, most fragrant vines in the Cervognano cru vineyard at 280 to 350 metres, on calcareous alluvial soil with sand, silt and clay. Organic cultivation. Hand-picked in crates, selection at the sorting table, natural yeast fermentation in steel, 6 months maturation in glazed cement tanks.

For decades, Margreid has been considered the Merlot Eldorado of South Tyrol – and Alois Lageder as its master. On the gentle slopes between 230 and 320 metres above sea level, where the first international vines were planted back in 1934, Merlots of impressive clarity are produced. The bouquet reveals intense notes of wild berries and plums, interspersed with fine spices and a hint of graphite. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and velvety, with a lively freshness and a lingering fruity final. SUPERIORE.DE

"I spent a long time looking for the area in Valpolicella that would best suit my style. Valpolicella Morandina is the freshest and sharpest interpretation of my red wines." Graziano Prà

A German variety finds its South Tyrolean perfection: Kerner, crossed from Trollinger and Riesling in Weinsberg around 1930, unfolds its full aromatic power in the sun-drenched altitudes of the Eisack Valley between 600 and 800 metres. On light, stony sandy soils, this new variety matures into a wine that combines the elegance of Riesling with the robustness of Trollinger. After the harvest harvest, the grapes are gently pressed and fermented at a controlled temperature in stainless steel to optimally preserve their natural freshness.

Brò is a white wine from sustainable cultivation that is hard to beat in terms of freshness, elegance and enjoyment. The grapes come from the clay and limestone soils near Fiumana di Predappio. Pale straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. On the nose, a captivating blend of crushed stones, spiced orange peel, dried apricot and peach, mixed with herbal elements. On the characterful palate, it is complex, juicy and very drinkable with its freshness and lightness. SUPERIORE.DE

La Manina, a vibrant white wine from biodynamic cultivation in the Dolomites region, is characterised by freshness and loyalty to its origins. The 2024 vintage was characterised by sunny days, cool mountain nights and healthy grapes with a pronounced aroma. After being harvested by hand, it ferments at controlled temperatures in stainless steel. It is then aged on fine lees for a few months to promote texture and structure.

An exciting cuvée that looks like a postcard from Sicily – fresh, fragrant and with a great sense of mission. Leone Blend combines five Alpine and Mediterranean grape varieties from the high-altitude vineyards of Regaleali (between 500-900 metres), whose limestone-rich, structured soils lend the wine a fine tension. After gentle pressing, it is fermented spontaneously exclusively in stainless steel tanks – with around four months of ageing on fine lees, which gives it creaminess, depth and a certain ageing potential.

Between fields of mist and the nearby Ligurian cliffs, the Cortese grape in Gavi clings to old hillsides, where it becomes one of the most determined white wine voices in Piedmont. Olim Bauda turns it into Gavi di Gavi with real radiance – powerful in expression, but light as a feather in experience. Delicate straw yellow with a silvery lustre. Then yellow fruit: Apple, pear and melon interweave with mint and a hint of chalk – mineral, fresh and refined. No wood flavours, just pure Cortese – elegant, vibrant, unaffected. On the palate, the wine plays on the high strings: lively freshness, charming citrus notes, fine fruit structure and a salty, stimulating minerality that makes you want to savour the next sip.