wines

Animardente is a pure Nerello Mascalese produced from vines planted in bushes at an altitude of 700 metres on partly sandy and ashy, partly gravelly and pebbly soils that are exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night. The name of the wine is derived from the bowels of the volcano, from its incessant activity, the heat and the colour of the magma. The vines grow in a kind of amphitheatre created by volcanic eruptions, which over the centuries have produced a valuable substrate for viticulture: On dark volcanic soils formed from lava flows, mainly free-living, rootless vines develop here, which are exposed to the most extreme climatic influences. Animardente was born a few years ago in this almost moon-like landscape. A name that tells of the soul of the silent volcano, unexpected and incandescent, breathing life into perpetual motion. An irrepressible and seductive force of nature, the expression of a unique terroir. SUPERIORE.DE

Uvaggio is an old Piedmontese word for what has been practised in the vineyard for centuries: Growing different grape varieties together, harvesting together, pressing together. In Alto Piemonte, this was never an emergency solution, but a conviction – that Nebbiolo brings depth, Vespolina spice and minerality, Croatina colour and suppleness, and that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Proprietà Sperino has recovered this principle from the historical memory of the region. Paolo De Marchi – who redefined Chianti Classico in Tuscany with Isole & Olena – returned with his son Luca to the family's home in Piedmont, the castle of Lessona, in 1999. Here, in a vaulted cellar that is more than two hundred years old, they have since been producing wines that put Alto Piemonte back on the map of great Italian red wines. The grapes come from the vineyards in Lessona and the Madonna degli Angeli vineyard in Brusnengo, both on those unique marine Pliocene sands on igneous rock that give the wine its unmistakable minerality. Spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts in open wooden barrels, 23 days of maceration, regular pumping over. Twelve months sur lie, then 22 months in a mixture of barriques and large oval barrels.

One of South Tyrol's great wine stories begins under the mighty lime tree that has given the historic estate its name for centuries. The Lindenburg in Bozen-Dorf, the family seat of the Lageders for three generations, towers majestically over the broodingalluvial soils of the Talfer – a location that connoisseurs praise as one of the two best for Lagrein in the whole of South Tyrol. Here, where millions of years of geological history have formed a unique valley basin, wines of legendary expressiveness are created.

"Courageous, stubborn, rebellious" – is how Arianna Occhipinti describes the wine that is most like her. Frappato, this ursicilian grape variety of peasant origin, is rooted here in calcareous sandy soils at the foot of the Monti Iblei. Forty-year-old vines near Vittoria, at an altitude of 280 metres, are cultivated biodynamically. Vinification follows the rhythm of nature: spontaneous fermentation in concrete, thirty days of maceration, then fourteen months of ageing in large Slavonian oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered, the wine retains its lively authenticity.

When Franco Pola bottled the first bottle of his Barbaresco Bordini in 1970, he not only wrote the beginning of a family story, but also symbolised the connection between man and vineyard that lasts for generations. The vineyard bears the same name as the street on which the winery stands – via Bordini 15 – and this geographical coincidence harbours a deeper truth: here, where the winery building looks directly onto the south-east-facing slope, family and terroir are inextricably interwoven. On sandy limestone/clay soil, 280 metres above sea level, Nebbiolo vines 50 to 60 years old take root – one hectare of which is even over 70 years old and ungrafted, a living link to the time when Franco's father Secondo still ran the farm as a farm.

With Cifra, star oenologist Luca D'Attoma has vinified a wonderfully agile and elegant Cabernet Franc. Dark ruby purple in colour, with a deep aroma and notes of blackberries and liquorice. Rich fruit on the palate with firm tannins and a mineral final. A delight from the Tuscan coast from biodynamic (Demeter) cultivation. SUPERIORE.DE

Franz and Bernadette Pratzner planted their first Riesling grapes more than 30 years ago. The small parcel yields just 1,500 bottles per year. The primary rock soil, the dry warmth during the day and the cool nights provide excellent conditions for the Vinschgau Riesling to thrive on the steep south-facing slopes between 550 and 900 metres.

Livio Felluga's new cru wines are the result of massalselection. For this purpose, selected vines are reproduced in particularly favourable locations in order to renew vineyards with particularly high-quality vines and to further improve the quality of individual varietal wines.

Querciabella's Riserva, with an annual production of 10,000 bottles, is a selection of the best lots. It blends fruit from Greve, where the vineyards lie between 350 and 550 metres above sea level, with grapes from the stony high altitudes of Radda and the chalky soils of Gaiole. Tantalising aromas of spring flowers, cranberries and potting soil are accompanied by vanilla and smoke. On the palate, it is polished and pure, with a delicious, tangy acidity and sinewy tannins. As every year, one of the most refined wines of the appellation. SUPERIORE.DE

This smooth and exceptionally polished Valtellina Superiore comes from Sassella, one of the most famous villages in the Valtellina appellation on the north bank of the River Adda. Bright ruby red in colour. Camphor, wild roses, wild berries and hints of graphite and vanilla are the main characters in this fragrant red wine. Straightforward and elegantly structured, it reveals red cherry, pomegranate and liquorice on the palate, accompanied by present but fine tannins. The lively acidity provides the necessary drive, including further ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale copper colour with amber and salmon hues, the result of prolonged maceration on the skins of the Pinot Grigio grapes (Ramato). Straightforward, precise nose of white stone fruit, sweet spices and vanilla. Clearly structured and forward on the palate with tart berry fruit, light cherries, wild mint and a hint of bitter almond. A salty nuance on the finish, light-footed, almost weightless and very animating. SUPERIORE.DE

