wines

South Tyrol's Gewürztraminer has some top-class competition here: this unique white wine is made from one hundred per cent Albana grapes, 20% of which is only harvested as a late harvest after botrytis infestation in November. Only 2,800 bottles are sold.

"After working with Sangiovese for ten years, I finally decided to produce a single-varietal wine. For too long I had unjustly relegated this grape variety to a marginal role in my production. It is not only the expression of pure Tuscan tradition, but also the most technically difficult grape, capable of producing great emotions. The name (Der Knappe) is a tribute to its famous teacher, the Sangiovese pioneer of Bolgheri, Cavaliere Michele Satta, to whom I will always be grateful." Fabio Motta

Pergolaia consists mainly of Sangiovese with smaller proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine opens with a medium-bodied attack and a bright bouquet characterised by notes of cherry, wild plum, ploughed earth and pressed blue flowers. This very Mediterranean-style red with a strong personality envelops the palate with a delicate, silky intensity. SUPERIORE.DE

The Pratzner family keeps a few hundred bottles of each good vintage, which are then matured in the cellar for a further 6 years. These refined wines are then sold in small quantities as "Private Reserves" to selected retailers and restaurants, demonstrating the impressive ageing potential of their wines, which are matured for 10 months on the fine lees. Strong straw yellow colour. Intense bouquet of gooseberry with a restrained hint of paprika. Full and juicy on the palate with grapefruit and citrus flavours and an interesting, stimulating spiciness. With an almost youthful freshness and juiciness, this multi-layered Riserva also glides into a wonderfully long, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Malvasia Istriana is not Malvasia. At least not what most people know by that name. While other varieties of this ancient Greek grape family are often lush and sweetly aromatic, the Istrian variety shows a completely different face: richer, more complex, more mineral and capable of true greatness in Collio Goriziano – and capable of its true greatness in the Collio Goriziano. Schiopetto has been vinifying it as a single variety since 1974: hand-picked at the beginning of September, fermented in steel at 16 degrees for ten to twelve days, matured on the fine lees for nine months. The result needs no explanation, just a large glass.

The Winkl has been vinified as a single variety since 1956 – at a time when Sauvignon Blanc was still a rarity in South Tyrol. Winery manager Rudi Kofler says that this grape variety has always felt at home around the oldest farms in the Terlan DOC area. You believe him when you taste the wine. The vineyards lie at 280 to 580 metres above sea level, exposed to the south-southwest, on steep to very steep slopes. The soil is quartz porphyry – volcanic primary rock, crystalline-mineral, with a slightly acidic pH value and an almost natural self-limitation in yields. It is precisely this microstress that produces the terroir's own polyphenols, which give Terlano wines their characteristic saltiness and tension. No other soil, no other result. Hand-picked, gentle whole-cluster pressing, slow fermentation – then 7 to 8 months on the fine lees, 80 per cent in steel, 20 per cent in large wooden barrels. This silent wood component only serves the texture, it gives the wine substance without masking its origin.

GROSSO is a Blanc de Noirs produced using the classic Champagne method and matures for 24 months on the fine lees. Delicate pink colour and a fine, persistent perlage. Crisp bouquet of violets, citrus peel, nectarine and wild strawberry. On the palate with a nice tang, very straightforward flavour of red berries. Very well balanced, it prances into a respectable finish with a finely spiced and impressive freshness. SUPERIORE.DE

How could it be otherwise: Tenuta Meraviglia's Bolgheri Rosso is vinified from 100% (!) Cabernet Franc. Bright, deep ruby red colour with violet reflections. Intense and pronounced aroma of blackcurrant, wild blackberry, cherry and raspberry, enriched by notes of tobacco, liquorice, undergrowth and roasted aromas. Warm and persistent on the palate, with a fine texture and sweet, spicy tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

Crognolo is a wonderfully balanced wine that offers the tangy freshness and acidity of Sangiovese, which is balanced and softened by the small proportion of Merlot. The wine smells of cherry, blackberry and plum. Its primary intensity is bright and cheerful. The juicy finish shows a nice density, extraction and well-integrated tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

When Giuseppe Russo talks about his rosato, his eyes light up with the same intensity as the powder-pink glow that settles over the Contrada San Lorenzo in the early days of October. Here, where eighty-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines are rooted in volcanic soil at an altitude of 700 metres, one of Italy's most elegant rosés is created – born from the perfect balance between timing and technique. The magic begins with the early manual harvest, when the grapes have that crystalline freshness that only the cool Etna nights can give. Giuseppe uses a traditional vertical press in which the whole grapes are gently pressed for five hours – long enough to extract the delicate colour, short enough to preserve the mineral elegance. No maceration on the skins, no artificial intervention: just the natural connection between grape and volcanic terroir. After spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, the wine matures for six months in stainless steel, where it develops its characteristic finesse.

When you say Braida, you mean Barbera. Ever since Giacomo Bologna proved in the 1980s that this underestimated grape variety can reach barrique maturity and world class, the name has been synonymous with the Piedmontese red wine revolution. Connoisseurs know that the family also produces white wines – but La Regina, Re di Fiori and the Asso di Fiori are deliberately labelled differently: Serra dei Fiori. This is the name of the vineyard near Trezzo Tinella in the Langhe, which the Bolognas acquired together with the Giacosa brothers in 1988. A separate terroir, a joint venture, a separate project. This makes what Giuseppe and Raffaella Bologna now dare to do all the more significant: the first white wine to bear the name Braida. Vinified not in the Langhe, but in the historic cellar of Rocchetta Tanaro – the heart of the estate. The grapes come from the Colli Tortonesi, the hills east of Alessandria, where the Timorasso has been rooted since the Middle Ages and was saved from extinction thanks to pioneers like Walter Massa.

