Organic Red Wine

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.

The exceptional 2019 harvest has prompted Luca Sanjust to take another step towards "quality without compromise". The yields per plant were reduced even further and the selection of grapes from the identified parcel was made even more rigorous. This led to a reduction in the number of bottles available to around 3,000. The same meticulousness was applied in the cellar, selecting the most suitable 7 hectolitre barrels for ageing "sur lie". The greatest attention was paid to their wood grain and "toasting" in order to achieve the harmony and taste that a pure Grand Cru Sangiovese should have.

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.

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.

In 1998, Brancaia moved to the Maremma. It was no mere whim, but a conscious decision: this coastal landscape north of Grosseto, with its sandy loam soils, Mediterranean climate and the salty breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea, was a terroir that would respond in its own way – if the right grape varieties were planted. Ilatraia’s answer is clear: three Bordeaux varieties, no artificial irrigation; roots reaching deep into the sandy subsoil. At altitudes of 75 to 175 metres, facing west to south-west, on soil comprising two-thirds sand and one-third silt and clay. The Mediterranean climate is uncompromising: very hot summers, mild winters, and a marked temperature range between day and night. What ripens here does so without assistance – and you can taste it.

"Vürsù" – the longing, the passion, the insatiable desire. This is what Giorgio Rivetti called the feeling that drove him in 2000 when he acquired the first hectares in Grinzane Cavour and thus realised his greatest dream: to create his own Barolo. The Vigna Campè covers eight hectares, majestically situated at an altitude of 280 metres with a perfect southern exposure, where seventy-year-old Nebbiolo vines take root in alluvial soils with calcareous clay. Giorgio immediately recognised the extraordinary potential of this site, which had previously been cultivated by a producer who never intended to produce great wines. All the grapes went to other Barolo producers as bulk wine. But Giorgio saw what others had overlooked: the terroir for one of Piedmont's greatest Barolo. He reduced yields by 75 per cent, banned all chemicals in the vineyard and worked the vines with horses - Morro and Pipo still plough between the venerable vines today.

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices, with a soft, full body and polished tannins. One cannot overstate the sheer delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

Monteverro – a classic French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – is a grand cru from the Maremma, brimming with opulence and complexity. A deep, dark ruby colour with a black core. Incredibly rich in aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and spices; soft and full-bodied, with polished tannins. One cannot overstate the delight in the magnificence of this wine.  SUPERIORE.DE

When Georg Weber set foot on the hills below Capalbio in the early 2000s, he knew his search was over. The Bordeaux enthusiast had travelled the world of wine – from Pauillac to Napa Valley – only to finally find, in the southern Maremma, the terroir that would make his dream a reality: Tuscany's first Premier Grand Cru. Monteverro – named after the wild boar, the 'verro', which has roamed the scrubland of this coastal landscape since time immemorial – was born.

Barolo Prapò comes from Serralunga d'Alba and is, as expected, the most powerful and structured of the various single-vineyard wines from this ambitious estate. At the same time, it is also the most closed at the beginning and, with its introverted nature, is made for a long ageing period. This site is one of the last where the grapes ripen, giving them plenty of time to develop slowly and carefully each year.

Montebello is a sophisticated blend of Mammolo, Ciliegiolo, Pugnitello, Colorino, Sanforte, Malvasia Nera, Canaiolo, Fogliatonda and Sangiovese. Each grape variety is harvested and fermented separately in open Liters barrels with indigenous yeasts and manual racking. A captivating bouquet of dark cherries and earth, with notes of cinnamon, tar and grilled herbs. The defined tannins are accompanied by a beautiful acid wire. A wine with great character and beautiful structure that changes with every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1985, Giovanni Manetti made a momentous and ingenious decision: the best plots of the Vigna del Sorbo, those south-west-facing slopes in front of the winery at 450 metres above sea level, were to be given their own voice. Here, where slate and the characteristic Galestro slopes above the clay characterise the geological signature of the Conca d'Oro, the estate's oldest Sangiovese vines have been rooted since 1963. What began as a Riserva with ten per cent Cabernet Sauvignon has become a monument to the art of pure Sangiovese over the years.

