Organic

Villa di Capezzana has been the Tenuta's flagship since 1925 and is a living testimony to Tuscan wine culture. This Carmignano DOCG epitomises the vision of the Contini Bonacossi family, who for five generations have been cultivating the heritage of a wine estate whose first documented mention dates back to 804. In 1975, Carmignano was the first Tuscan DOC zone ever to officially include Cabernet Sauvignon in the assemblage – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The tradition goes back to the 16th century, when Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux.

In the hills south of Castelnuovo dell'Abate, where the soils are characterised by galestro and clay and the view sweeps over the Orcia Valley, a Rosso is created that can hardly be called a "second wine". Poggio di Sotto elevates the genre of Rosso di Montalcino to an art form and the 2022 vintage emphasises this with rare clarity. The year was warm, but not impetuous: after a dry winter, the summer brought high temperatures, but also large temperature differences between day and night. The autumn, dry and mild, allowed for a late, staggered harvest: An advantage for a winery that harvests Sangiovese as selectively as if it were a Grand Cru. The wine is fermented spontaneously in open wooden vats and matured in large Slavonian oak barrels – for almost three years, although the law requires far less. What would be a Brunello in other cellars is deliberately bottled as a Rosso here. And that is by no means an understatement, but a stylistic decision.

Titolo Superiore is a selection that is aged for 12 months in tonneaux, followed by 12 months in used barrels and finally 12 months in the bottle. It has a dark, musky character and presents an earthy bouquet that blends with grilled herbs and blackcurrants. It flows across the palate like pure silk, gaining further tension as the mineral-driven flavours of wild berries slowly come to the fore. Firm, well-proportioned tannins glide into the finish, which tapers off in a structured, long and almost salty manner. Citrus fruits and residual acidity lend a refined freshness. Wonderful! SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for the Annata, which was certified organic for the first time in 2020, come from a 13-hectare site at an altitude of 500 metres. The soils here are somewhat lighter and stonier than the average for the appellation, with slate-rich Galestro and calcareous Alberese. As always, Poggio Antico's 2020 vintage is authentic and classic, with bright fruit tones, wild cherries, roasted nuts, blue flowers and forest floor. While the other wines in the portfolio mature in smaller tonneaux, this wine is aged in large Slavonian barrels. We like the energetic lift and the simultaneous brightness of the fruit - the winery achieves this like no other. As the wine progresses, the approach is very delicate with a convincing intensity of floral aromas and a silky mouthfeel. A lively acidity ensures balance and freshness right to the end, while a salty, mineral note is added on the finish. As always, this Brunello from the best winery is a safe bet! SUPERIORE.DE

Founded in 1970, Poggio Antico is one of the defining names of the last fifty years in Montalcino, having been run for over three decades by the Milanese couple Paola Gloder and Alberto Montefiori. In 2017, Paola Gloder sold the estate to Marcel Van Poecke, a Belgian energy entrepreneur and founder of Atlas Invest – a graduate in agricultural science for whom entering the wine business was less a hobby and more a return to his first love.

Eichhorn Vineyard – the name evokes South Tyrol, with its centuries-old vines rooted in sandy loam soils on weathered volcanic porphyry rock. As with the Sauvignon, this plot is also situated within the Tenuta Lieben Aich in Terlan, 300 metres above sea level, facing south-west towards the mild air currents. But whilst Tannenberg aims for maximum minerality, Eichhorn seeks a balance between alpine clarity and Mediterranean richness. Here, Pinot Bianco – known as "Weißburgunder" to South Tyroleans – matures into a variety that oscillates between restraint and expression. Following a damp spring and a hot summer, 2024 brought that golden autumn which allowed the grapes to reach perfect physiological ripeness. The grapes were hand-harvested at the end of September, striking an ideal balance between ripeness, freshness and moderate alcohol content – a vintage that combines a cool character with ripe fruit. The yield was 50 hectolitres per hectare. The destemmed berries remain in the press for eight hours for maceration – a shorter time than for Sauvignons, as Pinot Blanc handles structure more subtly. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in wooden barrels, followed by nine months' ageing on the fine lees.

The Vigna del Sorbo vineyard is located directly in front of the winery. The south-west facing vineyard with Galestro soils covers 8 hectares at an altitude of 450 metres. The Riserva was first produced in 1985 and has been labelled Gran Selezione since the 2010 vintage.

Castello di Volpaia made wine history in 1983: In the midst of the Supertuscan revolution, when visionary winegrowers rebelled against the restrictive DOC regulations, Balifico was born – named after the villa of the same name in the heart of the fortified village. What began as Vino da Tavola became the manifesto of a new era that combined international grape varieties with Tuscan soils to create an extraordinary synthesis. The grapes for this exceptional wine thrive at the highest altitudes in Tuscany, at over 600 metres above sea level, where the air is already cool like the Alps and the vines are bathed in sunlight all day long. Sangiovese vines, old Tuscan clones of exceptional purity, are rooted in the same sandstone soils that have been producing great wines since 1172 – while Cabernet Sauvignon, with its international nobility, interprets the mountainous personality of this unique terroir in a new way.

