Organic

Ampeleias Alicante Nero epitomises their mission like no other wine. When Marco Tait and his team re-cultivated this almost forgotten autochthonous grape variety from the Alta Maremma in 2003, they set an example against the monoculture of international varieties. What was once suppressed to make room for fuller-bodied grape varieties is now proving to be one of the most authentic expressions of the Mediterranean terroir. The grapes come exclusively from the single vineyard "Vigna della Pieve" at an altitude of 250 metres, where sandy soils are interspersed with pebbles and conglomerates. This special soil composition gives the Alicante Nero its characteristic lightness and harmonious balance. As part of the "Monovarietali" project, this wine is vinified with the utmost care according to biodynamic principles.

Campinovi offers an unusual perspective on the Tuscan terroir: a pure Trebbiano Toscano, to which Dievole lends a surprising dimension through twelve months' ageing in large, untoasted oak barrels made from Italian rovere and chestnut wood. The grapes are grown at an altitude of 300 metres in organically farmed vineyards, where sandy loam soils with a gravel component provide distinctive minerality. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C preserves the wine's natural freshness, whilst the subsequent barrel ageing lends it its characteristic complexity.

The name says it all – and nothing less. Titolo is Elena Fucci's great promise: one of the most concentrated, structurally rich Aglianico del Vulture wines ever, from the oldest vines of the Contrada Solagna del Titolo at the foot of Monte Vulture. The Pink Edition is the same address, the same conviction – but a different phase in the life of the vine. For the Rosato, Elena Fucci chooses the youngest vines of the Titolo vineyard: vines between six and ten years old that give more fruit than structure, whose vigour gives the wine energy instead of heaviness. The grapes are deliberately harvested a little earlier than for Titolo Rosso – first week of October, by hand, in small crates, immediately into the cellar. This is followed by cooling, then four days of cold maceration on the skins – cryomaceration – to extract colour, aroma and the volcanic mineral character without taking away tannin or weight. Gentle pressing, steel tank, two and a half months maturation, unfiltered in the bottle.

For decades, the Porer vineyard on the Margreider alluvial fan has been regarded as the source of Lageder's most refined interpretation of Pinot Grigio. At altitudes of between 230 and 240 metres, where stony, sandy and highly calcareous soil, combined with dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations, creates a unique microclimate, grapes of exceptional complexity ripen. The organic cultivation of this single vineyard follows strict sustainability principles. The secret of the Porer lies in its three-stage vinification: one third is pressed immediately, another portion remains on the skins for 15 hours, whilst the final component is macerated with stems and skins for up to eight months. This orchestrated blend of different textures gives the wine its characteristic tension. Six months' ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel rounds off the complex aromatic profile.

The name Gaun takes us back to the 17th century, when the noble family of the same name owned the Löwengang estate – a tribute to the historic roots of Lageder's ancestral home. Since 1934, when Alois III planted the first Chardonnay vines in Margreid, this wine has been regarded as a pioneer for international grape varieties in South Tyrol. The calcareous gravel soils around Margreid, Kurtatsch and Salurn, where Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness, produce grapes of exceptional minerality. During vinification, Lageder focuses on salinity and tension: part of the batch ferments spontaneously with whole bunches, allowing tannins from the skins and stems to accentuate the natural freshness.

With Family & Friends, Feudo Maccari reinterprets the concept of a Mediterranean white wine – not as a light side dish, but as a broodingGrillo with a strong character that was born in the Moretti family. The wine was originally only intended for private occasions – a heartfelt project that today celebrates with its name the connection to people and moments that are more than mere consumption. The grapes for it (label: "only the best grapes") come from strictly selected plots around Noto, where chalky soils, salt winds and intense sunlight characterise the aroma and structure. A complex, vibrant wine with structure and balance.

The Barbera grape belongs to Piedmont like the fog in October and tartufo in November. A natural companion of everyday life – the grape variety that has set the table on the hills of the Langhe for centuries. Ceretto has dedicated its own vineyard to this conviction: "La Piana", a flat valley on the edge of Alba on the Tenuta Monsordo Bernardina, traditionally known as one of the best addresses for Barbera in the municipality. The name is precise. 100% Barbera, organically farmed, harvested by hand and selected in the vineyard. Vinification follows the same principle as the vineyard itself: Only steel, controlled temperatures, no wood seasoning to overlay. Barbera does not need this – it has its own language, and it is expressive enough.

