Organic Red Wine

The A in the name of Boggina stands for the natural wine aged for around 6 months in 400-600 Liters terracotta amphorae, which is bottled in a run of just 5,000 bottles without the addition of sulphites. Light, bright garnet red in colour. The bouquet is ethereal, very delicate and nuanced, with a very precise interpretation of the fragrance of the Sangiovese grape. Medium-bodied on the palate, with an exceptionally beautiful structure and authentic Sangiovese fruit with a salty vein. The finish is highly drinkable, with silky tannins and beguiling length. A masterpiece of beauty and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

The year was 1090, the year in which Leif Erikson discovered North America, the Chinese discovered gunpowder and Pope Urban II conquered Jerusalem. On that day, the notary Bellundo recorded a contract in the Siena state archives: two capons, three loaves of bread and six coins of good silver as an annual lease for a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. "Dio vuole" – god wants it. This is the etymological root of this name, which has symbolised the special connection between man and nature in this corner of Tuscany for over nine centuries.

Away from the dominance of Sangiovese in the Conca d'Oro, Giovanni Manetti shows the international side of Fontodi with this single-varietal Syrah. The hand-picked Syrah grapes grow in the south-facing single vineyards Case Via and Pecile around Villa Pecile, where the calcareous-clay soils and the Mediterranean microclimate with pronounced day-night temperature fluctuations prove to be ideal for the Rhône grape variety. After three weeks of spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts, the organically certified wine matures for twelve months in French barriques from Troncais and Allier.

Ugolforte was a resistance fighter. In the 12th century, he led the people of Montalcino against the Sienese occupying forces – a local hero whose name lives on to this day: in a Brunello. The most striking contradiction dates back to 2010. That was when Tenuta San Giorgio began officially supplying the Ugolforte to the Pontifical Swiss Guard – that 500-year-old corps which guards the Pope in the Vatican. The estate says that shared values, and the symbolism of St George himself – virtue and courage, good triumphing over evil – guided the decision. The wine of the medieval rebel in the service of Christendom's oldest army.

Animanaturale from vines over 60 years old is the lightest and freshest wine from the new Animaetna line of the small garage winery Contrada Santa Spirito, which belongs to Feudo Maccari. Matured almost entirely in amphorae, the Nerello Mascalese grape presents itself here in all its fruitiness and freshness, completely unadulterated and pure. The grapes are foot-pressed, spontaneous fermentation is carried out using the grapes' own yeasts, racking and bottling take place according to the phases of the moon. On the palate, the flavours of red fruits and berries are tangy and vibrant with a precise and very mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red in colour. Pinot Nero Case Via exudes a typical varietal bouquet of wild berries and pipe tobacco, which blends harmoniously with the barrel spice. The soft, characterful flavour is based on the strength of the tannins and the excellent aromatic structure of Pinot Noir. SUPERIORE.DE

A Burgundian soul in the Tuscan terroir: Giovanni Manetti vinifies this single-varietal Pinot Nero from the west-facing Case Via vineyard in the heart of the Conca d'Oro. The hand-picked grapes from 4,000 to 6,000 vines per hectare undergo a two-week spontaneous fermentation in cone-shaped Allier wooden vats with indigenous yeasts and manual racking. Twelve months of ageing in French Troncais barriques give the organically certified Pinot Noir its characteristic elegance.

Of the four Gulfi-Cru, this is the vineyard closest to the sea, less than 700 metres away and only 10-15 metres above sea level. With vines that grow on sandy soils. A beautiful, multi-layered wine that shows the elegant side of Nero d'Avola that few producers are ever able to present. Precise aromas of ripe red cherries, flint, orange peel, lavender and violets. Silky and juicy on the palate, with a refined but very concentrated extract that almost crushes the taste buds, yet remains lively and not at all heavy, giving the flavours of red cherries, raspberries, flowers and minerals beautiful definition and lift. The finish is very deep and long, with very soft tannins, a beguiling aroma and extreme finesse; very Barolo-like. SUPERIORE.DE

Every year, Istine's Chianti Classico is one of the most racy and authentic representatives of its genre. Its weightlessness and at the same time precision make up a large part of its appeal. A finely knit bouquet of red berries, flowers, chalk and white pepper. Medium-bodied on the palate, its fine fruit, creamy tannins and plenty of personality come to light with further aeration. A red wine that takes hearts by storm with its lively, dancing and extremely fine nerve! SUPERIORE.DE

Terra di Monteverro is the estate's elegantly crafted second wine, yet in terms of character, authenticity and depth, it is far more than that. It comes from the stony, coastal slopes near Capalbio in the southern Maremma – a region characterised in 2021 by a long, warm summer with moderate highs and cool nights in September. This climatic balance allowed the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot grape varieties to ripen perfectly; they were harvested and vinified plot by plot.

It was a dream that the engineer Gastone Bazzocchi planted in the Tuscan soil in 1947 – five hectares of Sangiovese on a hill he called Bòggina. Luca Sanjust, his grandson and a former painter, reflects today on Paul Klee's "Angelus Novus" and Walter Benjamin's interpretation of this angel, who "turns his gaze towards the past" whilst "a storm blows from paradise". Such is Bòggina: a wine with its eyes on the past, yet relentlessly propelled towards the future. Since 2011, Petrolo has been experimenting with the vinification of a special batch made from the finest grapes of this historic vineyard in terracotta amphorae from Impruneta – the pottery craft that has shaped Tuscan culture since the time of the Etruscans. Fermentation takes place over two weeks in 300- andLiters using indigenous yeasts, before the vessels are hermetically sealed. For eight months, the wine macerates on the skins, protected by natural skin contact without the addition of sulphites.