Mason. This is what Manincor calls the Mazzon vineyard to avoid confusion with the larger vineyard of the same name above Neumarkt. Four hectares of Pinot Nero are rooted here on a south-facing high plateau between 400 and 450 metres above sea level, spoilt by the sun and constantly exposed to the wind. This breeze is crucial: the narrow-berried Pinot grapes tend to store moisture between the berries – without air circulation, there is a risk of rot. The soil is sandy loam, interspersed with a variety of rocks: dolomite, porphyry, gneiss and granite, from particles the size of a grain of rice to stones the size of a fist. Each parcel is vinified separately. Mash fermentation takes place spontaneously in open wooden vats with wild yeasts. Maceration lasts two weeks and the cap is gently punched down once a day. The 16-month maturation in barriques (20% new wood) on the fine lees refines the flavours and structure without overpowering the fruit.

Named after Cassian, the son of Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg, who was born in 1996, the same year that Manincor opened its own winery. A name that stands for new beginnings, for the future, for the next generation. The cuvée combines six international grape varieties from the estate's best red wine sites: Manincor, Seehof and Panholzerhof, between 250 and 280 metres above sea level. Exposed to the south-east with a view of the lake, the vines are rooted in strong sandy loam soils interspersed with limestone gravel and glacial rock deposits – these plots are among the warmest sites in South Tyrol. Each grape variety is vinified separately. Mash fermentation takes place spontaneously in wooden vats with wild yeasts. Maceration lasts between 10 and 20 days – depending on the variety and the desired tannin structure. Finesse and elegance are the top priorities, not strength for strength's sake. The 16-month maturation in barriques (one third new wood) refines the structure without dominating the fruit. Blending only takes place shortly before bottling – the art of composition, in which character and individuality merge with solemnity and elegance.

The grapes for this elegant Nebbiolo come from the Ravera di Monforte vineyard, a small, calcareous and clayey plot on the south-eastern slope above the village of Monforte d'Alba. It shares its name with the famous Novello cru, but is independent and characterised by stony soils that give the roots depth and minerality. Bright garnet red with a ruby-coloured core. The bouquet opens with clear, youthful fruit: sour cherry, redcurrant and a hint of raspberry, underpinned by violets, dried herbs and a subtle hint of cinnamon. On the palate, the wine is taut and fresh, with precise acidity, ripe tannins and an animating, slightly savoury length. An authentic Nebbiolo from the Langhe that clearly shows its origin and signature in the glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Montalcino is a hill. To be more precise: a single large cone of limestone, marl, slate and sand that rises above the Val d'Orcia – exposed to the north, south-east and south-west, characterised by three completely different climates. Most of the producers in the appellation have access to one of these slopes. Val di Suga has all three. Vigna del Lago in the north-west, Poggio al Granchio in the south-east, Vigna Spuntali in the south-west. Three soils, three microclimates, three characters – and a single winery that unites them all under one roof. The basic Brunello is the result of this unique position: a cuvée from all three sites that does not aim for simplification, but for synthesis. Fermentation takes eight to twelve days at a controlled temperature, with maceration lasting a further two to three weeks. Maturation in traditional 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels for 24 months, followed by six months in concrete and then the bottle. The 2021 vintage brought a late frost in April – the harvest was reduced, the quality concentrated. A dry summer without extreme heat, a long, even autumn. The Consorzio and a jury of eight Masters of Wine agreed on three words to characterise the vintage: fragrant, precise, vertical.

When Luciano and Luca Sandrone first set eyes on the concave hill of Valmaggiore in the 1990s, it was love at first sight. It wasn't just history that moved them – in the 19th century, the Nebbiolo grapes from this vineyard dictated the price for the entire area – but above all the unique combination of sandy soils and the microclimate of this natural amphitheatre. In Vezza d'Alba, on the left bank of the Tanaro in the Roero, lies this south-facing single vineyard with extremely steep slopes, where soft sandy soils give the Nebbiolo the finesse and elegance for which the Roero region is famous.

Straw yellow with greenish reflections. An exciting bouquet of white flowers, roses and a hint of acacia honey. Spicy and taut on the palate, with a very aristocratic perlage, flavours of bread crust, yeast and a hint of liquorice. One of the few outstanding Metodo Classico from the Veneto made from 100% Pinot Nero. Very great class! SUPERIORE.DE

There are vintages that make history – and 2023 will be one such milestone for Valdicava. In a decision that prioritises pure perfection over commercial success, Vincenzo Abbruzzese made a choice that only a true purist can make: Not a single drop of the 2023 vintage will leave the estate as Brunello di Montalcino. Instead, the entire precious harvest from the legendary Montosoli vineyards will be channelled into a Rosso di Montalcino of historic significance. What would normally be considered "declassification" becomes a deliberate art form here. All the grapes from the famous vineyards, those that would normally be reserved for the celebrated Brunello and even the mythical Madonna del Piano Riserva, come together to create a Rosso that pushes the boundaries of its category.

Bright ruby colour with a purple shimmer. The bouquet is fresh and youthful: red cherries, crisp plums, a hint of cranberry and subtle floral nuances. Straightforward on the palate, with clear fruit, present, animating acidity and a fine spicy finish. Thanks to its maturation in stainless steel, it is particularly appealing to drink and shows the unadorned, fruit-emphasised character of the grape variety. A juicy and serious Barbera that clearly expresses its origins and is great fun even when young. SUPERIORE.DE