Organic Red Wine

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.

Della Bastonaca is the quintessence of the COS philosophy, grown on the historic estate in Bastonaca near Vittoria – where up to 75-year-old Alberello vines of Nero d'Avola and Frappato stand on calcareous red clay, criss-crossed by quartz veins and the constant presence of Mediterranean air. Biodynamics is not a statement here, but a lived practice – for decades, each vintage has been vinified in harmony with nature at the right rhythm.

The wolf's mouth. This is the translation of Bocca di Lupo – a name that captures the wildness of this landscape. Here, in the heart of the Alta Murgia near Minervino Murge, a dream began in 1998: the Antinori family, creators of legendary super Tuscans, recognised the dormant potential of Apulia and invested in a terrain that could not be more barren. Limestone tuff soils, karstic hills, an almost lunar panorama at an altitude of 250-300 metres. But it is precisely this barrenness that is the secret. At the centre of the project: the rediscovery of Aglianico – the noble, once underestimated grape variety that is to find an authentic Apulian voice here. The organically cultivated vines yield slightly overripe grapes that fully develop their phenolic potential. After manual harvesting, the must ferments at 25–27 °C in stainless steel, maceration takes place over 15–18 days with gentle remontages and délestages. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French barriques, where the wine matures for a further 15 months. This is followed by a full 24 months of bottle ageing – this wine is only released onto the market after a total of three years (+).

In the annals of Tuscan wine history, there are vineyards that bear witness to dynasties and eras, and the Vigna dell'Impero is one of these living monuments. In 1935, in that fateful year when Europe was on the eve of great upheavals, the Savoia royal family had a vineyard planted on their hunting reserve in Valdarno di Sopra, which is now one of the most venerable terroirs in Tuscany. Three hectares of terraced vineyards, planted by hand at an altitude of 300 metres, where the Sangiovese vines dig their roots deep into the stony, galestro-rich soil. Antonio Moretti Cuseri recognised the exceptional quality of this ancient site and decided in 2012 to create a limited edition from this historic cru. Only in the best vintages, in numbered bottles, as a tribute to 85 years of winegrowing history. The Sangiovese in Purezza undergoes a particularly gentle, one-month maceration to extract all the noble components of the grapes harvested at optimum phenolic ripeness. 24 months of ageing in large 15 and 25 hectolitre barrels, followed by months of bottle ageing without filtration – to preserve the purest terroir notes.

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

G.D. Vajra's Ravera (whose vineyard extends over the municipalities of Novello and Barolo) is always the most angular, powerful and vertical of their collection. It comes from soils with clay and sandstone at 320 to 340 metres above sea level. This is the ideal place for wines that show both power and elegance. The tannins are sweet, but every fibre of the backbone is dense and firm. Red and purple fruits with liquorice, tar and white truffle are neatly packaged here and only reveal themselves gradually, but then with beautiful precision and straightforwardness. The final has a wonderfully long aftertaste, superb! SUPERIORE.DE

A journey through time on five hectares: Giovanni Manetti is a man who knows how to unravel historical secrets. When he discovered drawings from the 15th century in the archives of the University of Florence that showed that the hill of San Leolino was once completely planted with vines, this was the key to an extraordinary revitalisation project. Where for centuries there had only been olive trees – with the exception of a small plot from the 1970s –the Terrazze di San Leolino were created anew. The terroir tells a different story to the famous Vigna del Sorbo: here, at an altitude of 450 metres, it is not the slatey Galestro that dominates, but the calcareous Alberese soil. This geological peculiarity gives San Leolino its unmistakable character – mineral, salty, with a freshness that immediately reminds the nose of crushed stones and earthy notes.

As long as 200 years ago, San Leolino was regarded as a 'cru' vineyard. Above the thousand-year-old Pieve – the Romanesque chapel first mentioned in documents dating back to 982 – terraces wind their way through the upper part of the Conca d'Oro. Giovanni Manetti discovered drawings dating from the 15th century at the University of Florence which proved that this slope was once entirely planted with vines. What followed was a rebirth: the terraces were restored, covering 4.5 hectares at an altitude of 450 to 500 metres, on Alberese limestone. These soils differ fundamentally from the schist-rich galestro of the Vigna del Sorbo – here, hard limestone dominates, imparting freshness, brightness and a mineral precision. The pandemic years gave Giovanni the leisure to walk through his vineyards and reflect. He realised that this plot has its own identity, a terroir that calls for separate vinification. The first vintage was 2019; the fourth is now 2022. Production remains small: just 5,000 bottles.

High above the district of Perno in Monforte d'Alba lies the cru parcel Vigna Pressenda – part of the traditional MGA Castelletto, which is one of the easternmost top vineyards in Barolo. Early Piedmontese wine chroniclers already mentioned these steep slopes, which lean towards the morning sun and are characterised by a complex soil mosaic of calcareous marl, sandy inclusions and ferrous veins. The elevated position of around 370 metres and the constant breeze from the Tanaro Valley give the grapes a remarkable freshness and aromatic precision, even in warm years. The 2021 vintage, widely celebrated as an exceptional vintage in Barolo, brought ideal ripening conditions: A balanced vegetation cycle with warm, sunny days and cool nights allowed the Nebbiolo berries to ripen slowly and completely. The grapes were harvested by hand in mid-October, with strict selection to ensure that only perfectly ripe harvestwere brought to the cellar. Ageing in French oak for around 24 months brings depth and aromatic complexity without masking the clear fruit centre.