The grapes for Vignota come from five selected vineyards in Monforte d'Alba, whose calcareous marl soils with loamy and sandy inclusions give the Barbera grapes expression and depth. Bright ruby red colour with a purple hue. Aromas of ripe cherry, blackberry and plum, underpinned by violets, herbs and a hint of liquorice. Juicy and balanced on the palate, with present, well-integrated acidity and soft, fine-grained tannins. After fermentation, the wine matures for several months in used French barriques, which gives it additional harmony and fine spicy notes. An exciting and very serious Barbera with a regional profile and good structure. SUPERIORE.DE

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

The name "Mimuèt" (to my taste) comes from Ladin. Convinced that South Tyrol offers the best conditions for the Pinot Noir grape variety, Alois Lageder paid particular attention to it at a very early stage. His goal is to produce wines with precision, lightness and filigree structure. Garnet red with ruby reflexes. Pinot Noir Mimuèt smells of ripe black cherries, flowers and spices. On the palate, elegant, almost light on its feet, with a multi-layered, soft finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The quality of Italian white wines has improved significantly over the last 20 years, and this also applies to Verdicchio. There are still quite a few poor, old-fashioned wines out there, but the good ones can be a real revelation. The region around Matelica in particular has made Verdicchio famous, as it is here – and mostly from the higher-altitude vineyards – that the finest examples of this wine are produced: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

La Spinetta began in 1977 with Moscato. Today, Giorgio Rivetti is one of the most renowned Nebbiolo interpreters of Piedmont wine – more than 30 Tre Bicchieri awards speak for themselves. The Langhe Nebbiolo is the most accessible entry into this universe. The grapes come mainly from the Starderi vineyard in Neive, the cru from which La Spinetta produces one of its most important Barbareschi wines – complemented by selected parcels from Valeirano, Gallina and Campè. No other terroir, no other winemaker. Just a different age of the vines and a more accessible vinification: 14 to 15 days of maceration in steel, malolactic fermentation in used French barriques, then bottle ageing. Certified organic.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. It could hardly be more autochthonous: this excellent wine from the Nerello Mascalese grape comes from the hotspot on the east coast of Sicily, from the slopes of Mount Etna. Bright cherry red in colour, a fine aroma of raspberry and blood orange, gripping, taut acidity, silky tannins and a lively elegance with beautiful minerality. Great, long and unique! SUPERIORE.DE

On the Costa degli Etruschi, where the Maestrale blows in from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the waves crash just ten kilometres away, Massimo Piccin has been realising his dream of the perfect Bordeaux blend since 1999. Under his visionary hand and the advice of the renowned OenologistCarlo Ferrini, the modest farm in Castagneto Carducci has grown into a 40-hectare vineyard that is now one of Bolgheri's most respected addresses. Volpolo embodies the pure essence of this exceptional location between the municipalities of Castagneto Carducci and Bibbona; the name is a tribute to the ancient Tuscan grape variety Volpola and at the same time an expression of the deep roots in the Bolgheri terroir. This organically certified cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot thrives on the estate's 27 different soil types – a mosaic of sand, clay, limestone and sea pebbles, which owes its mineral richness to the former marshlands. The proximity to the sea provides the vines with the constant ventilation and intense light that allow Bordeaux varieties to mature to unimagined complexity.

Burdigai is the Ligurian dialect for the shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis – the fragrant, wild vegetation that occupies every free spot in western Liguria that is not cultivated by man. This small, isolated terrace facing west is surrounded by it – and it is here that a grape variety grows that nobody can fully explain. It is alternatively called "Franseise" because it apparently originates from the south of France. Nobody knows who planted the vines. Nobody knows how old they are. Not even the Bruna family knows their exact origin. Nevertheless, the vines have been cultivated and cared for over decades – out of that instinctive respect for old vines that good winegrowers never give up. At some point, the family council decided to press an independent rosé from them.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. Not because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn't. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island.

The name reveals the location, the location reveals the wine. Banditella – a vineyard on the southern slope of the Sant'Angelo hill, 250 to 300 metres above the Orcia Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Col d'Orcia planted Sangiovese clones here in 1998, which were selected over ten years of research in collaboration with the University of Florence – not just any clones, but those that most accurately express the terroir of Montalcino. Biodynamically farmed, limestone soils with little clay, full southern sun: the conditions could hardly be better. The 2022 vintage demanded decisiveness: temperature fluctuations and late summer rains called for an early, forward-looking harvest at the beginning of September. The grapes were placed in shallow, wide steel tanks – a design that favours gentle extraction – where they macerated at 25°C, accompanied by daily pumping over and délestage. Twelve months in Allier barriques and tonneaux followed before the wine was bottled.

Wonderful, deep aroma of dark wild cherries, crushed raspberries, pomegranate, roses and peppery herbs. Dense but not heavy on the palate, long and pure with multi-layered subtle fruit flavours. Salty minerals and violet blossom emerge on the finish, along with nuanced tannins that create a classically dry feel on the elegant finish. This wine is already an absolute pleasure to drink, and although it tastes great now, it will continue to refine in the bottle for several years. A sensual and enjoyable wine, 60 per cent Nero d'Avola from oak barrels and 40 per cent Frappato matured in a vitrified cement vat. SUPERIORE.DE