wines

In 1986, Hans Terzer dared to take the step of vinifying a Chardonnay modelled on Burgundy, which was to set international standards. The grapes for this wine, which has been the flagship of the Sanct Valentin line ever since, come from the best single vineyards in the municipality of Eppan, situated between 450 and 550 metres above sea level on calcareous gravel soils. Warm September days, cool nights – the microclimate of the South Tyrolean mountain vineyards gives the Chardonnay the aromatic depth and structure that allow it to mature from year to year. Each parcel is vinified separately. Fermentation begins in barriques, where malolactic fermentation also takes place, followed by eleven months on the fine lees – followed by a further eight months of ageing in steel tanks to perfect the balance between fruit, wood and minerality.

While Virgilio Bisti cultivates the reds – merlot, Cabernet, Syrah –Rita Tua has focussed on the whites. Lodano Bianco is her wine, her conviction: that in this climate and on these mineral-rich soils of the Colline Metallifere, a white wine with its own character can be created – from an assemblage that nobody would have expected in the Maremma. Traminer, Riesling and Chardonnay. Three grape varieties, three origin stories, one terroir. The vineyards near Suvereto lie on clay and mineral-rich soils, twelve kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Mistral wind from the Piombino Canal keeps the temperatures in balance, preserves the flavour and gives the white wine a freshness that is not a given at this latitude. Gentle pressing, fermentation in wooden tanks, then maturation in barriques.

As always, the Cerviolo is excellent: concentrated, with the aroma of red cherry, sweet tobacco, walnut and wild mushroom. Silky and multi-layered on the palate, with balsamic and spicy notes, dense and soft, with absolutely harmonious tannins. A marvellous wine! SUPERIORE.DE

The four wines resulting from the collaboration between Dolce & Gabbana and Donnafugata show attention to detail and unconditional love for Sicily. They are the perfect expression of two top companies "Made in Italy". They represent the aesthetic fusion of craftsmanship, creativity and Sicilian passion. Together, they have created a unique collection of wines and packaging that emotionally capture Sicilian culture and lifestyle and express a clear commitment to the beauty and tradition of Sicily.

Don Antonio is not only a great and powerful wine, it is also a monument. Dedicated to the father of the Morgante family, this Nero d'Avola embodies the quintessence of the passion with which vines have been cultivated in the hills of Grotte for generations. The grapes come from old vines and the best altitudes of up to 500 metres, where day-night temperature fluctuations, limestone soils and the sea breeze favour a Mediterranean but wonderfully developed profile. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine is aged for twelve months in French barriques, followed by a further maturation phase in the bottle.

Federico Giuntini-Antinori runs the area's most traditional estate, whose family tree can be traced back to the 15th century. Rufina is the northernmost district in Chianti, where the vineyards grow around the Villa di Selvapiana and in the vineyards of San Martino a Quona, Pian de' Marroni and Cerbognole. Mainly Sangiovese with small additions of Canaiolo, Colorino and Malvasia Nera are harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October, partly by hand. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in steel tanks at 28-30°C with a 25-day maceration period. Maturation lasts 12 months in 25-litre French oak barrels and concrete vats.

Cultus is Latin for "cultivation, care and veneration". The name says it all: this wine honours tradition by reinterpreting it. Where the house's classic Riserva relies on tried and tested structures, Cultus dares to take a longer breath. Forty days of maceration instead of the usual three weeks, Sangiovese supplemented by the historical companions Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo – all from massalselection of the estate's oldest vines. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 250 to 330 metres, on clayey loam over limestone, organically farmed since 1995 and certified since 2003. The 2019 vintage brought ideal conditions: early budding in the warm spring, balancing rainfall into the summer, then perfect ripeness.

In 1898, Christian Schrott, parish priest of Termeno and a member of the Austrian Parliament, founded a cooperative intended to bring together the winegrowers of his village. What began back then as a community based on farmers’ solidarity is now one of South Tyrol’s most renowned wine-growers’ cooperatives: 160 member families, 250 hectares of vineyards, and a commitment to quality that is unrivalled in the region. The name ‘Stoan’ is the brainchild of cellar master Willi Stürz – and is self-explanatory: ‘Stoan’ is the dialect word for ‘stone’, and the stony, limestone-rich subsoil at altitudes of up to 600 metres is what gives this wine its identity.

Maso Michei is located high up in a secluded mountain world in southern Trentino. There, the vines thrive at an altitude of 790 to 850 metres on a sun-drenched south-facing slope in unspoilt nature. In this remarkable location for viticulture, the vines grow slowly and the grapes ripen late. With the acquisition of the 13-hectare Maso Michei vineyard in the Valle dei Ronchi above Ala, Martin Foradori Hofstätter has returned to the roots of his ancestors in Trentino.

Pinot Blanc has been part of the Sanct Valentin line since 2001 – born out of the realisation that this long underestimated variety is capable of achieving extraordinary things at the high altitudes of Eppan-Berg. Between 450 and 600 metres, where limestone gravel and clay form the foundation, ten to thirty-two year old vines grow facing south-southeast. Extremely low yields from meticulously selected plots. Hand-picked at the end of September, then two different methods: one half fermented with malolactic fermentation and yeast storage in barriques and tonneaux, the other in large oak barrels. After just under a year, the wine is blended when it is clear what belongs together – then a further eight months of maturation in steel tanks to finalise the balance.

