wines

Rossofonte is no ordinary Rosso. It is a rigorous selection from a single vineyard, as close to Brunello as the appellation allows. Since the first vintage (2014), it has shown what Sangiovese can achieve in Castelnuovo dell'Abate if it is given time and attention. Hand-picked grapes, extended ageing in Slavonian oak barrels. Wild cherry, ripe berries, balsamic notes of tobacco, cedar wood, mint and lavender on the nose. On the palate, sweetness and acidity alternate in an elegant interplay, fine, powdery tannins carry the final with nuances of star anise and pink pepper. A convincing and deep Rosso with Brunello ambitions. SUPERIORE.DE

Wine has been produced here since 1051 – initially by monks, and since 1846 by the Stucchi Prinetti family, now in its seventh generation. Badia a Coltibuono, the ‘Abbey of the Good Harvest’, was the first leading winery in Chianti to switch entirely to organic cultivation. The Riserva is made from massalblend of Sangiovese and historic complementary varieties such as Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, grown on the highest hills near Gaiole. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, three weeks’ contact with the skins, followed by 24 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. The 2021 vintage benefited from a cool year with late frosts – lower yields, but concentrated quality.

Elegant rosé sparkling wine from Lake Garda made from a harmonious blend of Groppello, Marzemino, Sangiovese and Barbera vinified in a classic bottle fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for at least 24 months, this brut gains a delicate texture and aromatic depth. Delicate, antique rosé colour with a bright shimmer in the glass. Fine notes of red berries, rose petals and mineral nuances on the nose, underpinned by a hint of salty tension. On the palate, it impresses with its fine, persistent perlage, fruity fullness and lively freshness. The mineral freshness and subtle salty flavour ensure an animating drinking flow – a rosé that is equally brilliant as an aperitif or with light to medium-heavy summer dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

The porphyry-rich steep slopes on the Ritten above Bolzano offer first-class conditions for producing a Sauvignon Bianco with unique fruit, minerality, elegance and depth. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Precise fruity flavours of gooseberry, elderflower, herbs, yeast and a fine woody note. Harmonious flavour with very well-integrated acidity, an accentuated body and an elegant mineral note. Long and deep on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Giacosa grows Dolcetto on the Falletto – that cru in Serralunga d'Alba which seems made for Nebbiolo and for wines that take decades to develop. No other estate in Piedmont would do this so matter-of-factly. The monopoly in Serralunga, supplemented by plots in Lirano di Sinio, provides the Dolcetto with soils otherwise reserved for Barolo – rich in limestone, structurally robust, with a minerality that has characterised this site for generations. The vinification is restrained: 8 to 10 days’ maceration in wood, full malolactic fermentation, then 6 months in steel, one month in bottle. The south-western and western exposure, the soils of Serralunga – all of this shapes the character without anyone needing to intervene.

Furggl is a field name that sticks in the memory. In the municipality of Auer, in the heart of South Tyrol’s Unterland region, this single vineyard is situated on alluvial soils composed of limestone and porphyry gravel, interspersed with sand and loam. A terroir that offers the late-ripening Lagrein exactly what it needs: warmth, depth and the soil moisture that ensures a consistent supply of water even in dry years. The vines, grafted onto low-vigor rootstocks and trained using the Guyot system, yield concentrated harvests of just 45 hectolitres per hectare. Following the hand-harvest in early October, the destemmed grapes first undergo a one-day cold maceration before fermentation takes place at 28–30 °C over ten days. Regular pumping over and gentle submersion keep the must in contact with the skins – , allowing colour pigments and fruit aromas to permeate the heart of the wine. After two careful rackings, the long ageing process begins: 12 months in French barriques, followed by 6 months in stainless steel, then a further 6 months of bottle ageing. Only after a total of 24 months’ ageing does this wine reach the customer – ready to drink, yet with the potential to age for a decade or more.

Between the hills of Gaiole and Radda in Chianti, at an altitude of 460 to 525 metres, lies one of the most extraordinary wine estates in Tuscany. Since 1982, Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti have shaped the fortunes of Castello di Ama – a winemaking couple who have helped Chianti Classico achieve worldwide recognition. "Ama" was created in 2010 with the introduction of the Gran Selezione as an independent line and represents the essence of the estate's younger Sangiovese clones. Made from 96% Sangiovese and 4% Merlot, the wine comes from densely planted vineyards on chalky, clayey soils. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts and matured for twelve months in second-use barriques.

