Wines from Tuscany | Maremma

The Maremma was Etruscan country before it became wine country – and on the hill of Gavorrano, where the cellar building designed by Renzo Piano is cut into the landscape, excavations have brought to light wine remains from a past almost three thousand years old. What began back then, Rocca di Frassinello continues today: as a joint venture between Castellare di Castellina and the Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite, with the aim of uniting the best of two wine worlds on a single estate. The Vermentino grows at an altitude of 90 metres in a natural wind tunnel along the old Via Aurelia – a constant sea breeze blows over the hills from the coast near Castiglione della Pescaia, keeping humidity and heat at bay. Vinification in steel tanks, six months maturation on the lees.

The name "The Whale" refers to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which can be seen from the hills of Suvereto and whose breeze sweeps daily over the San Lorenzo vineyard in the single vineyard of the same name. What is produced here carries this sea within it. 50% Vermentino, 50% Viognier – a meeting of two Mediterranean characters on loamy-sandy, slightly chalky soil, 18-year-old vines, Guyot. Three months on the fine lees. What ends up in the bottle is one of those white wines that you don't analyse, but simply drink.

Sangiovese as rosato – in the Maremma, this is not an emergency solution, but a choice. The hills around Gavorrano, with their warm climate and constant sea breezes, give this grape variety a ripeness that is gentle rather than powerful. The short maceration period preserves exactly that: freshness, elegance and a colour as delicate as peach blossom. Vinified in steel tanks at a controlled temperature, two months in the bottle before release.

Sparkling, bright salmon pink colour. Delicately fragrant nose of fresh peach, white flowers, some cherry fruit, underpinned by light spice. Very juicy, clear on the palate, with a cool fruit centre and well-integrated acidity. This incredibly racy rosato dances in its slender purity from the first to the last glass. SUPERIORE.DE

Only one wine ever bears the name of the estate – and there is a reason for this. The Montecucco Rosso Riserva is the centrepiece of production: the wine that most directly expresses the philosophy of the estate. Italian passion meets Swiss precision – is how the Tipa Bertarelli family itself describes its approach. In the glass, this is convincing every year anew. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes from vineyards on sandstone, marl and clay at 300 metres. Spontaneous fermentation on natural yeast in temperature-controlled steel tanks, followed by 16 months of ageing: the Sangiovese in 40-hectolitre oak barrels, Ciliegiolo and Cabernet in 500-litre French oak Liters.

Barbaspinosa comes from the hills around Poggio la Mozza – characterised by ferruginous clay soils that give the Sangiovese backbone and depth. The wine is aged for twelve months, partly in barriques and partly in large wooden barrels. Ruby red in colour with a slightly lighter rim. The bouquet smells of black cherry, plum, Maremma herbs, some tobacco and a hint of leather. Powerful but well-balanced on the palate, with ripe fruit, grippy tannins and fine spice. The vintage gives fullness, but remains surprisingly fresh thanks to the cool nights. A Sangiovese full of character with a Tuscan soul – down-to-earth, honest and with a distinctive expression of the Maremma. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1984, Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti bought a dilapidated farmstead near Suvereto. No wine background, no generations of tradition – just a conviction: that the Colline Metallifere terroir can do more than it seemed at the time. The metal-rich, ferruginous clays of these hills between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apuan Alps bear a fingerprint that no other growing region in Tuscany can replicate: mineral, salty, with a depth reminiscent of both earth and sea. Tierre is Tua Rita's 100 per cent Merlot expression of this terroir – more accessible than the legendary Redigaffi, but with the same soils, the same hands, the same attitude.

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastical landscapes in Orlando Furioso – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that carries one beyond all boundaries, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has featured both on the label of its Maremma project: the name, the creature, the ethos. Since 1997, Querciabella has been cultivating vineyards in Banditella near Alberese – right on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils shape the Mediterranean character of the wine. 100% Vermentino, 20,000 bottles, organically farmed. Fermentation in small concrete and steel tanks, carried out gently and precisely. The 2025 vintage saw a balanced spring and cool nights, which slowed ripening, preserved acidity and concentrated the aromas.

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastical landscapes in Orlando Furioso – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that carries one beyond all boundaries, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has featured both on the label of its Maremma project: the name, the creature, the spirit. Since 1997, Querciabella has been cultivating vines in Banditella near Alberese – right on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils shape the Mediterranean character of the wine. Mongrana Rosso 2024 is made from seven grape varieties, including Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot – all grown separately, harvested separately, fermented separately, then blended to best express this vintage. No set formula, no fixed pattern. Just the decision of the year. 2024 in the Maremma: a wet spring nourished the soils, a warm, dry summer brought ripeness. Optimal phenolic and aromatic ripeness, balanced, fresh fruit. Fermentation in small cement and steel tanks.

Maurizio Castelli does not like fanciful names. That is why, when naming the estate and its flagship wine, he opted for a simple yet original approach: 414 – the plot's number in the region's land registry. His Morellino has now become a true Italian classic with a modern twist. The grapes come from biodynamically farmed hills around Scansano, where the Sangiovese vines have deep roots.

"Bronzone" is the powerful yet elegant Riserva from Tenuta Belguardo – a Morellino di Scansano that epitomises the modern class of the Maremma. The Sangiovese grapes, known here as Morellino, come from south-facing slopes on clay and limestone-rich soils near Grosseto. Old vines, low yields and consistent manual harvesting form the basis for this Riserva with a strong character. The 2021 vintage in the Maremma was characterised by a cool spring, followed by a warm, dry summer with cool nights, which produced perfectly ripe, aromatically concentrated berries. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine matured for around 14 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux before finding its harmony in the bottle.

