Organic Red Wine

Pergolaia consists mainly of Sangiovese with smaller proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine opens with a medium-bodied attack and a bright bouquet characterised by notes of cherry, wild plum, ploughed earth and pressed blue flowers. This very Mediterranean-style red with a strong personality envelops the palate with a delicate, silky intensity. SUPERIORE.DE

The name says it all: Badilante pays tribute to the workers who, for generations, used their spades to drain and cultivate the marshy lands of the Maremma. Simone Castelli, son of the legendary OenologistMaurizio, vinifies this single-varietal Sangiovese at the organically farmed Podere 414 vineyard near Scansano. The grapes grow at an altitude of 230 metres in loamy-clay soils with a high proportion of coarse material. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete, 15–18 days’ maceration with délestage and remontage, followed by ageing partly in concrete and partly in wood.

The cellar at Tenuta Meraviglia is situated in a former quarry. This is not a metaphor, but an architectural choice: the architectural practice Studio Tori has created a winery here that is carved into the rock, thereby restoring the landscape rather than detracting from it. Form follows function follows conviction. This philosophy is carried through into the vineyard: 34 hectares in Bolgheri, planted almost exclusively with Cabernet Franc, on volcanic soils.

Crognolo is a wonderfully balanced wine that offers the tangy freshness and acidity of Sangiovese, which is balanced and softened by the small proportion of Merlot. The wine smells of cherry, blackberry and plum. Its primary intensity is bright and cheerful. The juicy finish shows a nice density, extraction and well-integrated tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

Light, dense ruby colour. A cool Cabernet profile with blue fruit on the nose: Blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, plus cedar wood, graphite, laurel and a hint of juniper. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, yet polished: juicy, dark fruit, very fine-grained, ripe tannins and a lively acidity that benefits from the constant coastal wind and the day/night temperature gradient. The spice remains elegantly in the background, the wood is perfectly integrated and supports the texture without masking the freshness. Long, straightforward finish with a salty, mineral flavour. The 2023 shows the sunny side of the Tuscan coast with balance instead of vigour: a precise, modern Maremma Cabernet – accessible in its youth, with reserves for several years. Ideal with grilled beef, lamb chops, savoury mushroom dishes or mature pecorino. SUPERIORE.DE

Maldafrica describes an "inner longing for a distant land" and is not love at first sight, but it is one of Sicily's most interesting wines. It is initially very subtle and nuanced and it opens up gradually on its own timetable, but then: spontaneously fermented in amphorae, Maldafrica overwhelms the senses with dark fruits, spices, chopped herbs, savoury notes, sulphur, leather and damp tobacco. Its mouthfeel is over a minute long and its acidity provides the perfect amount of astringency to refresh the senses for all its opulence. A quiet monument that sets the standard for the entire wine region and leaves a lasting impression for all its longing. SUPERIORE.DE

One name is making a name for itself: Vallenuova, previously the estate's entry-level Chianti, will become a Riserva with the 2023 vintage. The vineyard, which surrounds the estate like a natural amphitheatre, bears the name of the locality – still today Tolaini's official address in Castelnuovo Berardenga. What is changing is the ageing period: instead of ten months, the Riserva now matures for considerably longer in a trio of Tuscan, Slavonian and Austrian oak before spending a further few months in the bottle. The base is now also clearly defined: 100% Sangiovese from silty-clay soils with limestone and stones. Double selection – by hand in the vineyard, visually in the cellar – 20 days' maceration, temperature-controlled fermentation.

In a plot right in the heart of the legendary Bricco Boschis grows one of Piedmont's most enigmatic grape varieties: Freisa – Nebbiolo's wild relative and, according to DNA studies, possibly even its genetic mother. Its name is derived from the Latin "fresia", meaning strawberry, which already hints at its aromatic profile. Native to the Piedmontese hills since the Middle Ages, it was long considered too rustic – until producers such as Cavallotto discovered its true elegance. The 2023 vintage undergoes traditional vinification using indigenous yeasts and 3–5 days' skin maceration, followed by 12–15 months' ageing in Slavonian oak barrels and six months' bottle ageing.

Bucine, Valdarno di Sopra – where the Arno meanders through rolling hills between Arezzo and Florence, the Fattoria Petrolo lies at an altitude of between 250 and 500 metres. In 1988, Lucia Bazzocchi Sanjust wanted a wine that would convey the true identity of this terroir: Petrolo's "Château", a tribute to the centuries-old Tuscan tradition of blending French grape varieties with Sangiovese. As early as 1834, Giorgio Perrin, an agronomist of Swiss origin and owner of Petrolo, reported in the *Giornale Agrario Toscano* as early as 1834 that it was common practice in Chianti to blend "uve francesi" with Sangiovese, not to alter the quality, but because the terroir takes precedence over the grape varieties.

