Organic White Wine

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

In 1987, there were still 0.5 hectares of Timorasso in the whole of Piedmont. The grape variety, once widespread in the hills south-east of Turin, had almost disappeared due to phylloxera, structural change and lack of interest. Walter Massa rescued it – and brought it back into the dialogue. Giorgio Rivetti from La Spinetta, whose eye for exceptional terroirs has made his company great, recognised the potential and planted in Montemarzino, Montegioco and Monleale. Derthona – the ancient Roman name for Tortona, the capital of these hills – became the name of the wine. 100% Timorasso, south-west and south-east facing vineyards, organic cultivation. Destemming, gentle pressing, fermentation in temperature-controlled small stainless steel tanks. Then seven months on the fine lees – no malolactic fermentation, the acidity remains naturally lively. Four months in the bottle before release.

The Riviera Ligure di Ponente is not an easy landscape. There is little space between the sea and the Alps – the vineyards climb up terraces of dry stone walls, the slopes are steep, the paths winding, the harvest almost exclusively by hand. It was in this solitude that Riccardo Bruna began bottling his family's Pigato in 1970 – a bold decision at the time for a grape variety that hardly anyone knew. Majé is Bruna's most accessible Pigato: from the iron-rich, argillaceous soils around Ortovero and Ranzo, 200 to 300 metres above sea level, just 20 kilometres from the coast. Gentle pressing, fermentation and ageing in steel – the result is the character of this terroir in its most direct form.

A small marvel, perfectly harmonised with multi-layered aromas of tropical fruits, apples and honey. A highly interesting white natural wine that is far more than just a casual pleasure, as it offers an extremely full, well-structured flavour. Fermented with the skins using the red wine method. Strong yellow colour with golden reflections. Intense aroma of dried herbs, incense, candied lemon peel and a hint of bitter orange. Fresh citrus notes on the palate, an exciting acidity and a powerful structure lead into a very long finish, crowned by a hint of bitter almonds. Very complex and a wonderful accompaniment to food – be sure to aerate! 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.

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

For decades, the Porer vineyard on the Margreider Schuttkegel has been the source of Lageder's most refined interpretation of Pinot Grigio. Grapes of exceptional complexity ripen between 230 and 240 metres, where stony, sandy and highly calcareous soil with dramatic day-night temperature fluctuations creates a unique microclimate. The organic cultivation of this single vineyard follows strict principles of sustainability. The secret of Porer lies in its three-part vinification: one third is pressed immediately, another part remains on the skins for 15 hours, while the last component macerates with stems and skins for up to eight months. This orchestrated composition of different textures gives the wine its characteristic tension. Six months of ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel round off the complex flavour profile.

Campinovi tells the story of the Tuscan terroir from an unusual perspective: pure Trebbiano Toscano, to which Dievole adds a surprising dimension through twelve months of ageing in large, unroasted oak barrels made from Italian rovere and chestnut wood. The grapes grow at an altitude of 300 metres in organically cultivated vineyards, where sandy loam soils with gravel provide a distinctive minerality. Spontaneous fermentation in cement vats at a controlled 18°C preserves the natural freshness, while the subsequent barrel ageing gives the wine its characteristic complexity.

The name Gaun takes us back to the 17th century, when the noble family of the same name owned the Löwengang estate – a tribute to the historical roots of Lageder's ancestral home. Since 1934, when Alois III planted the first Chardonnay vines in Margreid, this interpretation has been considered a pioneer for international grape varieties in South Tyrol. The chalky gravel soils around Margreid, Kurtatsch and Salurn, where Mediterranean influences meet Alpine coolness, produce grapes of exceptional minerality. During vinification, Lageder focusses on salinity and tension: part of the wine is fermented spontaneously with whole grapes, whereby tannins from the skins and stems accentuate the natural freshness.

With Family & Friends, Feudo Maccari reinterprets the concept of a Mediterranean white wine – not as a light side dish, but as a broodingGrillo with a strong character that was born in the Moretti family. The wine was originally only intended for private occasions – a heartfelt project that today celebrates with its name the connection to people and moments that are more than mere consumption. The grapes for it (label: "only the best grapes") come from strictly selected plots around Noto, where chalky soils, salt winds and intense sunlight characterise the aroma and structure. A complex, vibrant wine with structure and balance.