South Tyrol's Chardonnay legend writes another chapter. Since 1994, the Löwengang has characterised the perception of Alpine white wine excellence like no other. The historic estate above Margreids holds a secret: Chardonnay vines, whose roots reach up to five decades deep into the South Tyrolean soil, thrive on barren limestone soils between 230 and 330 metres. The warm microclimate with its nightly drops in temperature produces grapes of concentrated minerality. The Lageder family gives this terroir free rein. Organic farming without compromise, spontaneous fermentation in hand-picked barriques from the Tronçais and Vosges forests. One third new wood lends structure, while eleven months on the lees give the wine its silky texture. A further twelve months of ageing in the cellar bring the final harmony.

The name came first; the wine much later. As early as 1369, the Gauns are mentioned as the owners of a country estate in Margreid; in 1674, Emperor Leopold I knighted them, and the noble title "Löwengang" also became the name of the estate. In 1934, Alois III acquired the estate, including the buildings and vineyards, and recognised the potential of this site. His successor, Alois IV, turned it into a Chardonnay which, according to the estate, was the first South Tyrolean white wine to make its mark on international markets in the 1980s, and in 1995 he moved the company's headquarters from Bolzano to Margreid. The estate's finest plots lie at altitudes of between 230 and 330 metres, on gravelly, sandy and highly calcareous soils, and the oldest Chardonnay vines in the vineyard are between 65 and 75 years old. They are cultivated using biodynamic methods. The wine ferments spontaneously in barriques and large wooden casks, rests on the lees for several months and then matures for around a year in the bottle.

Poggio di Sotto was founded in 1989 in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, on the south-easternmost tip of Montalcino, where the view stretches across the Orcia Valley and Monte Amiata provides relief from the hot summers. The estate lies at an altitude of 200 to 400 metres, on galestro and alberese – those slate-rich, poor soils that leave the Sangiovese with no choice but to put down deep roots and produce concentrated fruit. Twenty of the 48 hectares are planted with vines. More than 180 Sangiovese biotypes grow here – a genetic heritage that no clone in the world can replace. The Rosso di Montalcino is produced from the same vineyards as the Brunello – selected according to the same criteria, by the same hands, at the same time. What sets it apart is not the quality of the grapes, but the timing of its release. Fermentation takes place in wooden and concrete vats, with spontaneous fermentation and long maceration periods, followed by 24 months' ageing in 30-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels. Unfiltered.

Four planting years on a hillside: 1969, 1986, 2007 and 2012. Anyone walking through the Vigna Pressenda vineyard is walking through more than four decades of viticultural history. It is situated in the Castelletto vineyard near Monforte d'Alba, facing south-east, at an altitude of between 340 and 360 metres, on the Lequio Formation with light-coloured, sandy-silty, highly calcareous soil above it. The wine has only been produced since 2013, with around 6,000 bottles made each year, and it comes from certified organic cultivation. The estate describes its mission as follows: the wine should have something to say every year that is worth listening to. Here, it has four voices in the chorus to convey this.

Novello, situated on the plateau above the valley, produces the most austere and mineral-driven expression of the entire G.D. Vajra range. Unlike the local vineyards in Vergne, Ravera lies at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, with highly calcareous, clay-rich marl from the same Sant'Agata Formation, which lends the Nebbiolo here more structure than aroma. The south-west-facing aspect ensures a long, even ripening process on this exposed plateau. Giuseppe Vaira himself likes to describe the wine as powerful yet weightless, almost electric in its directness. This single-varietal Nebbiolo is aged for around 42 months after fermentation in large Slavonian oak botti, deliberately matured with restraint so as not to mask the powerful, multi-layered character of the vineyard.

In 1935, Fascist Italy proclaimed the Empire – and Amedeo di Savoia, Duke of Aosta and Viceroy of Ethiopia, had a vineyard planted on the estate belonging to his family near Arezzo. Three hectares, terraced by hand, in the heart of the estate, at an altitude of 278 metres, facing south-east, on rock rich in galestro. He named the wine Vigna dell'Impero. The vineyard still exists today. Ninety years of vines on the same stones. The historic mixed planting – Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Canaiolo and Colorino, as has been the custom in the Chianti region for centuries – survived the wars, structural change and the drive towards monoculture. Today, the Trebbiano from this plot forms the basis of a wine that Antonio Moretti Cuseri only bottles in the very best vintages. Three thousand kilograms per hectare – almost a bountiful yield for ninety-year-old vines on galestro soil – resulting in a concentration that few Tuscan white wines can match.

