Supertuscan

This visionary wine hails from the legendary Conca d'Oro in Panzano and embodies Giampaolo Motta's radical break with the traditions of Chianti Classico. The Neapolitan, who lost his heart to the Tuscan countryside, took the bold step of declassifying his wine in 2002 – driven by a burning desire for absolute oenological freedom. The cuvée blends Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon into a Burgundian-Bordeaux dialogue that captures the mineral vigour of the Galestro and Alberese soils on south-west-facing slopes. Careful vinification in French barriques takes place for ten months "sur lie" with regular bâtonnage, allowing the wine to develop a wonderfully silky texture.

In 1994, whilst Lodovico Antinori was searching for suitable land to expand his Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, he discovered, almost by chance, the hills of Bibbona that were to reshape his destiny as a winemaker. What he found there was not just land – it was a revelation. The soils, a complex symphony of clay and the legendary Bolgheri conglomerate, the orientation of the slopes, the salty breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea – everything spoke a different language to the familiar Ornellaia terroir. Too different, too wild, too full of character to be a mere extension. And yet too fascinating to let go of.

More than two centuries ago, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Piombino, had something planted on the iron-rich hills above Suvereto that was to change this landscape forever: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon – grape varieties from the Bordeaux region. The Maremma, then still rugged and wild, became a testing ground for a woman with a keen sense of terroir. Francesca Moretti, daughter of Bellavista's founder Vittorio, is deliberately picking up where her mother left off with Petra. The name says it all. Petra. Stone. Endurance. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, hand-harvested from the Vigneto di Petra in San Lorenzo Alto. Limestone soils with just the right balance of clay and mineral structure, on slopes with a gradient of 10 to 15 per cent. Fermentation takes place with natural yeasts in large oak vats, followed by ageing for at least 15 months in French barriques – 25% new – and then at least 17 months' bottle ageing. The cellar, designed by Mario Botta, operates using gravity: no pumping, no stress.

Vigorello was created back in 1968 at the beginning of the Super Tuscan movement. It is a powerful yet refined wine that bursts from the glass with unadulterated tones of black fruit, liquorice, rose and dried lavender, Mediterranean herbs and a sweet hint of vanilla. The balance and structure are outstanding and it will develop even more complexity over time. SUPERIORE.DE

The first vintage was released in 2001. A wine that had no history yet, only a conviction: that the Maremma, with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, could express something that Tuscany had not yet heard. Twenty years on, with the 2021 vintage, Brancaia takes stock in silence – and has given this particular release the suffix ‘20 anni’. Over two decades, the vines have driven their roots deep into the sandy loam soil of the Maremma. No artificial water – only what the soil stores in winter and releases in summer. The vines have learnt to cope with the heat. The grapes are becoming more concentrated, the tannins finer, the character more distinctive. This is the promise made in 2001 – and which the 2021 vintage fulfils.

Ilatro – is the Tuscan name for the wild olive tree (Phillyrea latifolia), which grows in the maquis surrounding the Brancaia estate in the Maremma. An unassuming plant that nobody plants and nobody tends – that is simply there, part of the landscape, part of the scent of this coastal region in hot weather and with the sea breeze. The Ilatraia takes its name because it comes from this place. Not from a vineyard that could have been anywhere. But from here. 40% Petit Verdot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc on sandy loam soils, without irrigation, beneath the Tuscan coastal sky.

Concerto was born in 1981, a time of dynamic change in Italian viticulture. The hitherto untapped potential was recognised and experiments were carried out with new grape varieties and, for the first time, successfully with international grape varieties. It was Marchesa Carla Mazzei who spontaneously chose the name Concerto in 1981 after the first tasting of just fifteen barriques – a symphony had taken place in her glass. As one of the first ten Super Tuscans, this wine made history and revolutionised the Tuscan understanding of wine. From the Scassi vineyard in the western part of Fonterutoli, surrounded by oak forests at an altitude of 350 metres, the Sangiovese comes from mass selections from an experimental vineyard in the 1930s. And the small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon has developed a completely independent character here over four decades, far removed from the international character it develops elsewhere. The 18-month maturation in French barriques then gives the wine its noble structure without overshadowing its original elegance.

Concerto was born in 1981, a time when Italian viticulture was undergoing dynamic change. The potential that had hitherto gone untapped was recognised, and new viticultural practices were introduced, with successful experiments carried out for the first time with international grape varieties. It was Marchesa Carla Mazzei who, in 1981, after the first tasting of just fifteen barriques, spontaneously chose the name Concerto – a symphony had unfolded in her glass. As one of the first ten Super Tuscans, this wine made history and revolutionised the understanding of Tuscan wine. The Sangiovese comes from the Scassi vineyard in the western part of Fonterutoli, surrounded by oak forests at an altitude of 350 metres, and is sourced from mass selections in an experimental vineyard dating back to the 1930s. And the small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon has, over four decades, developed a character entirely of its own here, far removed from the international style it takes on elsewhere. The 18-month ageing in French barriques subsequently lends the wine its refined structure, without overshadowing its original elegance.