Luigi and Fiorina Baudana ran their small winery in Serralunga d'Alba for three decades, with no heirs to take over the business. Rather than accepting offers from major wine houses for their 'golden mile', in 2008 they set out to find a successor themselves who would preserve their legacy, and to this end visited G.D. Vajra incognito. Aldo Vaira took over the management of the estate, whilst Luigi and Fiorina remained on board; production continues to this day in the same cellar.

At the centre of the Via Bolgherese, that legendary wine route where the Tuscan dream and the Bordeaux vision merge into an indelible myth, lies a small kingdom of just 5.5 hectares. Here, nestled between the giants Ornellaia to the right and Sassicaia to the left, Antonio Moretti Cuseri and his sons Alberto and Amedeo tell a story of unbridled passion, a story called Orma. Orma means footprint. And this 2021 truly leaves one in the soul of the taster. The purest expression of an exceptional vintage, this organically certified Bordeaux blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc unfolds like a symphony in purple and garnet. The Mediterranean sun of Bolgheri, tempered by the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea, gave the grapes that unique ripeness that only a few terroirs in the world are capable of producing.

Deep dark ruby-purple colour. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrants and a strong herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed gravel. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full-bodied palate. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and an almost endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Helichrysum is a selection of the best grapes from the highest parcel of the estate, where the soils are both clayey and of volcanic origin.

Ravera is considered one of the great Grand Cru sites of Barolo – majestically situated on a south-west facing high plateau of Novello. G.D. Vajra's plots here lie at an altitude of 320 to 340 metres, where the vines are deeply rooted in the calcareous and clayey marl soils of the Sant'Agata formation. This geological mixture gives the wine its characteristic depth, firm structure and mineral signature. Ravera is famous for Barolo with cool precision, rich fruit and enormous ageing potential. The 2021 vintage offered picture-perfect conditions: a harmonious growing season with no periods of extreme heat, a long, sunny autumn with cool nights and a late, perfectly ripe harvest at the end of October. Fermentation took place gently with an extended maceration period to maximise colour, structure and aromatic finesse. The organic ageing for 30+ months in large Slavonian barrels was deliberately restrained in order to preserve the powerful but nuanced personality of the terroir unadulterated.

The organically certified Sangiovese grapes for this Chianti Classico are grown in the legendary Conca d'Oro south of Panzano, that amphitheatrical Golden Valley with its unique microclimate of warm days and cool nights. Giovanni Manetti, president of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, vinifies exclusively hand-picked grapes in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts on the chalky Galestro soils of his 170-hectare Tenuta. After three weeks of maceration, the wine matures for 18 months in French oak barrels of various sizes.

Chianti Classico by Giovanni Manetti offers a profound, densely woven and still very youthful bouquet of dark and red berries and fine spicy notes. The dry, cherry flavour with long-lasting impressions, well-extracted tannins and the acidity typical of Sangiovese show a clearly recognisable terroir character. Very clear, straightforward, long, always fresh and juicy, with excellent strength and balance. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1090, while Leif Erikson was discovering America and the first universities in Europe were being established, two friends of Abbot Rolando paid "two capons, three loaves of bread and six silver denarii from Lucca" for the annual lease of a vineyard in the divine valley of Dievole. Nine hundred (Novecento) years later, in 1990, this wine was created as a reminiscence of the incredible journey through the centuries. The grapes thrive between 300 and 420 metres above sea level on stony soils of marl, limestone and galestro. The vines, which are on average 15 years old and cultivated organically as in the early days of this domain, undergo a 14-day spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts in cement vats before maturing for 18 months in large, unroasted French Allier oak barrels.

Some vineyards carry their history within them like annual rings in an old tree. Vigna 10 on the Brancaia hill near Castellina is such a place. When Brigitte and Bruno Widmer bought the abandoned estate in 1981, they immediately recognised the potential of this plot of land – a gentle south-facing slope at 230 metres, clay soils that retain water and an exposure that allows the Sangiovese to reach full maturity without overtaxing it. Eighteen years later, in 1999, the vineyard was replanted – not with just any clones, but with five of the most promising Sangiovese selections from the ambitious "Chianti Classico 2000" research project, which has been researching and preserving the genetic diversity of this grape variety since the 1980s.

In 1981, Bruno and Brigitte Widmer from Switzerland bought an estate in Castellina in Chianti. They were not from a family of winegrowers, nor did they have any local roots – just the conviction that this patch of land held something extraordinary. The vineyard, which the estate refers to internally as "Vigna 10" or "Blocco 10" immediately caught their eye: a south-east-facing plot at an altitude of 240 to 265 metres, on clay-rich galestro soil, which gives the Sangiovese in Chianti Classico its characteristic balance between intensity and freshness. The Widmers knew this. Yet they waited. For before a vineyard can give its best, it needs vines with roots that run deep enough. In 1999, the plot was replanted – with five of the finest Sangiovese clones, which the ambitious "Chianti Classico 2000" research project had selected from across the entire Chianti region in the 1980s. This was no quick fix, but a commitment that took decades to fulfil.

Since the exceptional 2019 harvest, Luca Sanjust has taken another step towards "quality without compromise" with his Boggina C. The yields per plant have been reduced even further and the selection of grapes from the identified parcel has been made even stricter. This led to a reduction in the number of bottles available to around 3,000. The same meticulousness was also applied in the cellar by selecting the most suitable 7 hectolitre barrels for ageing "sur lie". Great attention was paid to their wood grain and toasting in order to achieve the harmony and flavour that a pure Grand Cru Sangiovese should have.