Cecubo is a historical wine heritage: a cuvée of 45% Abbuoto, 35% Primitivo and 20% Piedirosso, grown on the volcanic soils of Roccamonfina – a wine that was once prized by the Romans and is now considered a cult wine of the region. The 2015 vintage presents itself with dense intensity: a deep dark ruby colour with a garnet-red rim in the glass. The nose reveals a complex aroma of ripe wild berries, dried figs, vanilla and a hint of incense. Spicy notes such as black pepper and tobacco leaves are also present. On the palate, the wine impresses with round volume, pithy tannins and powerful fruit, integrated into a fascinating minerality. The ageing in barriques gives it depth, structure and a balanced, full-bodied expression. Cecubo is a red wine with expressiveness – full of history, with Campanian temperament, but also full of subtle minerality and a terrificfinish. A monument to the region that masterfully combines elegance and originality. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark ruby red with a delicately brightening rim. Elegant bouquet of dried cherries, followed by notes of chocolate and flowers. Radiant and juicy on the palate, showing pithy, savoury tannins, tightly woven, spanning a wide range. The zesty acidity provides a fantastic balance, while it finishes long and grippy with liquorice and a balsamic herbal flavour. All it needs is a little more time to fully develop. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: Badilante honours those workers who, with their spades – the "badili" – for generations to drain and reclaim the marshland of the Maremma. Simone Castelli, son of the legendary OenologistMaurizio, vinifies this single-varietal Sangiovese on the organically farmed Podere 414 vineyard near Scansano. The grapes grow at an altitude of 230 metres in clayey, loamy soils with a high proportion of skeleton. Spontaneous fermentation in cement, 15–18 days maceration with délestage and remontage, followed by maturation partly in cement and partly in wood.

Campanaro is the flagship white cuvée from Feudi di San Gregorio – a masterful blend of Fiano and Greco, two indigenous grape varieties that develop their full potential in the cool, high-altitude vineyards of Irpinia. The grapes come from particularly well-ventilated plots with clay and limestone soils at an altitude of up to 650 metres – ideal conditions for fresh acidity, fine flavours and long ripening times. Brilliant straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. Rich, complex aromas on the nose: yellow apple, ripe apricot, candied lemon peel, roasted hazelnut, some fennel herb and a hint of smoky minerality. The short maturation in barriques leaves behind delicate hints of vanilla and toasted bread without masking the fruit. Elegant and full-bodied on the palate, carried by the natural freshness of the vintage, with a firm structure and a lively, almost savoury length.

Already the famous Italian wine critic Veronelli rated the Colli Berici together with Bolgheri as one of the best growing areas for the Bordelais grape varieties. This rare Merlot is dedicated to its creator Alfredo Lazzarini, whose vineyards Inama recently acquired, and it represents the history of the Colli Berici. Dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, delicate watery rim. Spicy nuances of black cherries, ripe plums, forest floor, some jasmine and a pleasant touch of precious wood. Juicy on the palate, with good complexity and a chocolaty texture, round tannins and a discreet extract sweetness on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Macrina shines in the glass in a clear straw yellow colour with a subtle green hue. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white flowers and green apple, carried by an elegant, persistent freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly accompanies the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure varietal and origin presence. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a drinkable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Pinot Bianco reveals its aristocratic side at the high altitude of Zuc di Volpe. The privileged single vineyard site near Togliano offers ideal conditions for this elegant grape variety: cool nights, calcareous soils and excellent aeration, which enables slow, balanced ripening. Maturation in stainless steel tanks with an extended maturation period on the fine lees preserves the clear fruit and at the same time lends depth and structure. The nose reveals aromas of white peach, pear and a hint of camomile, underpinned by a fine nutty note. Finely crafted and precise on the palate, with a creamy texture, firm minerality and a long, balanced finish.

Here is one of the most serious and at the same time most exciting sparkling wines that can be made from the Sorbara variety! Pale to dusky pink in colour with a fine foam and accentuated, persistent perlage. The bouquet is almost magical and yet very distinguished, with hints of raspberry and wild strawberry, which is what makes a top-class Lambrusco, but still seems to be an unattainable goal for many local winegrowers. A fine acidity on the palate, with delicate, dry bitter notes and an exciting brightening of fruity tones of wild strawberry and pomegranate. The overall impression is bone-dry and the bottled dream of a Lambrusco produced using the champagne method, which is unrivalled in the wine landscape. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1886, Carlo Campagnola founded his winery in the Marano Valley, in the heart of Valpolicella Classico. In 1907, he won the first gold medal for the best Recioto at the Verona Wine Fair – since then, the family, now in its fifth generation, has continued what began as a small farm. The vineyards for this Amarone are located on calcareous slopes between 200 and 350 metres above sea level, where Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella are harvested by hand at the end of September. The traditional appassimento drying process takes around 100 days until the grapes have lost 35–40% of their weight. Gentle pressing in December, 30 days of maceration, then ageing: 60% matures for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, 40% for 18 months in new Allier oak barriques.

For many, Carricante is inextricably linked with Etna. But with Carjcanti, Gulfi shows that this grape variety can also develop its very own, characterful profile in the south-eastern hinterland of Chiaramonte Gulfi on calcareous and clayey soils at an altitude of around 600 metres. Organic cultivation, hand-picking in the cool morning hours and gentle ageing in stainless steel tanks followed by six months of storage on the fine lees – accompanied by regular bâtonnage – ensure complexity, texture and freshness at the same time.