Organic Red Wine

Ceretto's entry-level Barbaresco comes from different sites, mostly younger vines from Asili (35%) and the lower part of Bernadot (65%). Bright, elegant ruby red. It has full energy and vivacity and offers excellent persistence and remarkable balance. On the nose, sweet red cherry, mint, pine, liquorice and candied orange peel. Taut and ferruginous on the palate, very juicy, salty, stretches precisely across the tongue, with some pressure, considerable juicy-long finish. After good aeration already impressively accessible when young. SUPERIORE.DE

Garnet red with a ruby red reflection and light-coloured rim. Distinct, typical varietal flavour with notes of red berries, cherries and fine spices, cinnamon and white pepper. Clearly perceptible but well-integrated wood flavour. Full flavour with a balanced, medium body and fresh finish with a delicate bitter almond note and a long, elegant aftertaste. SUPERIORE.DE

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

Riecine's Chianti Classico can be described without exaggeration as an archetype of the Gaiole terroir: Bright in the glass with wild fruits, blackberries and white pepper. These slightly wilder flavours are very specific to Gaiole in Chianti, particularly this corner of the sub-zone near the village after which it was named. This cool location produces a sharp and elegant Sangiovese with tension and crispness, savoury tannins, the return of small black fruits and a respectable finish. Riecine has been producing one of the most subtle Chianti Classico wines for years - a marvellous wine. SUPERIORE.DE

20-year-old Ilatraia: opulent nose of red berries, pleasant smoky notes and fine herbal spices. Opulent and round on the palate, the fine tannins give the wine a delicate but firm structure and the necessary seriousness through to the long, soft finish. The well-integrated wood and the fruit of the Cabernet grape find an exciting symbiosis here in a very harmonious way with the rather strict and taut Petit Verdot style. SUPERIORE.DE

Katia and Luigi's Brunello di Montalcino opens with dark fruits, cherries, forest herbs and dried plums. This is accompanied by a fine fruity sweetness, framed by notes of tar, smoke and exotic spices. The dark and ripe intensity of the fruit is closely interwoven with the flavours of oak and the stately proportions of the wine. The long and well-structured finish is characterised by liquorice and mint, flanked by a layer of fine tannins. What we particularly like about this Brunello is that it is already full of finesse and class and is already showing its beauty at a young age. SUPERIORE.DE

The bouquet shows a phenomenal blend of pure fruit with wild berries and herbs, before further depths of floral undergrowth and smoky nuances are added. The palate is full, silky smooth, with polished red and black fruits, then savoury spices and hints of sour citrus as it progresses. A hint of liquorice and mint lingers together with a layer of ultra-fine tannins on the long and lightly structured finish. For us, the San Polino Brunello is a prime example of finesse and elegance every year and a beauty on all levels. SUPERIORE.DE

The latest addition to Vajra's Barolo line-up comes from a 1.5-hectare plot in Coste di Rose, a small MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) in the Barolo region. This is a steep slope at 310 metres above sea level with a high proportion of sandy soils with good drainage, whose vines and soils are cultivated close to nature. This very accessible Barolo is straightforward, forward and impresses even at a young age with its refreshing candour. A very precise bouquet of cherry, plum, liquorice, spices and menthol, followed by a broad and multi-layered fruity palate with plenty of juice and power, supportive tannins and a full, long, mineral and minty finish. SUPERIORE.DE

There are wines that change a grape variety forever. Granato is one of them. The legendary Teroldego that has been convincing the wine world since 1987 that Italy's Alpine heights can produce red wines of international calibre. Its name is both programme and poetry: Granato – the pomegranate, the ancient Mediterranean fruit that, like the vine, came to Italy thousands of years ago and whose ruby-coloured seeds remind Elisabetta Foradori of the essence of perfect grapes. In the historic Noval, Regin and Pedot vineyards of Campo Rotaliano, where Teroldego vines over seventy years old sink their roots deep into the Dolomite soil, a wine of monumental proportions is created. Here, on the alluvial sediments of prehistoric times, these ancient vines have grown in complexity decade after decade. Elisabetta's biodynamic philosophy reaches its purest form with these Methuselah vines: Not to intervene, but to guide nature to its peak.

