Organic Red Wine

Lamole. Giovanni Manetti has long regarded this zone as one of the most distinctive in Chianti Classico. At an altitude of 620 metres, far from the heart of the region, a few plots of old Sangiovese vines survived the wave of deforestation in the 1970s. Giovanni took cuttings from these Alberello vines from the 1920s to grow his own vines in Panzano: the foundation for Fontodi's quality. This wine is made from seven hectares of Macigno sandstone, whose loose, permeable structure ensures elegance and finesse. Cool nights, long growing season, south-south-west exposure. The sandy soils give the Sangiovese a lightness that is clearly different from the powerful wines from Panzano. Vinification in concrete, certified organic.

Santa Cecilia is Planeta's Nero d'Avola icon – born in the barren, sun-baked cultural landscape of Noto, on white limestone soils that give the variety depth, elegance and saltiness. A dense ruby red colour with a purple core in the glass. The bouquet opens with ripe black cherry, plum and mulberry, flanked by balsamic herbs, black tea, some liquorice and a fine graphite note. Powerful on the palate, but never overpowering: dense, ripe fruit meets a firm tannin structure that is well integrated and lends length. The acidity is precisely set, the finish is long and carried by a salty nuance that reflects the terroir of Contrada Buonivini. An expressive, high-class Nero d'Avola with a profile of origin, character and an ageing process that enhances rather than masks the variety. For Planeta, it has been a reference and expression of a new, confident Sicily for years. SUPERIORE.DE

Villa di Capezzana has been the Tenuta's flagship since 1925 and is a living testimony to Tuscan wine culture. This Carmignano DOCG epitomises the vision of the Contini Bonacossi family, who for five generations have been cultivating the heritage of a wine estate whose first documented mention dates back to 804. In 1975, Carmignano was the first Tuscan DOC zone ever to officially include Cabernet Sauvignon in the assemblage – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The tradition goes back to the 16th century, when Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux.

A captivating Pinot Nero with a poetic expression of the Langhe terroir: strictly selected grapes from organically farmed vineyards are vinified with the utmost care. After manual harvesting and fermentation, the wine matures for 18 months in tonneaux, which give it structure without masking its freshness. The ageing process combines depth with elegant finesse – an art that Vajra has mastered for many years.

The grapes for Poggio Anticos Rosso have always come from 100% Brunello vineyards and the wine is a real insider tip for Montalcino lovers. Several of the vineyards have been certified organic since 2022. After some aeration, it beguiles the nose with an overwhelming bouquet of spices, ripe red cherries and fine leather notes. Full, firm and fleshy on the palate, the structure is very polished and balanced. A Rosso that could easily be a Brunello with a little patience and further bottle ageing: precise, delicious and with a beautiful, long final full of depth and a delightful aftertaste. SUPERIORE.DE

Wine has been made here since 1051 – first by monks, and since 1846 by the Stucchi Prinetti family, now in its seventh generation. Badia a Coltibuono, the "Abbey of the Good Harvest", was the first leading winery in Chianti to switch completely to organic cultivation. The Riserva comes from massalselection of Sangiovese and historical complementary varieties such as Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, grown on the highest hills near Gaiole. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, three weeks of maceration, then 24 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. The 2021 vintage benefited from a cool year with late frost – lower yields, but concentrated quality.

This is where Ampeleia's true masterclass is revealed: the Cabernet Franc from the single vineyard "Vigna dell'Asina" is the centrepiece of the "Monovarietali" project and shows why this grape variety has become the flagship of the winery. What began as a vision in 2003 has developed into one of the most precise expressions of the Tuscan terroir. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 500 metres and combines ideal conditions: Clay-rich soils interspersed with characteristic Galestro limestone rocks and Palombini formations create a unique microclimate. Contrary to the expectation that clay soils produce heavy wines, wines of surprising elegance and purity are produced here – a phenomenon that can only be observed in Roccatederighi. Vinification follows Ampeleia's purist approach: 20% of the grapes undergo carbonic maceration as whole bunches, the rest are destemmed. After two weeks of maceration, the wine matures for nine months in cement tanks – for nine months in cement tanks without the use of wood in order to preserve the varietal characteristics unadulterated.

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.

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.

Nearco was unbeatable. 14 starts, 14 wins – derby Italiano, Grand Prix de Paris, and everything in between. Piedmontese breeder Federico Tesio had bred him in 1935 and knew he had something extraordinary on his hands. As war approached, Tesio sold the horse to England for a then world-record £60,000. The British were so impressed that they built Nearco a bomb-proof bunker. Today, he is the genetic ancestor of almost all modern thoroughbreds – from Northern Dancer to Secretariat, from Frankel to Sea the Stars.