The Bòggina vineyard was planted in 1947 by Gastone Bazzocchi, the grandfather of the family who currently own the estate, making it the estate's oldest vineyard. When Petrolo began bottling its Sangiovese from this plot separately in 2011, the family opted for a vessel that dates back further in Tuscan history than any barrique: the terracotta amphora, crafted according to the tradition of the potters of Impruneta, which traces back to the region's Etruscan heritage. In 300- andLiters, the single-varietal Sangiovese ferments spontaneously with minimal sulphur, being punched down by hand rather than pumped. The must remains on the skins for around eight months before the wine matures for a further six months in the same vessel – without wood, but with the slight permeability to oxygen provided by the fired clay, which prevents reduction without robbing the fruit of its character.

Masari's flagship presents itself in a deep, dense garnet red colour. Ripe blackberry and cassis on the nose, underpinned by bitter cocoa and ripe cherries, light leather spice and liquorice. Full and balanced on the palate, slowly but complexly spreads over the tongue, then convinces with beautiful and lasting pressure, long, salty and simply wonderful. SUPERIORE.DE

Trefiano was created in 1979 based on an idea by Vittorio Contini Bonacossi, with the aim of showcasing the full complexity and ageing potential of Carmignano. Named after the historic hamlet of Trefiano, where a magnificent 16th-century villa is surrounded by two exquisite vineyards, this Riserva represents the very pinnacle of what the Tenuta di Capezzana has to offer. With just over 5,000 bottles produced annually, Trefiano is one of the rarest and most sought-after Tuscan Riservas – a wine that not only celebrates the present but was created for the future.

The wine comes from a neighbouring walled vineyard around the Villa di Trefiano, which produces a wonderfully elegant variant of Carmignano. Trefiano Riserva remains in used 350-litre tonneaux for 18 months after spontaneous fermentation. Bright, noble ruby red colour. Black cherry and cassis on the nose, with an intense, ripe and juicy plum flavour. Long, multi-layered and complex on the palate, the Riserva needs a little more air and shows a little more depth than the classic Carmignano. The 10% Canaiolo component ensures its irresistible fragrance and complexity, simply marvellous! SUPERIORE.DE

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. From this "private reserve" comes Nerosanloré 2012, which is now - in spring 2023 - offered in small quantities with 7 years of further bottle ageing quasi in Riserva quality.

Precise aromas of ripe red cherries, flint, orange peel, lavender and violets. Silky and juicy on the palate, with a refined but very concentrated extract that almost crushes the taste buds, yet remains lively and not at all heavy, giving beautiful definition and lift to the red cherry, raspberry, floral and mineral flavours. The finish is very deep and long, with very soft tannins, a beguiling perfume and extreme finesse; very Barolo-like. A beautiful, complex wine that shows the elegant side of Nero d'Avola that few producers are ever able to present. SUPERIORE.DE

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. Nerosanloré 2014 comes from this "private reserve", which will now - in spring 2023 - be offered in small quantities in Riserva quality with a further 5 years of bottle ageing.

For some years now, Matteo Catania has been holding back a few hundred bottles of his wines in the best vintages in order to offer them to his most loyal importers after a few years. From this "private reserve" comes Nerosanloré 2013, which is now - in spring 2023 - offered in small quantities with 6 years of further bottle ageing quasi in Riserva quality.

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been permitted to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive), introduced in 2021, on the labels of the top-tier Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, this is a logical step towards producing wines that reflect the region in which they were made as authentically as possible. And it enables customers to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin – a genuine added value.

South of Bolgheri, where the pine trees stand like sentinels and the salty breath of the Tyrrhenian Sea permeates every breath, the vineyards stretch out on sandy, gravel-rich soils. Here, at just 50 metres above sea level, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc find ideal conditions – a composition that deliberately swims against the current of the usual Bolgheri cuvées.

Our pure enthusiasm for this authentic and wonderfully traditional Chianti Classico, which the likeable Monica Raspi and her family have been presenting to us for years: bright ruby red, finely spiced, with refined fruit depth, well-proportioned flavour, powerful, crisp structure, classic acidity and Sangiovese style, racy and mineral final. SUPERIORE.DE

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been allowed to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive) introduced in 2021 on the labels of the top Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, it is a logical step to produce wines that reflect the area in which they were produced as authentically as possible. And customers can thus deepen their knowledge of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin - a real added value.

Since summer 2023, Chianti Classico producers have been permitted to include the eleven additional geographical indications (UGA = unità geografiche aggiuntive), introduced in 2021, on the labels of the top-tier Gran Selezione category. For Chianti Classico winegrowers, this is a logical step towards producing wines that reflect the region in which they were made as authentically as possible. And it enables customers to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the wines and their region of origin – a real added value. For many years now, at Istine, a small and carefully selected portion of the Sangiovese has been vinified separately according to the vineyard's origin, in order to highlight and bring to life the specific characteristics of the site, the soil and the altitude. Since then, the finest grapes from the estate's own vineyards – Istine (Radda), Casanova dell'Aia (Radda) and Cavarchione (Gaiole) have been vinified separately, resulting in three now highly sought-after cru wines, of which just 3,000 bottles are released each year to specialist retailers and the hospitality sector.