Mal d'Afrika – this is not a romantic play on words. It is a real feeling: that homesickness for Africa that strikes anyone who has spent time in this landscape and cannot let go. In the south-easternmost tip of Sicily, where Vittoria lies between the Ippari and Dirillo rivers, this expression is immediately understood: the colours, the heat, the silence, the earth. COS has dedicated a wine to this feeling. The grape varieties behind it are surprising: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in equal parts – the most international varieties in the wine world, cultivated by a company that otherwise consistently favours indigenous varieties. The contradiction is resolved in the cellar. COS treats Merlot and Cabernet like Frappato and Nero d'Avola: spontaneous fermentation on the skins in terracotta amphorae, natural yeasts, no added sulphur. Then matured in Slavonian oak barrels. 25-year-old vines on the red Pliocene sandy soils of Contrada Fontane, 230 metres, biodynamically cultivated. 5,000 vines per hectare, hand-picked in September.

Bernardina is a wine with an interesting history. The Bernardina vineyard was once part of a 600-hectare estate belonging to a noble family who did not care much for wine. When the appellation boundaries for Barolo were established, this family never lobbied to become part of the area now registered for the production of Barolo DOCG. Today, the vineyard is managed by the Ceretto family, who have instead focussed on the production of Nebbiolo d'Alba. Nebbiolo d'Alba is an appellation in which the grapes from the Barolo and Barbaresco wine regions have been declassified and which is becoming increasingly popular.

Produced in just 6,000 bottles per vintage, Godenza from the vineyard of the same name undergoes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, followed by temperature-controlled maceration in stainless steel tanks. After malolactic fermentation, it then matures for 12 months in cement vats and at least 9 months in the bottle. Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, it is characterised by its complex and open bouquet with aromas of small red berries and spices. On the palate, it is firm and clear with a wonderful balance between acidity and ripe flavours and has a very respectable, slightly salty and spicy finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Ceretto's Langhe Rosso Monsordo is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with fruit from 11 hectares in the Langa region. It penetrates into areas that Ceretto's master grape, Nebbiolo, never addresses. Monsordo attempts to provide answers to questions that are rarely asked in the Langa, and he answers them with fine extract sweetness and fullness.

In 1977 – two years after Sassicaia – Pier Mario Melini became only the second person ever to plant vines in Bolgheri. What seemed like obstinacy at the time is now known as Grattamacco. The estate is situated on one of the appellation's few hills, 100 to 200 metres above sea level, on quartz-rich sandstone, white clay and calcareous marl flysch – soils that counter the Mediterranean climate with a continental freshness. The Bolgheri Rosso 2024 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and a hint of Petit Verdot – vinified in steel, then aged for six months in neutral barriques. The damp spring and hot summer of 2024 were broken by refreshing rainfall in early August: a classic, slow ripening process that endowed the wine with both freshness and structure.

A name that tells stories: Grign is Cavallatto's affectionate abbreviation for Grignolino – the enigmatic grape variety whose name is derived from the Piedmontese "grignole" and means "many seeds". This thin-skinned grape actually has four to seven seeds per berry instead of the usual two, which gives the wine its characteristic tannin structure. Native to the Monferrato hills since the 13th century, Grignolino was once considered as precious as Barolo – until the fashion for heavier wines pushed it into the shadows. This 2024 comes from a parcel in the middle of the Bricco Boschis, which matures for twelve months in stainless steel tanks after a five-day skin maceration with indigenous yeasts. This careful treatment preserves Grignolino's fragile elegance and tames its wild nature to aristocratic finesse.

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

What is in this glass does not come from separate, less highly regarded plots, but exclusively from grapes classified for the Brunello itself – Rosso di Montalcino is an earlier, more immediate expression of the same noble material, not a separate, lesser category. The same transparency and the same tension that characterise the estate's great wines are found here in a sleeker, more direct form.

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.

A deep, dark, sparkling ruby red. The bouquet offers an opulent array of dark red fruits, intense and full-bodied. Right from the very first sip, it displays a depth that is unrivalled in this price range. It is nothing short of spectacular to witness the heights to which this wine is capable of elevating the connoisseur. Yet it always impresses with an indescribable balance. Maharis is never cloying or jammy; rather, its medley of dark fruits, spices, aged leather and a subtle smoky note is always perfectly balanced with a truly surprising freshness and vibrancy. final is long, velvety and richly textured. Magnificent! SUPERIORE.DE

Wine has been produced here since 1051 – initially 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 entirely to organic cultivation. The Riserva is made from massalblend of Sangiovese and historic complementary varieties such as Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, grown on the highest hills near Gaiole. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, three weeks' contact with the skins, followed by 24 months in French and Austrian oak barrels. The 2021 vintage benefited from a cool year with late frosts – lower yields, but concentrated quality.