Don Luigi Riserva is the distinctive flagship of Di Majo Norante – named after the patriarch of the winery and an expression of deep respect for origin, tradition and passion. Only the ripest Montepulciano grapes are selected from the Contrada Camarda near Ramitello, around 100 - 150 metres above sea level on soils rich in limestone and clay. The wine is produced after a long maceration period and then matures for 12–18 months in French barriques, followed by several months of rest in the bottle – a process that produces both concentration and this impressive harmony.

A declaration of love for Tuscany is how the Ferragamos describe their most pure expression. The Vigna Polissena lies on slate soils with perfect drainage, a terroir made for Sangiovese. James Suckling once compared the wines produced here to the best Brunellos. The must rests on the skins for twenty-two days before being transferred to Allier barriques – a third of which are new. For eighteen months, the wood moulds the structure without masking the character. A further six months in steel give the wine time to find its feet.

With "LIL'KRA XXIII", Alois and Clemens Lageder venture a first glimpse into the future of the legendary Krafuss vineyard – a Pinot Nero made from young grapes, vinified as an experiment and harbinger. The parcel was replanted in 2020, with impressive diversity: 20 different Pinot clones and massal selections on various rootstocks, planted on calcareous slopes above Eppan. The 2023 vintage marks the first small harvest – a delicate, vibrant start that already hints at the potential of the future Grand Cru site Krafuss. Fermentation for around a week on the skins with a small proportion of whole bunches. This is followed by gentle ageing – initially in stainless steel tanks, followed by around 17 months in large oval oak barrels. During the maturation period, the wine underwent a slightly reductive phase, which gave it additional tension and precision. Bottled unfiltered in January 2025.

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

"Many individuals" – is the motto of this extraordinary comet, named after Rainer Zierock, the late viticulture professor and friend of the Lageder family. Over 25 years ago, Zierock planted over 200 grape varieties from all over the world in Casòn Hirschprunn in Margreid, between 230 and 360 metres above sea level on sandy, stony dolomitic limestone soil. What began as an ampelographic experiment became a vinological statement: a blended set not of three, but of around 200 different varieties – white and red grapes together. "Out of chaos, movement ultimately creates form," said Joseph Beuys.

A vineyard like a time capsule: Replanted around 1900 after the phylloxera epidemic, the oldest vines have been growing here for 120 years on calcareous sandy loam soils between 290 and 320 metres above sea level. With MAX XIX, Alois Lageder is preserving one of these rare South Tyrolean treasures – an authentic "mixed set" of different Vernatsch varieties such as Tschaggelevernatsch, Edelvernatsch and Grauvernatsch, complemented by Lagrein, Teroldego and other indigenous varieties. The special thing about this heterogeneity: at harvest time, some grapes are perfectly ripe, others are already overripe and others are still unripe – a natural interplay between sugar and acidity that gives each vintage its own tension.

Medium ruby red. Opens with ripe fruit notes of redcurrants, wild cherries and dried raspberries, then grilled herbs and liquorice in the background. This Rosso is more powerful and opulent than many of its competitors, almost reaching the intensity of a Brunello. Nevertheless, the aromas are more precise than one would expect from a young red wine. The delicate tannin has reached a certain stage of maturity and finds a lively ally in the well-proportioned acidity, which keeps the flavour development going for all eternity. SUPERIORE.DE

In the dizzying heights of Lamole, one of the highest appellations in Chianti Classico, the Sangiovese grapes for this exceptional Riserva grow at 470 to 655 metres. The historic terraces of local Macigno del Chianti – the characteristic sandstone that stores the sun's heat during the day and releases it again at night – create a unique microclimate for this organically certified wine. Lareale combines grapes from two of Lamole's best vineyards: "Il Prato" and "Le Masse". 95 per cent Sangiovese, supplemented by five per cent Canaiolo Nero, produce a Chianti Classico of remarkable elegance and oysteriness after optical berry selection and two weeks of maceration. Maturation in oak barrels for over two years gives the wine additional complexity and structure.

This wine bears the small print name Viola delle Viole, although its fruit comes from the Bricco delle Viole and Bricco Bertone vineyards, two sites with different soil types, one of which provides structure and the other aromatic purity. Opens with a dark, almost impenetrable appearance. Powerful aromas of blackberry jam and preserved cherries unfold on the nose. You can feel its warmth and richness and there is no way around it. It is a super-sized Barbera that goes one better in terms of extraction and intensity. The finish is almost sweet, followed by good acidity. It shows great aromatic perfection, length and a very accentuated style. SUPERIORE.DE