Organic White Wine

Mussels in the vineyard? Not uncommon in Valdarno di Sopra. Where today Chardonnay vines take root at the foot of the Pratomagno, millions of years ago there was a lake – the metamorphic soils are criss-crossed with fossilised evidence of that era. The name "Lamelle" honours these grooves in the fossilised shells, which give the wine its unmistakable minerality. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are left to rest overnight at 5°C before being gently pressed. Pure stainless steel vinification at 16°C, two months on the fine lees – that's all it takes to capture the freshness of this terroir.

The Rivetti family, who have long since achieved fame with La Spinetta in Piedmont, found their Tuscan terroir for Vermentino in Terricciola. Sandy soils of marine origin, interspersed with oceanic sediments, characterise this white wine with its unmistakable minerality and salty freshness. The vines grow at an altitude of 250 metres on a south-easterly exposure and are cultivated organically. After manual harvesting, the must ferments spontaneously with natural yeasts, after which the wine rests for three to four months on the fine lees in stainless steel.

Goldmuskateller is one of the oldest grape varieties in South Tyrol, which until a few years ago was still considered moody and demanding. Manincor shows what this diva can become when given the right sites: Mareit Leiten at 350 metres, extremely steeply exposed to the south with warm gravel soils and moraine deposits. In addition, Vogelleiten and Panholzer with loamy limestone gravel soil – sites where the exuberant growth of the Muscat is tamed and reaches perfect ripeness. The destemmed berries macerate in the press for twelve hours to extract flavour and structure from the skins. Fermentation takes place in wooden barrels and steel tanks, mostly spontaneously with wild yeasts. During the five-month maturation on the fine lees, the aroma and flavour are refined – the wine develops the balance between fruit and minerality that characterises dry Muscat.

Luigi Maffini's Kràtos is an organic wine grown in the foothills of the ancient ruins of Paestum. It spends only a short time in steel tanks and is smoky but also fruit-driven, with musky dried apricots, lime zest, crushed rocks and sea spray forming its captivating bouquet. Energetic on the palate, soft in texture and packed with zesty citrus and mineral notes balanced by a core of vibrant, ripe yellow apples. Finishes fresh and bold with notes of lemon oil and peach. For an "entry-level" Fiano, this is great cinema! SUPERIORE.DE

The Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca grapes for this exceptional white wine come from the Casanova dell'Aia vineyard in Radda in Chianti, the first 0.2-hectare, calcareous and clayey plot that the family bought and planted in the 1980s and then renewed in 2014. It matures on the fine lees mostly in terracotta amphorae and only a small part remains in stainless steel tanks. Total production per vintage: 2,500 bottles.

The name is reminiscent of the ancient grain fields that once covered the hills of Spoltore before vines took root here. This Trebbiano has been labelled "Oro" since 2017 – a claim that it lives up to. The Di Properzio brothers select only three hectares of old vines on compact limestone-clay soils near the coast. What distinguishes Spelt Oro from conventional Trebbiano is its radical patience: after fermentation, the wine rests for four months sur lie in stainless steel tanks, which are deliberately located outside the winery – exposed to natural temperature fluctuations. Then another year in concrete. It is bottled after fifteen months, unfiltered, unclarified, without any stabilisation.

Delicate golden yellow colour, with clear notes of pear, banana, white pepper, herbs and paprika on the nose. Brilliant, dazzling and crisp on the palate with flavours of fresh citrus fruits, especially mandarin, plus mango and star fruit on the mineral final. SUPERIORE.DE

"This wine was born as a challenge. In 2004, when we started making it, ageing it in steel was against the general trend of ageing complex Soave wines in barrique. Today, we are glad that we took this risk." Graziano Prà

While the whole world was talking about the extinction of Trebbiano di Soave, the three Tessari sisters set out on a mission: to save an almost forgotten grape variety. In collaboration with Professor Attilio Scienza from the University of Milan, they selected the best clones of old Trebbiano vines and planted the Massifitti vineyard in 2006 – named after the "dense rocks", the large, compact basalt boulders that characterise the south-facing slope. Only two hectares at an altitude of 300 metres, where the volcanic minerality shows itself in its purest form. What is produced here is unique: probably the only single-varietal Trebbiano di Soave in the world. It matures for 15 months in stainless steel on the fine lees, then a further 12 months in the bottle before the sisters release it.

