Organic

Blangè comes from carefully cultivated Arneis parcels in the Langhe, which benefit from calcareous soils and optimal altitude. Since its introduction in the 1980s, it has been regarded as a modern classic, bringing new fame to the once almost forgotten Arneis grape variety. A characterful, aromatically clear white wine with a Piedmontese identity and contemporary style. Pale straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. On the nose, a fine, clear aroma of pear, white peach, citrus and a hint of exotic fruit, underpinned by floral notes and a delicate almond flavour. Fresh and balanced on the palate, with juicy fruit, fine acidity and a hint of salty minerality. SUPERIORE.DE

Swiss precision meets Tuscan passion: Monika and Thomas Bär-Bettschart have been realising their dream at the Antico Podere Gagliole in Castellina in Chianti since 1990. Rubiolo is the certified organic homage to over three decades of winegrowing in one of the most beautiful terroirs in Tuscany. Made from pure Sangiovese grapes from both the historic terraces around Castellina and the famous Conca d'Oro in Panzano, this wine epitomises the synthesis of two exceptional vineyards.

The 2024 vintage marks a turning point: Piancornello's Rosso bears the organic label for the first time. Not that much has changed in the vineyard – claudio Monaci and Silvia Batazzi have been farming organically for years, and now it's official. A silent confirmation of what has long been common practice here in the southern tip of Montalcino. The location near Sant'Angelo in Colle is one of the warmest in the appellation. The Orcia Valley channels the sea breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea into the vineyards and enables an early harvest before the autumn rains. Twenty-eight days of maceration on the skins, spontaneous fermentation with the vineyard's own yeasts, followed by ten months of ageing – partly in tonneaux, partly in concrete.

The Lageder family has only been cultivating Lagrein on the geologically fascinating Margreider Schuttkegel for around ten years – thus opening up a completely new terroir for this indigenous grape variety. Conus, Latin for cone, refers to this unusual formation of dolomite limestone and gravelly sand between 230 and 320 metres. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of the site promotes vines of particular stability and depth. After spontaneous fermentation, the Lagrein matures for twelve months, partly in stainless steel and partly in small wooden barrels.

Tenuta Sansonina is located in the south of Lake Garda, not far from Sirmione – where the lake sends its breath over the hills and the soil tells the story of what the last ice age left behind: Deep, clayey chalk-silt mixture that stores water, buffers heat and gives the Turbiana grape that unnerving minerality that sets Lugana apart from everything else. Thirteen hectares, organically farmed, with vines that are around sixty years old – vines that know how deep to dig. 100 per cent Trebbiano di Lugana, harvested by hand and carefully selected before the grapes reach the winery. The must is first cold-fermented statically, then fermented for around ten to twelve days in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. Six months of ageing in steel tanks, one month in the bottle: no wood, no interference, just the wine and its terroir.

The vineyards in Gaiole and Greve form the core of the blend, with a hint of fruit from Radda. On the nose, floral aromas and red fruits in the super-classic, medium-bodied style that is so typical of the Querciabella style today. Rose petals, lavender, mint and sweet raspberry fruit take centre stage. Brilliant medium ruby red colour. Enormous density on the palate, firm fruit body, with great youthful, fresh temperament, paired with a certain finesse and elegance. Finishes long with notes of juicy red berries, great! SUPERIORE.DE

An expression of old vineyard depth and finesse: Vecchie Vigne comes from vines over 40 years old on clayey soils at altitudes of 250-300 metres above sea level. The result is a white wine that makes balance, structure and terroir tangible. Pale straw yellow in colour with crystalline purity. The bouquet is intense but nuanced, with aromas of almond blossom, white flowers, meadow herbs, lemon and peach, supported by lively minerality and a delicate hint of aniseed. On the palate, the wine impresses with elegant acidity, animating and firm at the same time. The mineral tension ends in a long, salty-fresh final – with structure, depth and plenty of substance. Vecchie Vigne is more than just a pleasure to drink: it is a kind of reference for the ageing potential of Verdicchio. A white wine that carries origin, history and personality in every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

Between the legendary Bricco Boschis and Monprivato crus lies a small parcel of just 2.25 hectares that epitomises Cavallotto's answer to the question: What does Barolo excellence taste like in Dolcetto format? The Vigna Scot, with its east-north-east exposure, benefits from the same chalky, clayey geology that gives the great Baroli their structure. The grapes undergo traditional vinification with indigenous yeasts and short 3-4 day maceration, followed by six months in 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels and a further six months in concrete tanks. This double maturation creates the characteristic texture: structured but smooth.

In the southernmost tip of the Bolgheri appellation, where the vines almost touch the sea and rows of pine trees stand guard over the landscape, lies Tenuta Le Colonne – the winery with the vineyards closest to the sea in the entire denomination. Under the leadership of Alejandro Bulgheroni, organically certified wines of impressive clarity have been produced here since 2016. Originating from vineyards at an altitude of 50 metres with a south-westerly exposure, the vines are rooted in sandy alluvial soils with skeleton-rich inclusions. Spontaneous fermentation in truncated cone-shaped cement tanks with indigenous yeasts for 13 days, followed by twelve months of ageing in large, untoasted barrels, gives this wine its characteristic elegance.