The grapes for this Supertuscan come from the San Giovanni vineyard near San Giovanni a Cerreto. In the church next to the vineyard there is a painting by Rutilo Manetti depicting St John the Baptist (San Giovanni). Deep ruby red, youthful, rich, dark fruit, berry and cassis flavours meld with French oak. On the palate with deep, subtle fruit flavours and an excellent balance of fruit and tannin, plus some smoke, liquorice and tar. A rich but not too heavy red with excellent structure and great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Lodovico Antinori made history with Ornellaia and Masseto, and put the Alta Maremma on the world map with Biserno. He is now writing the latest chapter of his story together with his daughter Sophia: Tenuta del Nicchio in Bibbona, situated between Bolgheri and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Le 2 Ville takes its name from a historic estate belonging to the Gherardesca family, which borders directly on the vineyard – a tribute to the "Signori della Maremma", whose lands have shaped these coastal hills for a millennium. The wine itself is a celebration of duality: Merlot and Cabernet Franc form the international foundation, yet around 20% Ciliegiolo adds a distinctly Tuscan touch. This ancient, almost forgotten variety brings a vibrant fruitiness and that playful lightness that charmingly counterbalances the Bordeaux heritage.

Guidalberto bears the name of a man who shaped the Bolgheri landscape forever in the early 19th century: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, the visionary agricultural pioneer who created the famous cypress avenue – the Viale dei Cipressi – was created. What was initially intended as a practical demarcation between different areas of cultivation became the iconic silhouette of an entire region. 2023 marks a turning point for this exceptional wine. For the first time, Tenuta San Guido is positioning its Guidalberto separately from the legendary Sassicaia – a deliberate move to demonstrate that this is not a "second wine", but an independent interpretation of the Bolgheri terroir. As Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta puts it: "You can't compare them. They are completely different worlds." The 2023 vintage is a synthesis of 55 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon and 45 per cent Merlot. While the Cabernet Sauvignon provides structure and depth, the Merlot brings the silky texture and accessible sweetness that makes Guidalberto so distinctive. Fifteen months in French and American barriques give the wine its characteristic balance between strength and elegance.

In the early decades of the 19th century, one man shaped the landscape of Bolgheri like no other: Guidalberto della Gherardesca, an ancestor of the Incisa family, who commissioned the construction of the area's first mills and churches, laid out fields and designed the Viale dei Cipressi – that famous avenue of cypress trees immortalised by Carducci and which still marks the entrance to Tenuta San Guido today. This wine is dedicated to the pioneer of this landscape. Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, who had long maintained that he wished to produce just one wine, recognised in the mid-1990s the potential of new plots along the Viale dei Cipressi, on clay-loam soils that proved particularly well-suited to Merlot. The first harvest was in 2000. Today: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Merlot, from vines with an average age of 18 years. Hand-harvested, short maceration, indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, followed by 12 months in French barriques, approx. 40% of which are new.

In 1855, a far-sighted Frescobaldi ancestor planted on the hill of Nipozzano varieties that were virtually unknown in Tuscany at the time: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This experiment matured for almost 130 years until, in 1983, the Mormoreto emerged as a distinct cru, which the family has since bottled only in vintages that do it justice. To date, they have skipped six vintages. The backbone is formed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, rounded off by a hint of Petit Verdot, and since 2013 a small proportion of Sangiovese has brought additional elegance to the cuvée.

L'Alberello is a beautiful Rosso made primarily from Cabernet. The wine comes from a two-hectare plot planted entirely with long rows of Alberello vines planted at an altitude of 30 metres above sea level on predominantly clayey soils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine matures for 18 months in barriques. Starts fresh and vehement with warm, dark fruit flavours, then opens up further with a bouquet of herbs, coffee and a pinch of pepper. Remarkably polished and juicy on the palate, everything is in balance, silky and very charismatic on the long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

In 2004, Grattamacco did something that nobody in Bolgheri thought necessary: converting two hectares of vineyards to the Alberello training system – the traditional, bushy training system that has been practised in Sicily and Sardinia for centuries, but which simply did not exist in Bolgheri. This was not a nostalgic look back, nor a romanticisation. It was a response to an increasingly pressing reality: heat and drought. The Alberello training system makes the vines more resilient. Their low, spreading growth shades the ground, reduces water evaporation and forces the roots to grow deeper. The vines were planted according to the so-called ‘settonce’ pattern – a hexagonal system in which each vine is exactly the same distance from all its surrounding neighbours. An arrangement that combines maximum space with minimal competition.