Gulfi's top Pinò is a pure expression of Pinot Nero from Etna. When the Etna appellation began its rise about ten years ago, many producers committed themselves to growing the Burgundian grape variety on the charred slopes of this mighty volcano. Significant plantings of Pinot Nero never occurred, however, as many winemakers opted instead for the autochthonous Nerello Mascalese grape variety. Gulfi remains faithful to Pinot Nero on Etna, the grapes for Pinò come from 800 metres above sea level on the northern slope of the volcano.

Pettineo is more than just a contrada, it is a place of remembrance. Old Frappato vines, some of which are over 60 years old, take root here on sandy, slightly ferrous soil with a limestone base. The vines grow like bushes as Alberello, densely planted, deeply rooted – they yield little, but the essentials. For Arianna Occhipinti, this location is a key to the soul of Frappato: a wine that does not shine in its fruit, but in its quiet, almost floating intensity. The harvest by hand and fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts in cement tanks for around 30 days on the skins – gently, without mechanical intervention. The wine is matured traditionally and with restraint for around 20 months in cement tanks.

Fossa di Lupo is one of the most impressive contrade in the Vittoria region – an old hillside vineyard with sandy-clay soil over a deep limestone vein. Its north-easterly exposure and the cool downdraughts at night create a microclimate that is conducive to ripening. For Arianna Occhipinti, it is a real place that has accompanied her life as a winemaker since the very beginning. In this historic contrada north-west of Vittoria, her oldest Frappato vines are rooted in sandy soil interspersed with calcareous subsoil. A site with a history that Arianna has always considered to be the centrepiece of her work – powerful and delicate, quiet and expressive at the same time. The wine comes from 100% Frappato, harvested from vines over 60 years old. Fermentation with the vineyard's own yeasts, around 35 days on the skins, no fining, no filtration. Maturation takes place over 22 months in cement – a deliberate decision not to use wood in order to reveal the pure texture and vibrant character of Frappato.

Just 3,500 bottles from the oldest vines of the Salco vineyard are only sold in the best vintages. In the glass, we are delighted by an extremely elegant Sangiovese with a very harmonious texture and very classic, earthy and spicy notes. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1991, Luigi Fabbro and Katia Nussbaum found an abandoned hill southeast of Montalcino: no water, no electricity – but 600-year-old olive trees and soil that had not seen any chemicals for decades. This is exactly what they were looking for. Gigi, a Friulian with experience in biodiversity mapping in the Amazon, and Katia, a London anthropologist, became pioneers of the biodynamic movement in Montalcino. All vintages have been certified organic since 2001. Of the 35 hectares, only four and a half are planted with vines. The rest: forest, wilderness, corridors for animals and insects. "I see every bottle as performance art," says Katia. "Our entire philosophy of life is in the wine." The basic Brunello comes from the northern slopes, on clayey, marly soils. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, matured for three and a half years in large Slavonian barrels.

Deep ruby red colour, as expected from a good traditionally and organically produced wine. A wonderful, elegant and open-hearted aroma spectrum between sour cherry and nutmeg. Clear and savoury on the palate, beautifully balanced and with plenty of youthful freshness and minerality on the long finish. This medium-bodied Riserva is already drinking well today, but also has enough energy to develop positively in the bottle for at least a handful of years. SUPERIORE.DE

A few years ago, six leading DOCG wineries joined forces to form the "nobile alliance": Salcheto, Poliziano, La Braccesca, Dei, Boscarelli and Avignonesi. They pursue the ambitious goal of bringing Montepulciano's terroir to perfection in the bottle. Leading this project are Ashleigh Seymour and Matteo Giustiniani, the winemakers of Avignonesi. They not only monitor the quality of the Sangiovese grapes, which all grow in the Poggetto di Sopra vineyard, but are also responsible for the vinification in the cellar.

Grinzane Cavour, 240 metres above sea level. One of the few parcels in the entire denomination with a full southern exposure. The single vineyard Garretti epitomises the extraordinary harmony that once attracted Giorgio Rivetti when he decided to expand into the Barolo region in 2001. Here, where seventy-year-old Nebbiolo vines are rooted in alluvial soils with a calcareous clay layer, wines of remarkable balance are produced. The site benefits from exceptional ventilation due to its distance from the hill opposite – a microclimatic advantage that ensures exceptional temperature fluctuations and preserves freshness even in the hottest years.