2020 is the first organic Oreno vintage. Deep dark ruby violet. On the nose, cassis, blackcurrant and a powerful herbal spice with a good dose of pipe tobacco, tar and crushed boulders. On the palate, dark berries, chocolate and a cornucopia of herbs define the full body. This juicy wine monument has precisely integrated tannins, an enormous silkiness and a seemingly endless finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"You should take that much time. Time and attention for the best of our Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Perfect harmony that is only achieved after 10 years of ageing in the bottle. Dense to the tips of your hair." Michael Graf Goëss-Enzenberg, Weingut Manincor

Rose petals, spices and red-coloured fruit float in the glass, supported by fine, racy tannins. On the palate, the typical, medium-bodied characteristics of Bricco delle Viole are evident, while the contours are soft and the wine's personality demands the next sip. Vajra fans should give it a few more years to mature, despite its current accessibility. SUPERIORE.DE

Vergne, the highest hamlet in the municipality of Barolo, has been the heart of G.D. Vajra for over fifty years. Aldo Vaira decided to adopt organic farming here when no one else in the Langhe was doing so; today, his children Giuseppe, Francesca and Isidoro continue to run the estate, which holds biodynamic certification. Bricco delle Viole lies at the heart of this terrain: a south to south-south-west facing ridge at an altitude of between 400 and 470 metres, one of the highest sites in the Barolo region.

Mazzon refers to Manincor itself as "Mason" to distinguish it from the larger vineyard of the same name situated above Neumarkt. Four hectares in this unique vineyard are planted with Pinot Nero: a south-facing high plateau at an altitude of 400 to 450 metres, bathed in sunshine and constantly exposed to the wind – ideal conditions for the tightly clustered grapes of this variety. The soil is sandy loam, interspersed with dolomite, porphyry, gneiss and granite, ranging from fine-grained material to fist-sized stones. The highest-altitude plot is home to the oldest vines, from which Manincor crafts this selection in top vintages: a Grand Cru within a Grand Cru. 2022 brought the winemaker great joy: an early year, warm in summer, with sufficient and well-distributed rainfall, cool nights and sunny days in autumn. Physiological ripeness, sugar content and acidity were in perfect balance – ripe fruit, a cool character and moderate alcohol levels characterise this well-balanced vintage. On 22 September, the Pinot Nero was harvested at perfect ripeness, with a yield of 31 hectolitres per hectare.

In the heart of the Valdarno Superiore, where the ancient Via dei Setteponti inspired Leonardo da Vinci to create his immortal landscape studies, lies Tenuta Sette Ponti – named after the seven bridges that have linked Arezzo and Florence since Etruscan times. Here, on 300 hectares where history meets modernity, Dr Antonio Moretti Cuseri realised a visionary idea in 1999: to create a Tuscan Bordeaux-style wine that combines international elegance with the soul of Tuscany. Oreno – named after the small river that flows through the estate in that clay-rich area where the Merlot vines put down their deepest roots – was born out of a passion for Bordeaux finesse. Fascinated by his travels to Bordeaux, Moretti Cuseri had existing vineyards grafted with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Whilst the Merlot thrives in the clay-rich soils, the Cabernet vines find their home on gravelly terraces that offer perfect drainage and natural temperature regulation. The Petit Verdot rounds off the cuvée with spicy notes and intense flavour.

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

Camigliano's Brunello di Montalcino 2019 shows impressive balance and integrity. It contrasts the delicate sweetness of the fruit beautifully with the ethereal and liquorice-like aromas that simply come automatically to Sangiovese when it is grown on the south side of the spectacular Montalcino appellation. Blood orange, redcurrant and wild blueberry on the nose, with a hint of salt and herbaceous notes in the background. On the palate, it impresses with its balanced intensity and lively tannins. The harmonious, very juicy finish surprises with playful notes of warm cherry sweetness, the footprint of Camigliano's wine identity, complemented by a fine mineral vein. This is a highly respectable Camigliano wine from a wonderful vintage, in which the winery is able to fully capitalise on the perfect climate of the vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

Between Sassicaia on the left and Ornellaia on the right, on the Strada del Vino of Bolgheri, lies a vineyard that has rewritten the definition of "perfect location". When Antonio Moretti Cuseri drove through the thick Maremma fog in October 2004 and suddenly emerged into the glistening sunlight of this coastal landscape, he knew: this is where he would make the Orma – his footprint. The third generation of the Moretti Cuseri family had already proven with Oreno at Tenuta Sette Ponti that their passion for Bordeaux cuvées can become an obsession. In Bolgheri, this love of Merlot and Cabernet was to find a new interpretation. On just 5.5 hectares of vines rooted deep in gravel and clay, organically farmed grapes are used to produce the wine that has been delighting international wine critics since its debut in 2005. The 2023 vintage combines half Merlot with 30 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 per cent Cabernet Franc – an assemblage that combines the Mediterranean climate of the Tuscan coast with the finesse of great Bordeaux growths.

Brunello di Montalcino by Poggio di Sotto is an explosive wine, full and dark. Black cherries, menthol, spices and freshly tanned leather are just some of the diverse aromas. The palate is dense, enveloping and fantastically flowing. Accentuated acidity, perfectly integrating the tannins, finishes on notes of ripe stone fruit, leather and mushrooms. An absolutely fascinating, sublime wine (for the advanced) at the highest level. SUPERIORE.DE