From the legendary San Guido estate, the cradle of Sassicaia, comes Le Difese, a wine that combines the essence of two worlds: the international class of Cabernet Sauvignon with the Tuscan soul of Sangiovese. Named after the golden boar tusks on the label – a symbol of the wild Maremma –this blend, first created in 2002, embodies the accessible side of an icon. After gentle hand-picking and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks, Le Difese matures for twelve months in French and American barriques, followed by three months in the bottle.

The label features a delicate illustration of a wild boar hunt: a pack of hounds is closing in, whilst the wild boar stands its ground. Le Difese – this is the precise Italian term for the wild boar's tusks, those fangs with which it defends itself as a last resort. A fitting image for a wine that is the most approachable of Tenuta San Guido's range – yet one that does not compromise on character. Le Difese is the estate's only wine to feature an indigenous Tuscan variety: Sangiovese from the Chianti-Rufina area, combined with Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards of Tenuta San Guido. Two Tuscan souls in one cuvée – the international variety and the indigenous one. Fermentation in stainless steel, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel, followed by four months in used French and American oak barriques. Six months in bottle. Fresh, direct, approachable.

In 1991, the Frescobaldi family at CastelGiocondo embarked on an experiment that caused a stir in the Sangiovese-dominated world of Montalcino: a single-varietal Merlot, made from the first Merlot vines that had been planted on the estate back in the 1970s. The Lamaione became the solitary, powerful and self-assured figure that it remains to this day in the Montalcino landscape – a wine that defies all the appellation's conventions.

Set amongst the hills of Bibbona, where the vineyards of the Alta Maremma overlook the Tyrrhenian Sea, this characterful cuvée is the result of an ambitious project by the Antinori brothers. The name Insoglio is a poetic reference to the places where wild boars root around in the ground – a symbol of the wild, unspoilt nature of the Maremma landscape. Composed mainly of Syrah, complemented by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine displays an intense purplish-red colour with violet highlights.

Le Serre Nuove carries Ornellaia's DNA in every fibre; born of the same vineyards, shaped by the same philosophy. What Marchese Lodovico Antinori began in 1981 as a visionary experiment – planting French grape varieties on the Tuscan coast, four kilometres from the Mediterranean – has long since become a legend. Le Serre Nuove, the estate's "Second Vin" since 1997, is far more than just its younger sibling: it offers a preview and an invitation to discover that Mediterranean Bordeaux style which made Bolgheri world-famous. Following a mild winter and early budburst, the 2023 vintage saw frequent rainfall during flowering and fruit set; whilst this reduced yields, it endowed the grapes with that perfect physiological balance which characterises great wines. Cooler summer conditions and timely August rains allowed for ideal ripening. The cuvée, comprising 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, is vinified separately by grape variety and aged for 15 months in French oak – 25% in new barrels and 75% in one-year-old barrels.

Since 1997, Le Serre Nuove has held the title of Ornellaia's "second wine" – a designation that has long since ceased to be underestimated in Bolgheri. It is produced mainly from the estate's younger vineyards, with the same care and attention to detail as that applied to the more famous flagship wine. Those who taste Le Serre Nuove often recognise the hallmarks of the upcoming great vintage even before it is released.

Castello di Volpaia made wine history in 1983: In the midst of the Supertuscan revolution, when visionary winegrowers rebelled against the restrictive DOC regulations, Balifico was born – named after the villa of the same name in the heart of the fortified village. What began as Vino da Tavola became the manifesto of a new era that combined international grape varieties with Tuscan soils to create an extraordinary synthesis. The grapes for this exceptional wine thrive at the highest altitudes in Tuscany, at over 600 metres above sea level, where the air is already cool like the Alps and the vines are bathed in sunlight all day long. Sangiovese vines, old Tuscan clones of exceptional purity, are rooted in the same sandstone soils that have been producing great wines since 1172 – while Cabernet Sauvignon, with its international nobility, interprets the mountainous personality of this unique terroir in a new way.

When Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti bought a farmstead in the village of Notri, south of the medieval town of Suvereto in the Colline Metallifere, in 1984, they had no wine plan. They wanted nature, peace and quiet, a piece of land. The passion for wine changed that – slowly, inevitably, as it always does. The first vintage of Giusto di Notri was produced in 1992, named after San Giusto, the patron saint of Suvereto, and after the location of the estate itself. Eight years later, her Redigaffi was the first Italian wine ever to receive 100 points from Robert Parker. Tua Rita had redrawn the wine map of the Maremma.