Arneis means "little rascal" in Piedmontese – the little pain in the arse. Difficult to grow, prone to over-ripening, almost forgotten for decades. Bruno Giacosa was one of two producers who saved the grape variety from extinction in the late 1960s by bottling and marketing it as a single variety – at a time when hardly anyone understood why. Today, it is impossible to imagine the Roero without Arneis. And the Giacosa specimen remains the reference. The grapes come from selected vineyards in Vezza d'Alba, Monteu Roero, Santo Stefano Roero, Canale and Montà d'Alba – long-standing suppliers that Bruno Giacosa has personally selected. Foreign vineyards, own signature. 23 to 34-year-old vines on the sandy soils of the Roero, the ancient seabed north of the Tanaro, which gives the Arneis a natural lightness and aromatic strength that clay terroirs never achieve. Vinification purist: spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks, 25 to 30 days, without malolactic fermentation – the freshness and acidity remain intact. Four months sur lie, one month bottle ageing. Bottled in February 2025, no wood, no intervention that is not necessary.

Chiaro di Bolle epitomises Il Borro's bold answer to the question of what Sangiovese is capable of as a sparkling wine – a Tuscan Metodo Classico that redefines the traditional boundaries of the grape variety. As a Blanc de Noir made from 100% Sangiovese, this exceptional sparkling wine fits perfectly into the winery's many years of experimentation with the queen of Tuscan grape varieties and impressively demonstrates the versatility of this terroir-influenced Sangiovese. Vinified according to the classic metodo tradizionale, Chiaro di Bolle undergoes traditional bottle fermentation, which gives Sangiovese a completely new dimension. The organically farmed grapes from Valdarno di Sopra bring their characteristic minerality and freshness, while the careful cellar work transforms the natural elegance of the grape variety into a sparkling lightness.

1976 was Paolo De Marchis’s first year at Isole e Olena. He was 25; at the time, Chianti Classico was a wine that hardly anyone thought had a future, and the two medieval hamlets – isole and Olena – were what his father Francesco had bought in 1956: two dilapidated farmsteads in the hills west of Castellina. Paolo stayed. For almost fifty years. What he made of this estate changed the history of Chianti Classico. He was one of the first to vinify Sangiovese separately, one of the first to bring the hillside terraces back into cultivation, and one of the first to take Sangiovese seriously as a single-varietal wine. His Cepparello – first bottled in 1980 – became one of Italy’s benchmark wines. Emanuele Reolon, the new technical director at Isole e Olena, sums it up as follows: "Paolo brought the Piedmontese style to Tuscany. He treated Sangiovese like Nebbiolo." Back then, it was a revolution. Today, it is dogma.

The grapes for Carluccio "Carlo" Negri, named after the winery's pioneer, come from vineyards in the DOC and DOCG areas of Valtellina on the slopes of the Rhaetian Alps along the right bank of the River Adda. The region's world-famous sfursat is produced by the natural drying of the grapes, favoured by the cool, dry winds from the mountains. In the "fruttaio", the fruit shed, they lose almost 30% of their weight during this process. The result is a unique Nebbiolo: rich and intense, with the typical mineral and fresh character of Alpine wines.

The Moscato Giallo is dry and matured for 5 months on the fine lees and has a golden yellow colour. It is an aromatic wine, with notes of citrus fruits, white peaches, lemon balm and elderberry, combined with a hint of nutmeg and sweet spices. The lively acidity and discreet mineral structure give this wine an excellent freshness and pleasant style. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for this high-calibre Valpolicella Classico Superiore come from the rather barren, calcareous and terraced vineyards of Tenuta Novare above the Ognisanti church. Wines of greater complexity, perfect structure and higher concentration are produced here than in most other vineyards in Valpolicella. Sparkling ruby-garnet colour. Fragrant nose with wonderful overtones of sour cherry, dried flowers and white pepper. Perfectly balanced on the palate with firm tannins and wonderful spice and depth of fruit thanks to the ageing in wood. A superior, winning wine from the heart of the Valpolicella region. SUPERIORE.DE

A wine like a manifesto: Della Bastonaca is the quintessence of the COS philosophy, grown on the historic estate in Bastonaca near Vittoria – where up to 75-year-old Alberello vines of Nero d'Avola and Frappato stand on calcareous red clay, criss-crossed by quartz veins and the constant presence of Mediterranean air. Biodynamics is not a statement here, but a lived practice – for decades, each vintage has been vinified in harmony with nature at the right rhythm. The 2020 vintage brought the best conditions: A spring with sufficient moisture, a warm but not overheated summer and cool nights during the ripening period created the ideal balance of vigour, freshness and aromatic precision. Selective hand-picking, spontaneous fermentation on the skins and careful ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months – these are conscious decisions that together result in a wine of quiet greatness.