Organic Red Wine

Kyè – Piedmontese for "chi è?", who is that? The question says it all. Freisa was once one of Piedmont's most important grape varieties, but then it fell into obscurity, supplanted by Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. It is no coincidence that Aldo Vajra, of all people, took it seriously again in 1980: in 2004, genetic research confirmed what the old winegrowers had long suspected – Freisa is Nebbiolo's closest relative, and is thought to be one of its parent varieties. The Vajras have been bottling a dry Freisa since 1989 and have thereby sparked a renaissance that is now setting a precedent. The grapes for the Kyè come from Aldo's own selezione massal dating from 1980, planted in San Ponzio at the lower edge of the legendary Bricco delle Viole – the vineyard closest to the estate. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, after which the wine matures for 26 months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Since 1957, the Ghezzi family has been managing the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino – covering a total area of 530 hectares, 50 of which are planted exclusively with Sangiovese Grosso, on clay-limestone soils containing silt and fossil inclusions. From this sunny, warm site on the Ombrone river emerges a Brunello that combines the vigour of the south with the elegance of careful clone selection. 20 to 30 days of maceration, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of bottle ageing. The 2021 vintage is regarded as a classic, great 'annata': late frosts in April significantly reduced yields, whilst a warm but never overheated summer and two timely August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

When Brigitte and Bruno Widmer bought the abandoned Brancaia estate near Castellina in Chianti in 1981, nobody could have guessed that this would become one of the defining wineries of modern Tuscany. The very first vintage in 1983 took first place in a blind tasting – the beginning of a success story that daughter Barbara Widmer is continuing today as a qualified Oenologist. The entire winery has been certified organic since 2019, a consistent development of the philosophy that has always applied here: no compromises. The Riserva combines the best Sangiovese lots from both Chianti Classico estates – brancaia in Castellina and Poppi in Radda – supplemented by twenty per cent Merlot. The sites between 230 and 400 metres above sea level bring together different soil structures: Clay in Castellina, sandy loam with a stony skeleton in Radda.

Nerobaronj is no ordinary Nero d'Avola, but a deeply rooted homage to origin and style. The name plays with the aristocratic title and grape variety – and refers to the self-confident profile of a wine that sets new standards with its concentration and elegance. The grapes come from the south of Sicily, not far from Noto, from old bush vines on calcareous clay soil. Organic cultivation, hand-picking and strict selection ensure a high degree of precision. The wine is matured for 24 months in barriques and tonneaux, followed by long bottle ageing.

Swiss precision meets Tuscan elegance in this characterful Super Tuscan, which has embodied the Widmer family's DNA for over four decades. The name carries a dual meaning: three grape varieties and three terroirs, which Barbara Widmer blends into a harmonious cuvée with inimitable finesse. This blend, comprising 70% Sangiovese, is sourced from the vineyards of Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and the Maremma, and is refined with 15% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The continental Chianti vineyards, situated at altitudes of 230–400 metres with their soils interlaced with clay and galestro, meet the Mediterranean Maremma terroir with its sandy loam soils, which lend the wine its characteristic depth. 

From the highest corner of the Vigna Istine (the name 550 refers to the metres above sea level), surrounded by cool woodland, this well-balanced Merlot is vinified in concrete before spending around 15 months in lightly toasted tonnels. Due to the cool location, it is – unusually – harvested after the Sangiovese, allowing it more time to ripen on the vine. The result is a wine with a fine tannin structure and juicy, ripe blue fruits, with a hint of red fruits and some coffee notes, leading to a long, graceful finish. Production amounts to 2,600 bottles per vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

The estate describes it as a new "amphitheatre of wine", shaped by centuries of volcanic eruptions. At an altitude of 700 metres, facing north-east, there are bush vines of the Nerello Mascalese variety, averaging around seventy years old; many were planted before the phylloxera epidemic and remain on their own roots to this day. The soil varies between sand, ash and scree on lava flows, with extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night. The name Animardente derives from the volcano's interior, from its ceaseless activity, and from the embers and colour of the magma. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, followed by ageing in large oak casks, and the wine is only released for sale after a long period of maturation.

Deep ruby red in colour. Cenito seduces with complex aromas of dark red fruits, cinnamon and cloves mingling with earthy tones, mint, chalk dust and camphor. The palate is seamlessly smooth and elegant, with ripe wild berries flowing over a core of vibrant acidity, while a hint of acidic citrus adds tension towards the end. The finish is structured and long, with fine-grained tannins and floral notes of sour plums and violets. Cenito is Cilento Aglianico at its best. It is deceptively accessible and gentle, but the tension increases with every sip. Be patient and savour this great Aglianico! SUPERIORE.DE

One of South Tyrol's great wine stories begins under the mighty lime tree that has given the historic estate its name for centuries. The Lindenburg in Bozen-Dorf, the family seat of the Lageders for three generations, towers majestically over the broodingalluvial soils of the Talfer – a location that connoisseurs praise as one of the two best for Lagrein in the whole of South Tyrol. Here, where millions of years of geological history have formed a unique valley basin, wines of legendary expressiveness are created.

With Cifra, star oenologist Luca D'Attoma has vinified a wonderfully agile and elegant Cabernet Franc. Dark ruby purple in colour, with a deep aroma and notes of blackberries and liquorice. Rich fruit on the palate with firm tannins and a mineral final. A delight from the Tuscan coast from biodynamic (Demeter) cultivation. SUPERIORE.DE

Siccagno is Arianna Occhipinti's personal monologue on Nero d'Avola – not a loud one, but a concentrated, quiet and deep-breathing one. The name derives from the Sicilian term for dry farming (sicco) and aptly describes the origins of this wine: deep-rooted vines in limestone soils near Vittoria, unirrigated, deliberately left to nature's care. 2021 was a year of bright sunshine, good air circulation and a growing season free from extreme heat or stress – perfect conditions for a delicately structured vintage. The grapes are harvested by hand, fermented spontaneously with natural yeasts, and macerated on the skins for around 30 days. The wine is aged for 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks – no rushing, no fining, no filtering. Just patience and trust in what the soil has to say.