The Riviera Ligure di Ponente is not an easy landscape. There is little space between the sea and the Alps – the vineyards climb up terraces of dry stone walls, the slopes are steep, the paths winding, the harvest almost exclusively by hand. It was in this solitude that Riccardo Bruna began bottling his family's Pigato in 1970 – a bold decision at the time for a grape variety that hardly anyone knew. Majé is Bruna's most accessible Pigato: from the iron-rich, argillaceous soils around Ortovero and Ranzo, 200 to 300 metres above sea level, just 20 kilometres from the coast. Gentle pressing, fermentation and ageing in steel – the result is the character of this terroir in its most direct form.

In 1991, Luca and Valeria Orsini gave up their work in Milan to produce wine in Tuscany. Their winery comprises 10 hectares of south-east facing vineyards in Panzano and the wines have been certified organic since 2000. This outstanding Annata opens discreetly on the nose with subtle scents of cherry blossom, heather and roses. On the palate, it is decidedly red-fruited with redcurrants and raspberries, embraced by finely structured, powdery and persistent tannins. It has a lovely energy and above all lets the true charm of Sangiovese shine through. A real high-flyer in terms of authenticity every year! SUPERIORE.DE

From the 25 hectares of organically cultivated olive groves of the Castello di Camigliano – nestled in the gently rolling hills south-west of Montalcino, where the mild climate of the Ombrone Valley creates ideal ripening conditions. Four classic Tuscan varieties characterise the oil: Leccino, Frantoio, Moraiolo and Correggiolo, harvested by hand and cold-pressed at a controlled temperature immediately after harvesting. Bright green-gold in the glass, fruity aroma of fresh herbs and green almonds, subtle spiciness on the palate and that fine, bitter aftertaste that characterises the best oils from the Terre di Siena. Certified organic – a beautiful piece of Montalcino beyond the wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Delicate, elegant Nerello Mascalese with fine aromas of red fruits and raspberries, enveloped in a pleasant citrus freshness. As the wine progresses, it develops a smoky note associated with the strong lava rock component that characterises the volcanic soil of Etna. Lively, harmonious and full of flavour on the palate – a resolutely versatile wine that goes perfectly with a variety of fish dishes, shellfish and white meat. SUPERIORE.DE

Riserva does not simply mean more time in Gracciano. It means different soil. The Maramai and Podere Rovisci crus provide the grape material for this wine – and Rovisci is the core of the whole: heavy clay content, brooding, water-retaining, with a ripening dynamic that elicits the densest, most concentrated side of the Prugnolo Gentile. Vines, some of which have been planted since 1970. 300 to 350 metres, south to south-east exposure, 30 hectolitres per hectare – consistently limited yields. Only in the best vintages does the della Seta Ferrari Corbelli Greco family decide to bottle a Riserva. 2021 was such a year. Prugnolo Gentile 90%, Merlot 10%. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, 20 to 25 days of maceration in steel. Then aged for 24 months: the first twelve in French tonneaux of 3.5 and 5 hectolitres, the second twelve in large Slavonian oak barrels. Subsequent maturation in the bottle for at least six months.

In Campo Rotaliano, this geological treasure chest between the peaks of the Dolomites, Elisabetta Foradori has been rewriting Teroldego history for four decades. What began as a family wine in 1960 is now the epitome of autochthonous excellence. The grapes come from twelve hand-picked plots on nine hectares, with their roots in alluvial sand and dolomite limestone. Fifteen different Teroldego biotypes, developed through years of mass selection, reflect the diversity of this unique terroir. Biodynamic Demeter cultivation since 2002 allows the indigenous grape variety to develop its original identity. Spontaneous fermentation in cement tanks, partly with whole grapes, preserves the lively fruitiness. Twelve months of ageing in a combination of cement and oak give the wine structure without dominance.

This red classic from Montepulciano already bears its claim in its name: nobile. No other wine in Italy has this adjective written into its specifications – and hardly any other producer has honoured it as consistently in recent decades as Federico Carletti and his Poliziano winery. Founded in 1961 by father Dino, today under Federico's leadership and long since anchored in the next generation – with Francesco and Maria Stella, who have been helping to shape the future since 2019 and 2021. Poliziano has been certified organic since the 2021 harvest – not a marketing decision, but the logical conclusion of decades of work without chemical weedkillers and insecticides. Prugnolo Gentile, the local variety of Sangiovese, grows on clay and limestone soils between 300 and 450 metres above sea level. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in conical concrete vats – minimum intervention, maximum expression. Maturation in large barrels and tonneaux: the wood frames, it does not dominate.

Dievole's new Chianti Classico Casanova, just released with the debut 2020 vintage, is the result of a quest to highlight the identity characteristics of particularly suitable vineyards, leading to ever more precise expressions of Sangiovese. The Casanova grapes come from a vineyard at an altitude of about 400 metres, with an ideal south-west to south-east exposure and composed mainly of sandstone rocks Macigno del Chianti. The result is a Chianti Classico that is very immediate and direct, with a beautiful acidity to boot. It has the elegance and freshness and the bright, radiant fruit of Chianti Classico "as it used to be".

A wine with history, personality and depth of character: Centovie is the centrepiece of a long-term project at the organically farmed Tenuta Centovie near Roseto degli Abruzzi. The 35 hectares of vineyards on the southern slope near Montipagano, with a view of the Gran Sasso, produce elegant Montepulciano, among other things – equipped with traditional training systems (pergola in long tendone and short cordon training) and an optimal microclimate.