Cellole Gran Selezione impresses with its usual elegance and sophistication. Its masterfully balanced flavour profile of wild berry and blackberry with cassis, blueberry and candied rose is fantastic. On closer inspection, the wine reveals orange peel, rosemary and iron ore. It is a silky and elegant wine with some firm tannin, lots of bright fruit and a hint of crisp acidity. Undoubtedly a great wine with great potential! SUPERIORE.DE

At 618 metres above sea level, where the air already carries the coolness of the mountains and the view sweeps over the entire Chianti Valley, lies one of the most venerable vineyards in Tuscany: Coltassala – once born as a rebellious Supertuscan, today ennobled as Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the UGA Radda, embodies the revolution and evolution of Tuscan viticulture like no other wine. In 1980, Federica Mascheroni Stianti's family took the plunge: when the DOC system was still forcing Trebbiano and Malvasia into Chianti, they pressed a pure Sangiovese wine up here in small barriques based on the French model instead of the traditional large Slavonia barrels. What was then still misjudged as Vino da Tavola heralded a new era. Today, with the new UGA rules of Chianti Classico (Unita Geografiche Aggiunte, in Germany one would say Lage, in France Cru), Coltassala is finally finding its well-deserved home – as a Gran Selezione from the Radda geographical unit, which stands for the most extreme and elegant expressions of Chianti Classico. The altitude gives the 2021 vintage that characteristic freshness that makes Radda so unique – despite the warm weather, the wine retains its crystalline acidity and vibrancy.

There are wines that change a grape variety forever. Granato is one of them. The legendary Teroldego that has been convincing the wine world since 1987 that Italy's Alpine heights can produce red wines of international calibre. Its name is both programme and poetry: Granato – the pomegranate, the ancient Mediterranean fruit that, like the vine, came to Italy thousands of years ago and whose ruby-coloured seeds remind Elisabetta Foradori of the essence of perfect grapes. In the historic Noval, Regin and Pedot vineyards of Campo Rotaliano, where Teroldego vines over seventy years old sink their roots deep into the Dolomite soil, a wine of monumental proportions is created. Here, on the alluvial sediments of prehistoric times, these ancient vines have grown in complexity decade after decade. Elisabetta's biodynamic philosophy reaches its purest form with these Methuselah vines: Not to intervene, but to guide nature to its peak.

Maestro di Cava is a Bolgheri Rosso Superiore and a great example of Cabernet Franc, an expression of the volcanic soils and ageing in large barrels. Intense ruby red colour. The nose is clean, elegant and typical of the variety, characterised by a very intense bouquet of aromas with hints of red fruit, tobacco and leather. The palate is savoury, with great freshness. Excellent tannins, natural and perfectly integrated with the body of the wine. Persistent finish with mineral notes. SUPERIORE.DE

What begins with a seductive bouquet of delicate plums and a hint of mint gains volume and depth as grilled sage and rum-soaked blackcurrants mingle with sweet tobacco and allspice. Its texture is silky and fleshy, accompanied by a nervous acidity, while ripe black cherries and a hint of cranberry sauce create a sweet and sour tension on the palate. The concentration is astonishing, yet the energy remains incredibly high, even if the grippy tannins increase towards the end. Notes of sour citrus fruits, savoury herbs and tart wild berries linger incredibly long in the structured yet remarkably fresh final. Only around 3,000 bottles of this cru are produced and it is a real must-have for all Aglianico lovers! SUPERIORE.DE

Nastagio (also known as Nastasio) is the name of an ancient farmhouse of the Fattoria di Sant'Angelo, which was already recorded in the maps of Grand Duke Leopold. Brunello Nastagio is released on the market five years after the harvest, as if it were a Riserva, and is the result of the many years of experience that Col d'Orcia has gained in the development and cultivation of the Sangiovese vineyard. It is also the result of the many research chapters that Col d'Orcia has been carrying out with the University of Florence for more than twenty years. The ageing in tonneaux (500 Liters) oak barrels and then in the traditional large "botti" represent an ideal combination between tradition and modernity, while maintaining the essential aspect of longevity.

Gentle balsamic notes with rosemary and lavender scents on the nose. When it opens in the glass, you can get a clear picture of the dark fruit at its centre and the delicate particles of chalk dust that frame the bouquet. The fruit for this wine comes from a five-hectare plot with alkaline soils that are rich in numerous mineral components. The complexity of the soils is reflected in the attractive bouquet, and this outstanding Riserva vintage offers a rich structure, velvety tannins and persistent intensity. SUPERIORE.DE