This juicy, drink-now aromatic white is a well-judged 45% Pinot Bianco blend with the remainder split between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. All the fruit is grown at 448 metres (hence the name) on the mineral-rich hillside vineyards of Alto Adige's Cornaiano canton. The name not only refers to the altitude of the source vineyards but also to a local expression: ‘448’ or ‘quattro quattro otto’ is a local saying for ‘hurry up’ or ‘chop chop’. So, there's a bit of Tyrolean wordplay going on here.

This is a joy to drink—a super aromatic, juicy wine similarly weighted to a Cheverny or Pouilly Fumé. You can expect a mouthwatering, tangy wine with spring blossom, sliced apple, citrus peel and fresh-cut herbs on the nose and palate. In the mouth, it’s crunchy, racy and refreshing, but becomes more and more textural over time in the glass. Proper mountain wine and serious bang for buck on offer here.

Screwcap. Traditionally cropped from an ideally positioned 3.2 hectares within the Serralunga postcode, recent vintages also include fruit from Massolino’s Cascina I Maschi vineyard in Monforte d’Alba. The Dolcetto is raised entirely in stainless steel tanks. First produced all the way back in 1896, Massolino only uses its finest Dolcetto for this bottling; the remainder is sold in bulk. It’s another superb example of this variety: both succulent and perfumed and packed with crunchy black cherry fruit and floral notes with a lovely vibrant, mouthwatering close. Pass the salumi please.

The latest wine from Justin Bubb and the Babo team is a Langhe Nebbiolo, sourced from vineyards near the famed town of Castiglione Falletto. The sites mainly face southwest between 300 and 400 metres above sea level. The 2021 vintage came with challenges: spring frosts affected yields, and the summer months were warm, but the fruit quality at the end of the season was fantastic. The fruit was handpicked, destemmed and macerated for about a week with twice-daily pumpovers. To preserve freshness and bright red-fruit appeal, the wine matured in concrete tanks for just a short period.

Babo’s knack for wines of bright, easy-going charm is writ large over this Langhe Nebbiolo. It’s a fantastic addition to this brilliant range. Dusty floral notes and bright, pure red berry fruits join subtle earth and spice notes on the complex nose. The palate is just as good: juicy with firm but open tannins and an easy, drink-me-now appeal.

This bohemian estates’s core wine is the Chianti Terre di Corzano, which translates as ‘soils of Corzano’. It’s 90% Sangiovese co-fermented with 10% Canaiolo, all hand-harvested from Corzano’s rocky, south-facing slopes. The soils here are what the Italians call alberese—compact clay/limestone littered with pebbles—which tends to yield particularly aromatic reds.

Incorporating 15% bunches, the wine fermented spontaneously before aging in a combination of 25- and 40-hectolitre botti, a traditional maturation that has become rare in today’s barrique-obsessed Tuscany. Arianna Gelpke enjoys the softening impact of large-format wood on Sangiovese tannins, and we can only agree.

Corzano’s transparent style, emphasising purity of fruit, is in full flight in this outstanding vintage. It’s bursting with the essence of hillside Sangiovese, with fresh cherry and berry aromas and a refined, silky palate perfectly framed by cooling bergamot tang and feathery tannins. The Canaiolo brings a dab of spice to the cherry, liquorice and woodland complexity that builds to a juicy finish. It’s welcoming right down to the final swallow—a moreish snapshot of the Florentine hills.

Nestled between Abruzzo to the north and Campania to the south, Molise is one of Italy’s smallest and most obscure wine regions. Although the wines from this mountainous and sparsely populated area are not well known outside Italy, Alessio Di Majo—Molise’s top grower—is renowned in his homeland for producing some of Italy’s more colourful and exciting regional vino.

This delicious medium-bodied red blends organically grown Montepulciano (80%) and Aglianico (20%), cropped from the estate’s sloping Ramitello vineyard. Combining the delicious black plum fruitiness of Montepulciano with Aglianico’s more brooding, black olive tapenade and earthy notes, we love the way the wine’s sun-touched fruit is balanced by good acidity and just enough persistent, fine-grained tannins. It makes this perfect for slow-cooked meat dishes this winter. We think it’s a steal.