The grapes for this fresh and very complex Pinot Grigio come from a single vineyard at an altitude of around 700 metres with a westerly exposure; only 3,200 bottles are bottled each year. This Pinot Grigio reflects both the alpine terroir and the clear varietal identity. Bright straw yellow in colour, with a floral nose of lime, hawthorn and herbs. Firm and fresh on the palate, with harmonious, flavoursome notes of apple and pear and a mineral vein on the long, balanced finish. SUPERIORE.DE

A white pioneer in Tuscany: in 1987, Avignonesi was the first winery in the region to create a barrique-aged white wine and named it after the stone lion in front of the palazzo in Montepulciano – symbolising wisdom and strength. Today, Virginie Saverys continues this tradition with biodynamic precision and vinifies the Chardonnay from Cortona using the pied-de-cuve method: 81% is matured in French barriques, 19% in cement barrels, in each case for at least five months on the fine lees.

Rissoa is the Italian name of an elegantly shaped sea snail that has lived on the Tuscan coast since the Pleistocene. Depicted on the label, it tells us the most important thing: this Rosato is dedicated to the sea. Campo di Sasso lies on sandy and gravelly soils of medium texture, 50 metres above sea level, with the Tyrrhenian Sea always within earshot. Predominantly Cabernet Franc, followed by Syrah. Hand-picked in the second half of August, in the cool early hours of the morning. The same careful vinification as for the Occhione: cooling to 8 to 10°C, gentle pressing of only the first must, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, 30 days of fine lees with daily bâtonnage, a further two months in steel.

The name Barriu – in Sardinian dialect a word for "load" or "burden" – refers to the traditional unit of measurement that was once used to measure the carrying capacity of a donkey. One barriu was equivalent to around 100 Liters of wine, a symbol of a rural world in which every load had weight – both physically and symbolically. Vigne Surrau uses this metaphor to give its most powerful red wine a name that combines origin, strength and identity. Barriu is Sardinia in traditional rhythm, born in Gallura, where sun, wind and granite create a dramatic stage for great red wines. The wine combines three grape variety characters: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cannonau and Carignano and each variety brings its own signature. The vines are rooted in granite soils in the hills near Arzachena, where cool nights and thermal winds ensure slow, balanced ripening.

Francesca Moretti grew up with Bellavista – her father Vittorio's Franciacorta winery, one of Italy's reference addresses for sparkling wine. What she wanted to develop in Suvereto was the opposite: great red wines in the style of Bordeaux, from a terroir that hardly anyone knew. The Potenti is her most personal commitment to this conviction – named after the vineyard in Riotorto from which the grapes come. The soils are clayey, sandy and calcareous, interspersed with coarse skeleton – a foundation that forces the Cabernet Sauvignon to root deeply and bear concentrated fruit. The vineyard lies between the foothills of the Colline Metallifere and the Tyrrhenian coast, in a climate that combines sea breezes with long, sunny autumns. After the harvest in October, the wine ferments in large oak conical barrels and matures for 18 months in French barriques – according to the best Bordelese tradition.

"La Procura" - "The Public Prosecutor's Office". The names of Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti's wines are reminiscent of his father's world as a notary. The climate in Basilicata is characterised by hot, sunny days and cool nights thanks to altitudes of up to 600 m above sea level. This large day/night temperature difference promotes slow phenolic ripening and preserves the freshness of the fruit. The limestone and clay soils store heat during the day and release it at night, resulting in a balance of concentration and elegance. Notaio's new La Procura Primitivo comes from hand-picked Primitivo grapes in the province of Potenza. Harvested at the end of October, the grapes macerated for 20 days, followed by 12 months of ageing in French barriques and 12 months of bottle ageing.

This is where Ampeleia's true masterclass is revealed: the Cabernet Franc from the single vineyard "Vigna dell'Asina" is the centrepiece of the "Monovarietali" project and shows why this grape variety has become the flagship of the winery. What began as a vision in 2003 has developed into one of the most precise expressions of the Tuscan terroir. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 500 metres and combines ideal conditions: Clay-rich soils interspersed with characteristic Galestro limestone rocks and Palombini formations create a unique microclimate. Contrary to the expectation that clay soils produce heavy wines, wines of surprising elegance and purity are produced here – a phenomenon that can only be observed in Roccatederighi. Vinification follows Ampeleia's purist approach: 20% of the grapes undergo carbonic maceration as whole bunches, the rest are destemmed. After two weeks of maceration, the wine matures for nine months in cement tanks – for nine months in cement tanks without the use of wood in order to preserve the varietal characteristics unadulterated.