Sangioveto, made from 100% organic Sangiovese, is grown in cool vineyards at altitudes of between 260 and 370 metres, facing south-west. In the past, Sangiovese was known as "Sangioveto" or "San Zoveto". It represents a refined expression of this particular part of the appellation and a very faithful interpretation of the Tuscan grape. Radiant ruby red in colour, the Sangiovese's broad aromatic spectrum ranges from lovely vanilla notes to hints of raspberries and blackberries. Dense and creamy-smooth on the palate, it offers a harmonious blend of tannins, spice and power, with a precisely balanced acidity. It leaves a lasting and impressive finish. SUPERIORE.DE

It was at the Omino vineyard that Monica Raspi took her first steps as a winemaker after closing her veterinary practice. The vines were planted in the 1990s; they face west, are situated at an altitude of 360 metres and are organically farmed. The soil is poor, consisting of limestone and clay, but primarily Alberese – a limestone dating from the Eocene epoch – and the roots reach deep into the ground. The harvest begins by hand at the end of September; the must remains in contact with the skins for 21 days at 25 degrees. Ageing takes place partly in large oak barrels – 15 months in Slavonian oak – and partly in concrete tanks for 12 months. Just 2,500 bottles are produced, made from 100% Sangiovese.

In a prime plot south of the legendary Bricco Boschis lies the Cavallottos' hidden gem: Vigna Cuculo. Here, where normally only Nebbiolo is supposed to thrive, brothers Giuseppe and Alfio have achieved an oenological miracle – a Barbera cru that combines its Piedmontese soul with the aristocratic elegance of its great Barolo neighbours. The name "Cuculo" – the cuckoo – could not be more poetic for this wine, which holds its own like a stranger in royal territory whilst developing its very own identity. The plot benefits from the unique microclimate of Bricco Boschis, that geological treasure where different soils converge in a symphony of limestone, marl and sand layers. This complexity of soil imparts a minerality and structure to the Barbera grape that goes far beyond what is normally expected of this variety. A west-south-west aspect and the calcareous-clay soils create ideal conditions for a wine of exceptional depth.

Rubatsch is a vineyard in Terlan at 250 metres, on a south-western slope with sandy soil on weathered porphyry rock. Two thirds of the Lagrein vines for this wine are rooted here, while the remaining third comes from the Seehof vineyard in Caldaro, where the soil is loamier and heavier. Two soils, two characters, one indigenous grape variety that belongs to South Tyrol like the Dolomites belong to the horizon.

The vines of the Vigna del Termine face east, surrounded by woodland, with downy oaks, broom and juniper growing amongst the vines. Zoe the dog accompanies Monica Raspi, who has been running the estate since 2007, through the vineyard here, provided it isn't raining. The plot is situated in the Vagliagli sub-zone of Chianti Classico, at an altitude of 360 metres. The soil is calcareous marl with some sand, and the vineyard is cultivated organically. Only 2,000 bottles are produced from the Sangiovese grown here: the harvest are harvest by hand in the fourth week of September; the must remains on the skins for 21 days at 25 degrees, followed by two years' ageing, half in large Slavonian oak barrels and half in concrete tanks.

The Conca d'Oro – the golden basin. This is what the winegrowers of Panzano call the natural depression in the terrain south of Greve, where the sun arrives earlier and stays longer than elsewhere in Chianti Classico. The slope, the Galestro-Alberese soil, the air circulation between the hills: everything comes together to create a microclimate that gives the Sangiovese the depth and fruit ripeness that is exceptional elsewhere, year after year. Gagliole lies at the centre of it all – a small, carefully managed winery that has been showing what Panzano can achieve in this price range since the Riserva première in the 2018 vintage. 100% Sangiovese from vines over twenty years old, organically farmed, hand-picked, fermented in steel. What follows is a well thought-out ageing process: ten months in small used oak barrels, then five months in cement tanks – a combination that gives the wine structure without over-moulding it. Only 11,000 bottles.

"Querciabella" – beautiful oak. The name suits an estate that has ranked among the defining producers of Chianti Classico since 1974. Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni was one of the first in the region to convert to organic viticulture – as early as 1988, when the very idea of "organic" winegrowing still raised eyebrows. Today, Querciabella follows a rigorously organic approach, shaped both in the vineyard and in the cellar by a particularly mindful use of natural resources and clear ethical principles. That Daniele Cernilli (Dr. Wine) named the estate "Cantina dell'Anno" in 2024 came as little surprise to anyone familiar with these wines.

Named after Cassian, the son of Count Michael Goëss-Enzenberg, who was born in 1996, the same year that Manincor opened its own winery. A name that symbolises a new beginning, the future and the next generation. The cuvée blends six international grape varieties from the estate's finest red wine vineyards: Manincor, Seehof and Panholzerhof, situated at altitudes of between 250 and 280 metres. Facing south-east with lake views, the vines are rooted in rich, sandy loam soils, interspersed with limestone gravel and glacial rock deposits – these plots are among the warmest in South Tyrol. Each grape variety is vinified separately. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in wooden vats using wild yeasts. The 16-month ageing in barriques (one-third new oak) refines the structure without overpowering the fruit. The blending takes place only shortly before bottling – the art of composition, in which character and individuality merge with festivity and elegance.