Carricante from Planeta's Etna vineyard is an exceptional wine full of freshness, energy and minerality. This noble grape variety thrives in exclusive conditions, on volcanic soils and at altitudes of 870 metres. A wonderfully complex pleasure that is only ever released for sale two years after the harvest. The eruption of 1614 is legendary in the history of Etna, as it lasted ten years, making it the longest recorded eruption of the active volcano to date. A very impressive and fitting name for Planeta's Etna series of equally impressive wines. SUPERIORE.DE

Fórra, an elegant small-batch white wine, is made purely from Manzoni Bianco and has an interesting history and an exciting development. Lageder's project with this grape variety began several years ago and resulted in the crossing of Rhine Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Traditional methods were used in the cellar to ensure freshness and vibrancy. Contact with the skins over several days sharpens the profile of the wine. After spontaneous fermentation, Fórra remains on its lees in wooden barrels for several months. Fórra exudes all this passion and love, all this experience and craftsmanship - a wonderful, great pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

On the sand – the name already reveals the secret of this extraordinary interpretation of Gewürztraminer. A work of art of aromatic perfection springs from the sandy, calcareous soils of various locations in the lowlands between 240 and 370 metres. From Tramin to the Margreider Schuttkegel to Lake Kaltern and the Eisack Valley, Lageder combines the many facets of this traditional grape variety into a harmonious composition. The biodynamic Demeter cultivation of these selected plots follows the natural rhythms of the landscape. The secret lies in the staggered harvest: As the southern sites are all very hot, Lageder deliberately sets early accents and harvests the grapes at different stages of ripeness – sometimes even with noble rot. One part is vinified spontaneously with whole grapes, the rest matures for nine months partly in stainless steel and partly in large wooden barrels on the fine lees.

The quality of Italian white wines has risen sharply in the last 20 years, and this also applies to Verdicchio. There are still quite a few bad old-fashioned wines, but the good ones can be a revelation. The region around Matelica in particular has made Verdicchio famous, as the best representatives of its type come from here - and mostly from the higher vineyards: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

In the early 2000s, Marco de Grazia, an American wine merchant with Tuscan roots, began systematically buying land on Mount Etna. It wasn’t because the volcano was the talk of the town at the time – it wasn’t. But because de Grazia, who had been importing Sicilian wines into the US since the 1990s, recognised something that many locals had not yet seen: that these soils, these Alberello vines, these altitudes between 600 and 900 metres, possessed something that could not be found anywhere else on the island. Tenuta delle Terre Nere – the Black Earths – was one of the sparks that ignited the Etna phenomenon. The Etna Bianco is the cornerstone of this vision: a blend of four indigenous grape varieties – carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico and Minnella – from several vineyards on the cool northern slope of the volcano, at altitudes of 600 to 900 metres. The soil is black volcanic earth, rich in minerals but low in nutrients – — ideal for vines that need to dig deep. Hand-harvested in early October, cold sedimentation, fermentation at 13 to 15°C in stainless steel tanks.

Pithos – the ancient Greek word for the terracotta vessels in which wine and oil were stored in antiquity. When Giusto Occhipinti travelled to Georgia in 1999 and discovered the local qvevri tradition, he ordered the first amphorae in 2000. COS thus became one of the first pioneers of amphora vinification in the whole of Italy. Grecanico – the grape variety of the Greeks, brought to Sicily more than 2,500 years ago – grows on red limestone gravel soils near Vittoria, at 250 metres, cultivated biodynamically. Spontaneous fermentation with the skins inLiters, six to seven months, natural yeasts, no added sulphur.

Pietrabianca offers a contrast between richness and freshness and seduces with a blend of white flowers, almond paste, wet stone and crushed red pears. Silky and supple, it caresses the palate with an elegant wave of ripe peach and nectarine. Lingers long, leaving a mineral and acidic tension as notes of candied lime fade. Not only is it stunning today, but it has a bright future. SUPERIORE.DE

The grapes come mainly from the historic Russeghine vineyard above the town of Ranzo Borgo. The character of the Pigato here is of particular depth and minerality, which is due to the exceptional terroir and the long maturation on the fine lees. Bright straw yellow in colour with light green reflections. Fragrant nose of herbs, yellow fruit and traces of pine resin. Full and long-lasting flavour with beautiful spiciness and aromas of citrus and almond, then again this beguiling, deep minerality at the end. SUPERIORE.DE