In 1090, while Leif Erikson was discovering America and the first universities in Europe were being established, two friends of Abbot Rolando paid "two capons, three loaves of bread and six silver denarii from Lucca" for the annual lease of a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. Nine hundred (Novecento) years later, in 1990, this wine was created as a reminiscence of the incredible journey through the centuries. The grapes thrive between 300 and 420 metres above sea level on stony soils of marl, limestone and galestro. The vines, which are on average 15 years old and cultivated organically as in the early days of this domain, undergo a 14-day spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement vats before maturing for 18 months in large, unroasted French Allier oak barrels.

All the vineyards of the Falkenstein winery face south. Except for one. The St. Ursula vineyard is exposed to the south-west, and this decision is no coincidence. Pinot Noir needs a different logic than Riesling or Pinot Blanc: a little less direct midday sun, a little more afternoon warmth, a slower, more even ripening. On dry glacial moraine soils of gneiss, slate, granite, mica and quartz, at altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, the basis for the estate's top selection grows here. The St. Ursula is the selection of the best grapes from this unique parcel – hand-picked, matured in barriques, the only Falkenstein wine not aged in acacia wood but in small wooden barrels. Aged in the bottle for at least 365 days before leaving the winery. The name bears – like so many vineyards in Alpine South Tyrol – the history of a chapel or patrocinium that has characterised this landscape for centuries.

Subtle but tantalising aromas of yellow pear, smoke, citrus and hazelnut lift from the glass, along with a hint of cedar. The flavours continue on the elegantly structured palate, along with citrus peel and a hint of acacia honey. It shows the ageing potential of Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo and is a serious white wine that is suitable not only as an aperitif but also as an accompaniment to an entire meal. Piquant and impressive. SUPERIORE.DE

The Campo della Pieve vineyard (approx. 380 metres above sea level) faces south-west and has thicker soils and more tufa. The most recent parcel, which was recently acquired, is the highest to date at 400 metres above sea level. The site is more susceptible to wind and has good water retention thanks to the heavier clay soils.

It was Luigi Veronelli, the Italian wine revolutionary of the 60s and 70s, who convinced Francesco Giuntini that exceptional single vineyards deserve their own voice. Of all the old Poderi from the Mezzadria period, Bucerchiale has always been the best – a south-west facing amphitheatre in the cooler heights of Rufina, where Tuscany approaches the last foothills of the Apennines. Francesco took the plunge in 1979. While the law still stipulated Trebbiano in every Chianti and the wine world favoured quantity, he produced defiant resistance from pure Sangiovese. A 100 per cent Sangiovese from a single vineyard – a revolutionary act at the time that marked the beginning of the Tuscan Renaissance. In 2022, Vigneto Bucerchiale celebrates its 43rd year and embodies a perfect vision. Spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks at 30-32°C with 30 days of maceration allows every nuance of the terroir to unfold before the wine matures 50 per cent in French oak barrels of 25 hl and 50 per cent in barriques – only 15 per cent of which is new.

The steep porphyry slopes at an altitude of up to 650 metres on the Ritten above Bolzano offer ideal conditions for vinifying this powerful yet elegant Chardonnay with outstanding balance, well-integrated acidity and excellent ageing potential. Straw yellow in colour with greenish inclusions. Pure exotic flavours of pineapple, mango and white peach on the nose, underpinned by a delicate vanilla note. Powerful on the palate, the well-integrated acidity keeps it fresh and mineral despite its power and complexity, right through to an almost infinitely long finish. A great Chardonnay from South Tyrol! SUPERIORE.DE

The organically certified Sangiovese grapes for this Chianti Classico are grown in the legendary Conca d'Oro south of Panzano, that amphitheatrical Golden Valley with its unique microclimate of warm days and cool nights. Giovanni Manetti, president of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, vinifies exclusively hand-picked grapes in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts on the chalky Galestro soils of his 170-hectare Tenuta. After three weeks of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in French oak barrels of various sizes.