In 1935, Fascist Italy proclaimed the Empire – and Amedeo di Savoia, Duke of Aosta and Viceroy of Ethiopia, had a vineyard planted on the estate belonging to his family near Arezzo. Three hectares, terraced by hand, in the heart of the estate, at an altitude of 278 metres, facing south-east, on rock rich in galestro. He named the wine Vigna dell'Impero. The vineyard still exists today. Ninety years of vines on the same stones. The historic mixed planting – Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Malvasia, Canaiolo and Colorino, as has been the custom in the Chianti region for centuries – survived the wars, structural change and the drive towards monoculture. Today, the Trebbiano from this plot forms the basis of a wine that Antonio Moretti Cuseri only bottles in the very best vintages. Three thousand kilograms per hectare – almost a bountiful yield for ninety-year-old vines on galestro soil – resulting in a concentration that few Tuscan white wines can match.

The soil is light, silty, sandy and highly calcareous, and beneath it lies the Lequio Formation. This is where the Vigna del Gris vineyard is situated, in Ginestra, facing south-east, on a 30% slope at an altitude of between 300 and 350 metres. A south-easterly aspect means the sun rises early, and on the hill overlooking the Langhe, winds blow in from the Ligurian Sea. Planting began in 1983, with the wine's first vintage following in 1985. The winery guides the wine every step of the way, with hand-picking, natural yeasts and a measured use of oak. The Barolo is produced from certified organic vines. There are 4,500 to 5,000 vines per hectare, trained using the Guyot method; they yield 5.5 to 6 tonnes, with harvesting taking place in October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, whilst acid reduction and ageing occur in French oak barrels of various sizes.

Intense ruby red Vino Nobile Riserva with a spicy bouquet of aromas of dried fruit, cinnamon, cloves and liquorice. Smooth on the palate with a variety of nuances, beautiful fullness, structure and intensity, supple tannins. Very elegant pleasure at an excellent price. SUPERIORE.DE

The Nero d'Avola grapes for the very rare Sultana come from a steeply sloping, bush-shaped vineyard facing north-west. The soil here is white with a limestone matrix, rich in minerals and drainage capacity. The pronounced slope and very poor soil reinforce the pedoclimatic characteristics in which the Nero d'Avola plants find a natural habitat. It is an extreme terroir, a combination of environmental and human factors, that distinguishes the Sultana vineyard from other vineyards. The light reflected by the white soils enhances the characteristics and ultimately the quality of the grapes from the vineyard. SUPERIORE.DE

Only 2,000 numbered bottles of the 2018 debut vintage of the "Vigna del Bersagliere" Morellino di Scansano Riserva were filled. The grapes for the new top Sangiovese from Podere 414 come from a small, organically cultivated vineyard of just 1.3 hectares above the winery. It is aged for 36 months in 500 Liters and then refined for 24 months in the bottle. Bright ruby red in colour. Primary aromas of ripe, dark fruit with spicy notes in the glass. Firmly structured on the palate, again dark fruit, plus plums and earthy tones. It is still young and somewhat angular in the glass, but its exceptional style and good acidity/tannin structure already suggest very good ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Neromàccarj is the broodingwine from Gulfi's high-quality Nero d'Avola range. The vines are rooted in the single vineyard Màccari, a barren hilly landscape near Pachino, where calcareous clay, volcanic rock and sea breezes create a powerful, yet always balanced microclimate. The vines are ungrafted, some are over 50 years old and yields are low. The harvest by hand and the wine is matured in the traditional way: a long maceration period followed by two years of ageing in used barriques and large wooden barrels. All this with organic care – and a firm determination to bring the best of the variety into the glass.

Gallule – a name that drifts over the hills of Castellina like a gentle breeze from times long past. It is the Lombard term for what was once the heart of this magical place: the "galla", the acorns of the centuries-old oak trees that dominate the vast valley at the foot of the hills. Here, where as early as 994 the son of the Lombard King Berengario bestowed this land upon his bride as a wedding gift, one of the region's most exceptional Chianti Classico wines is produced today. The vines that breathe life into this Gran Selezione are rooted in terraces laid out by human hands centuries ago – stone witnesses to a time when viticulture was still a craft. These UNESCO-protected terraces, nestled amongst olive trees and cypresses, create a microclimate of unique harmony. The galestro-rich soils, interspersed with limestone and sedimentary pebbles, allow the Sangiovese roots to penetrate deep into the earth and extract the minerality that gives the wine its unmistakable character.

Directly in front of the cantina, at an altitude of 450 metres and facing south-west, lies the vineyard that has defined Fontodi's approach to Sangiovese since 1985. Three plots, planted between 1963 and 1973, are united by a geological feature: schistose galestro soils that break up into characteristic flakes on the surface. Giovanni Manetti recognised early on that this soil structure lends the Sangiovese that dark fruit and body on the mid-palate which distinguishes it from the limestone-dominated sites. The name 'Sorbo' refers to a local Tuscan fruit – dry, tannic, almost like grapes themselves. What began as a Riserva in 1985 was elevated to Gran Selezione with the 2011 vintage, when the new classification was introduced in Chianti Classico. Since 2012, it has been 100% Sangiovese; previously, it was blended with small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon.