Organic White Wine

Three Moscati, three characters: La Spinetta adds a third voice to its trio with San Rocco. Since 1977, Bricco Quaglia and Biancospino have characterised the aromatic spectrum of the house – one with peach and sage, the other with citrus and floral freshness. The San Rocco finds its own place: the organically cultivated vines produce grapes of high ripeness and aromatic density.

In 2001, Michele and Massimo Bernetti of Umani Ronchi stood on Centovie Hill near Roseto degli Abruzzi. Before them lay the estate, behind it the Gran Sasso, and below it the Adriatic Sea. They bought the 35 hectares and immediately began farming organically – not as a certified commitment, but because the terroir demanded it: sunny and windy, with self-regulating soil requiring no intervention. They produced the estate"s first wine as a Pecorino. From the best plots of the vineyard, hand-harvested in early September with particular attention to acidity, on deep, clay-sandy limestone soil with alluvial skeleton. Fermented in steel, then 12 months in concrete tanks, followed by 5 months in bottle.

Clean and refined white wine (Riesling & Durella) from volcanic soils with aromas of ripe yellow grapefruit, melon and a hint of wet straw. Medium-bodied with a silky texture that becomes slightly phenolic towards the end. A note of bitter lemon on the finish is exciting. Lots of crisp flavour, good freshness and length. SUPERIORE.DE

Biancospino shines in the glass with a light straw yellow colour and a subtle greenish tinge. The nose already reveals delicate aromas of mandarin, lime and geranium blossom, livened up by salty minerality and white flowers. On the palate, a finely sparkling mousse, lively freshness, a delicate spicy note and aromatic support form a finish full of character. The ageing in stainless steel emphasises the clarity of the fruit and the typical Moscato notes – a finesse-rich, natural aperitif with plenty of vigour and elegance. SUPERIORE.DE

In the Tuscan dialect, "Botro" means a ditch, a natural channel that carries water away. "Dei Fichi" refers to the fig trees. The Botro dei Fichi is already mentioned in the cadastral records of the 18th-century Leopoldine Land Survey – a small depression on the estate that gave its name to a wine long before Vermentino was grown here. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 50 metres, facing west, on volcanic soil with a high proportion of scree. No sand dunes, no alluvial deposits – volcanic rock that lends the grape variety structure and minerality. Fermentation for 30 days in unglazed, raw concrete vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C, using indigenous yeasts. At least three months sur lies. No oak.

A real insider tip for lovers of elegant white wines: This Trebbiano shows what this grape variety can do outside the classic norm. It comes from biodynamic vineyards in a coastal location near Scansano, characterised by the influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The 2023 vintage was characterised by alternating sunny days and cool nights - ideal for aromatic clarity and finely balanced acidity. The wine was fermented cold in stainless steel and matured briefly to preserve varietal typicity and freshness.

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.

Chardonnay only arrived in Piedmont in the 19th century – late for a region with such a deep winemaking tradition. But in the municipalities of Fontanile and Castel Boglione, north of Nizza Monferrato, the grape variety found a soil that took it seriously: Marne di Sant'Agata Fossili, an alternation of fossilised marl and sandstone with a good proportion of limestone. The Bertolino family discovered this potential in the 1950s and 60s – at a time when the region's sparkling wine production demanded a Chardonnay of exceptional quality. Today, Tenuta Olim Bauda only produces a few thousand bottles from these vineyards. The grapes are harvest in the first week of September. Gentle pressing, only pre-fermentation must. 36 hours of contact with the fine lees at 5°C with bâtonnage for aromatic extraction, followed by static clarification. Fermentation in large 50-hectolitre wooden vats for around 15 days. Maturation in tonneaux, 10% of which are new, for around one year.

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 South Tyrol's oldest grape varieties, which until a few years ago was still regarded as temperamental and demanding. Manincor demonstrates what this "diva" is capable of when given the right sites: Mareit Leiten at 350 metres, with an extremely steep south-facing slope featuring warm gravelly soils and moraine deposits. Added to this are Vogelleiten and Panholzer, with loamy limestone gravel soils – sites where the Muscat's exuberant growth is tamed and perfect ripeness is achieved. The destemmed berries macerate for twelve hours in the press to extract aroma and structure from the skins. Fermentation takes place in wooden barrels and steel tanks, largely spontaneously with wild yeasts. During the five-month ageing on the fine lees, the aroma and flavour become more refined – and the wine develops that balance between fruit and minerality which characterises dry Muscat wines.

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 evokes the fields of ancient cereals that once covered the hills of Spoltore before vines took root here. Since 2017, this Trebbiano has borne the name "Oro" on its label – a claim it certainly lives up to. To produce it, the Di Properzio brothers select just three hectares of old vines growing on compact limestone-loam soils near the coast. What sets Spelt Oro apart from conventional Trebbiano is the radical patience involved: 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. It then spends a further year in concrete. It is bottled after fifteen months, unfiltered, unclarified and without any stabilisation.

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 yet fruit-forward, with musky notes of dried apricots, lime zest, crushed stones and sea spray forming its captivating bouquet. On the palate, it is vibrant, soft in texture and packed with zesty citrus and mineral notes, balanced by a core of lively, ripe yellow apples. It finishes fresh and robust with notes of lemon oil and peach. For an 'entry-level Fiano', this is absolutely brilliant! SUPERIORE.DE

Capalbio – this is the southernmost end of the Tuscan coast, where the Maremma is wilder and more unspoilt than anywhere else, with views of Monte Argentario and the Burano lagoon. This is where Monteverro is located: a biodynamically farmed estate that Georg and Barbara Weber awoke from its slumber around two decades ago. Vermentino is the white soul of this place – fresh, fruity, light-hearted, with the fine minerality of clay and limestone soil. 100% Vermentino, harvested by hand from 5,555 vines per hectare with a north-south orientation. Whole-cluster pressing, no malolactic fermentation – because this is about freshness, not fullness. Six months on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. The result is exactly what Monteverro formulates as its goal: "An expression of Italy's joie de vivre."

"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

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.

The owner, Leonardo Pinzolo, cultivates 52 hectares of biodynamically certified vineyards, spread across his family estates in Popoli and Capestrano. The soils here differ from those in the rest of Abruzzo. Combined with the vineyards' higher altitude and proximity to the Gran Sasso mountains, these wines exhibit a decidedly cooler character than is usually found in Abruzzo. In the winery, fermentation takes place spontaneously and without temperature control. With the exception of a few single-vineyard wines, most wines are aged in stainless steel.

Monte Carbonare is grown on red volcanic iron-rich soils with an abundance of black basalt at their centre. Six hectares of 60–70-year-old vines in cooler locations, which, as the climate warms, are set to rise further to become the crème de la crème of the top vineyards. A richer wine than the younger Classico, but without the same cheeky vitality. Whilst the Classico is an unbeatable everyday wine, the Monte Carbonare is a complex wine that calls for food and a little more contemplation. Mirabelle plum, apricot kernel, a hint of dried mango and plenty of smoky, sharp minerality, with a dutiful freshness that brings wonderful length. SUPERIORE.DE