Soave Classico Wild from the Ponsara UGA is sunny and straw yellow in colour. The complex nose ranges from a strong floral note of broom and hawthorn to fresh, fragrant fruit reminiscent of Granny Smith apples. On the palate, there is a vibrant freshness that is very balanced and perfectly balanced by a lingering, intense finish. SUPERIORE.DE

An expression of old vineyard depth and finesse: Vecchie Vigne comes from vines over 40 years old on clayey soils at altitudes of 250-300 metres above sea level. The result is a white wine that makes balance, structure and terroir tangible. Pale straw yellow in colour with crystalline purity. The bouquet is intense but nuanced, with aromas of almond blossom, white flowers, meadow herbs, lemon and peach, supported by lively minerality and a delicate hint of aniseed. On the palate, the wine impresses with elegant acidity, animating and firm at the same time. The mineral tension ends in a long, salty-fresh final – with structure, depth and plenty of substance. Vecchie Vigne is more than just a pleasure to drink: it is a kind of reference for the ageing potential of Verdicchio. A white wine that carries origin, history and personality in every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

Rami is an attractive and at the same time very individual blend of Grecanico and Inzolia. Bright golden yellow in colour with a slight, typical cloudiness of an orange wine and an initially restrained, reductive bouquet, with some aeration then sweetly scented with apricots, dried flowers and orange peel. This intellectual white needs time and a certain amount of experience with natural wines - with the necessary amount of oxygen, it is highly appetising and elegant on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

The name already reveals the philosophy: DA-DI means "great earth" in Chinese – virginie Saverys' homage to the yin-yang principle that characterises her biodynamic work at Avignonesi. This experimental white wine from Cortona combines four indigenous grape varieties in just as many vinifications: Orpicchio matures in amphorae and used barriques, Vermentino exclusively in amphorae, Grechetto undergoes a six-day carbonic maceration, while Trebbiano macerates for 48 hours. After ageing on the fine lees, the components are assembled in the summer.

La Contessa is a South Tyrolean white wine with soul and origin, produced from biodynamically farmed vineyards near Kaltern. Grown on loamy-sandy soils at an altitude of 300-400 metres, the cuvée of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc combines alpine freshness with southern charm. The 2024 vintage was characterised by a cool spring and a balanced ripening phase, which allowed for aromatic clarity and fine structure.

Monte Carbonare comes from red volcanic iron soils with plenty of black basalt in the centre. Six hectares of 60-70 year old vines in cooler sites, which continue to rise to the crème de la crème of the top sites as the climate warms. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same cheeky vitality. While the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, the Monte Carbonare is a complex wine that demands food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle plum, apricot pit, a hint of dried mango and plenty of smoky, sharp mineral grip, with dutiful freshness that brings wonderful length. SUPERIORE.DE

Three thousand years of winegrowing history are condensed into one street name: Strada Provinciale 68 near Vittoria, the route along which generations of Sicilian farmers carried their amphorae and later barrels to market. Arianna Occhipinti, a pioneer of Sicilian natural wine, has created a liquid monument to this country road. Albanello and Zibibbo, two indigenous islanders, grow here on red sand over limestone. The grapes ferment together with wild yeasts in concrete and two weeks of maceration give the Bianco its characteristic texture. Bottled unfiltered, it retains its lively cloudiness.

This is a rather fresh and cheerful lightweight at a young age, which will develop into a highly complex and more than serious white wine over the years. In the still youthful, fresh bouquet, we already find a lot of minerality and fine yellow fruit flavours, then a texture and depth on the palate that comes to the fore at 2° higher drinking temperature and appropriate aeration. It will be even better in a few years - guaranteed! SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes for this single-varietal Vermentino come from three small terraces surrounded by stone walls on the Garaxin vineyard. The soils consist mainly of calcareous marine rock and are rich in micro- and macrofossil fauna. Forests and Mediterranean shrubs grow around the vineyards, which are essential for tempering the hot, dry and very windy climate. Bright and luminous straw yellow in colour, the bouquet is fine and delicate with notes of lemon peel, cereals and aromatic herbs from the Mediterranean maquis. The strong flavour is very spicy and typical of the grape variety with a hint of sea salt and dried herbs. SUPERIORE.DE

The Lageder family now only makes one Sauvignon Bianco, and it belongs to the "Compositions" line. It gets its complexity from the wide variety of different clones in the vineyards. The majority of these are situated at an altitude of over 400 metres and are based on limestone soil on the one hand and volcanic weathered rock on the other. The different source rocks and the variety of vines led the Lageders to name the wine. This is because it consists of fragments from the best organic and biodynamic vineyards, which are married to form a whole. Its salinity and crisp freshness are highly drinkable and make this fresh and sublime South Tyrolean Sauvignon Blanc a very special experience. SUPERIORE.DE

Verso l'alto – upwards. The name reveals the philosophy behind this Pinot Bianco, which is the result of the tension between two fundamentally different worlds. On the one hand, the Bassa Atesina near Salorno and Magrè: calcareous soils, Mediterranean warmth, vines on both banks of the Adige. On the other, Dorf Tirol near Meran: volcanic rock, alpine climate, a completely different energy. Alois Clemens Lageder, sixth generation at Tòr Löwengang, calls such wines "compositions" – deliberate arrangements of contrasts that only develop their full tension when they interact.