The little cherry. The name reveals its personality: this autochthonous Maremma variety openly bears its flavour in its name, and it means business. Ciliegiolo was at home in Maremma for a long time, but then fell out of fashion because Cabernet and Sangiovese virtually monopolised the region's attention. Now it is returning – and Belguardo is one of the first houses to take it seriously again. The vineyards are situated at 100 metres, west-facing, on sandy Arenaria soils with a fine pebble content. The western exposure gives the wine a freshness and lightness that cannot be taken for granted in the Maremma. Francesco Mazzei describes it as "exceptionally lively and fresh – and surprisingly deep at the same time."

Inspired by Provence, born in Tuscany. When the Rivetti family decided to create a rosé, they chose their Casanova vineyard in Terricciola as the source – and Sangiovese and Prugnolo Gentile as the grape varieties. The latter is a local Sangiovese clone which, when combined with its 'big brother', produces a rosé with a surprising character. The grapes come from twenty-year-old vines growing on sandy soils of marine origin, cultivated organically. After destemming, there is a brief maceration of just one hour before the must is gently pressed. Fermentation lasts ten days, after which the wine rests on its fine lees in stainless steel for three months.

A real hidden gem for lovers of elegant white wines: this Trebbiano demonstrates just how versatile the grape variety can be beyond the usual conventions. It comes from biodynamic vineyards in a coastal location near Scansano, shaped by the influence of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Pale gold in colour with delicate green highlights. On the nose, notes of white flowers, green apple, lemon zest and a hint of almond tart unfold. The texture is silky, with a rich creaminess meeting lively acidity and a subtle salty minerality. The finish is of medium length, with a hint of herbal spice and a clean, easy-drinking quality. Maurizio Castelli's rare Trebbiano impresses with its lightness and finesse, without losing its substance – a Trebbiano interpretation with character, freshness and surprising depth. In short: a long-lasting white wine made from Trebbiano Toscano, the sort that wasn't just enjoyed by winemakers in days gone by. SUPERIORE.DE

Vino nero – is what the Tuscans once called their red wines. With this name, the Rivetti family takes up an old tradition and makes it the flagship of their Casanova estate in Terricciola. Twenty-year-old Sangiovese vines are rooted in sandy soils of marine origin, whose oceanic sediments give the wine its characteristic minerality. After two weeks of maceration, it matures for twelve months in French barriques that have already been filled – subtle enough not to mask the fruit.

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.

Ten days before the main harvest for Redigaffi and Giusto di Notri, the pre-harvest selection begins at Tua Rita – a selection from the younger vineyards, whose grapes are not intended to achieve the extreme concentration of the great crus, but rather to offer freshness and approachability. This deliberate choice gives rise to the Rosso dei Notri, which has been the estate's flagship wine since 2000. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon form the foundation in equal parts, whilst Syrah and Cabernet Franc add spice and structure. The vineyards are situated on the metal-rich hills near Suvereto, where loamy soils with a high proportion of coarse particles lend the wines that mineral precision which characterises Tua Rita. Vinification takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, followed by ageing in concrete – no woody notes are allowed to mask the pure fruit.

Ornello is an open wine with beautiful, inviting aromas of ripe, dark fruit, cedar wood, dried herbs, tobacco and incense. All of this has a pleasant depth. Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins and a juicy, ripe finish. Very good value. SUPERIORE.DE

Elisabetta Geppetti has dedicated this Rosato to a woman who came before her: Rosa Mati – the first in the family to believe in the Maremma when others were still turning a blind eye. A woman who invested when this wild coastal landscape in south-western Tuscany was not yet a wine-growing region in the modern sense. That belief was the beginning of everything that Le Pupille is today. And the wine that bears her name is Elisabetta Geppetti's most personal creation – unchanged in its conviction since the first vintage in 2002: 100% Syrah, as a rosé. This is not an obvious choice. In the Maremma, Syrah is primarily known as a powerful red wine. Turning it into a rosé – transparent, fresh, elegant – requires precision.

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."

A modern Maremma-Rosso with a maritime influence: "Tirrenico" combines Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot – all internationally influenced grape varieties that find their very own expression here on the Tuscan coast. Despite the warm vintage, the 2022 is balanced and clearly structured. Dark ruby in the glass with violet reflections. Ripe blackcurrant, plum, some graphite, herbal spice and a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Juicy on the palate, with present, ripe fruit, fine-grained tannins and a fresh, mineral finish. The ageing in barriques adds depth without dominating. A powerful yet elegant red with a Tuscan soul and international stature. SUPERIORE.DE

Valgiano should be experienced if you want to know your way around the world of biodynamic viticulture. Now Mazzapink has been added! Already the design distinguishes it from the other wines of the estate: the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca's centre can be found on the label as well as the Valgian-(h)orn, a work of art at the entrance of the winery. The artist Sara Di Giovanni translated the specifications into the form of a comic strip, as Lucca is considered one of the centres of European comic art.

In school philosophy, A quo denotes the starting point of an argument – the place from which everything else begins. Fabio Chiarelotto has dedicated a wine to this Latin thought. And what he meant was: Montepeloso begins here. The Swiss national with a Tuscan mother bought the estate in Suvereto, near Bolgheri – one of the hottest wine-growing regions in Tuscany. What others drown in heat, he wanted to translate into elegance. He replanted, pruned, worked biodynamically and bet that it was possible to make wines that glow instead of sweat on these limestone-rich, fossilised clay and silex soils. 2024 shows that he was right. The blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia Nera and other varieties is fermented in steel, then matured for twelve months in used barriques – no wood to cover the fruit, just one that polishes delicately. Bottled unfiltered.