Wines from Tuscany

Cultus is Latin for "cultivation, care and veneration". The name says it all: this wine honours tradition by reinterpreting it. Where the house's classic Riserva relies on tried and tested structures, Cultus dares to take a longer breath. Forty days of maceration instead of the usual three weeks, Sangiovese supplemented by the historical companions Colorino, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo – all from massalselection of the estate's oldest vines. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 250 to 330 metres, on clayey loam over limestone, organically farmed since 1995 and certified since 2003. The 2019 vintage brought ideal conditions: early budding in the warm spring, balancing rainfall into the summer, then perfect ripeness.

Chiaro di Bolle epitomises Il Borro's bold answer to the question of what Sangiovese is capable of as a sparkling wine – a Tuscan Metodo Classico that redefines the traditional boundaries of the grape variety. As a Blanc de Noir made from 100% Sangiovese, this exceptional sparkling wine fits perfectly into the winery's many years of experimentation with the queen of Tuscan grape varieties and impressively demonstrates the versatility of this terroir-influenced Sangiovese. Vinified according to the classic metodo tradizionale, Chiaro di Bolle undergoes traditional bottle fermentation, which gives Sangiovese a completely new dimension. The organically farmed grapes from Valdarno di Sopra bring their characteristic minerality and freshness, while the careful cellar work transforms the natural elegance of the grape variety into a sparkling lightness.

The elegant blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot surprises with its aroma full of purity and intensely aromatic fruit flavour. Elegance and finesse trump muscle in Turpino, a wine that is always light on its feet. Fermentation in wooden barrels and ageing in barriques lend the spicy, balsamic notes of the grape blend a softness, a fine frame and a beguilingly long finish on the palate. With its tangy acidity balancing the ripe fruit, Turpino manages to be generous and restrained at the same time, making it a great accompaniment to Mediterranean meat dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

In Montalcino, the name Ginestreto stands for something special: a Rosso di Montalcino that is more than just the "little brother" of Brunello. Fuligni has been producing this wine for years with a care that has long since earned him a reputation of his own. The Sangiovese Grosso comes partly from younger vines and partly from classified Brunello vineyards – a deliberate selection that gives the Ginestreto the balance between youthful freshness and structured depth that characterises it. The vinification follows the Fuligni philosophy: hand-picking, careful selection, separate vinification of the different parcels. Part of the wine matures for around six months in French Allier tonneaux, the rest in stainless steel – a combination that harmonises fruit and structure.

The Ghezzi family has been cultivating the extensive estate on the south-western slope of Montalcino since 1957 – 530 hectares in total, 50 of which are planted with Sangiovese Grosso alone, on clayey-limestone soils with silt and fossil inclusions. A Brunello that combines the power of the south with the elegance of careful clonal selection comes from this sunny, warm location on the Ombrone. 20 to 30 days of maceration, fermentation at 26–28 °C, followed by 24 months in oak barrels and a full year of ageing in the bottle. The 2021 vintage is considered a classic great Annata: late frost in April noticeably reduced the yields, a warm but never overheated summer and two saving August rains brought the grapes to full, slow phenolic ripeness.

The Brunello di Montalcino "50 anni" is much more than just an anniversary bottling – it is Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini's emotional homage to half a century of Caparzo history and at the same time her legacy for the future. In 2020, the year of its 50th anniversary, she deliberately chose this exceptional vintage to embody the essence of what Caparzo has stood for since 1970: the combination of tradition and innovation in the service of one of the world's greatest terroirs.

The name tells a story: Barco Reale means "royal enclosure" and refers to the historic Medici hunting reserve, which was established in 1626 – a ring of walls over 50 kilometres long surrounded the area where Sangiovese, Cabernet and Canaiolo thrive today. Barco Reale Rosso is the younger, more accessible version of Carmignano DOCG, was awarded its own DOC status in 1994 and epitomises the elegance of this small but important Tuscan appellation. Tenuta di Capezzana has been run by the Contini Bonacossi family for five generations and represents over seventy per cent of the entire Carmignano production. The first documented mention of Capezzana dates back to 804, and as early as the 16th century, Caterina de' Medici had Cabernet cuttings brought to Carmignano from Bordeaux – centuries before the Super Tuscans discovered this idea for themselves. The winery has been certified organic since 2009.

Uccelliera is not only famous for its outstanding Brunello every year, the Rapace, which has now become an icon, also demonstrates the high quality with which the winery has been delighting wine connoisseurs all over the world for decades. Deep dark ruby red in colour, the aroma spectrum is skilfully balanced with a mix of dark red cherries, plums, liquorice, smoke, spices and menthol. The beautifully cherry-like primary fruit is embedded in a warm texture, the silky tannin skilfully takes over on the sidelines and the wine storms into a long, nuanced and delicately mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Anyone who knows Carlo Ferrini knows that he thinks in clones. 15 carefully selected Sangiovese clones grow on the Podere Giodo in Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the south-west of Montalcino – a location that gives the Sangiovese warmth and maturity without taking away its tension. Ferrini has been working on his most personal project here since 2002, together with his daughter Bianca and cellar master Riccardo Ferrari since 2020. The Rosso di Montalcino is the latest addition to this family history – debut vintage 2024 and clearly positioned from the outset: not a stopgap, but an independent voice. 1.5 hectares at 400 metres, exposed to the south-east, medium-heavy, skeleton-rich soil, 6,600 plants per hectare. The vines are seven years old – young, but already precise in flavour. 13 days of maceration in steel, délestage at half time. Then 12 months of ageing, divided between wooden vats and cocciopesto amphorae, followed by cement. Six months in the bottle. 12,000 bottles – a generous quantity by Giodo standards, but a welcome one for the market.

In 1996, Elisabetta Geppetti bought a slope near Pereta. She called it Poggio Valente – the valiant hill, the brave hill. A name that says it all. The site lies at 280 metres, facing south-west, on sandy soils over sandstone rocks with clay inlays – a soil that gives the Sangiovese precision and elegance rather than weight and vigour. Elisabetta wanted something different here: a single-varietal Sangiovese cru in the Burgundian style, a wine that speaks its vineyard and nothing else. In 2014, she made a consistent decision: Poggio Valente left the Morellino appellation and has since appeared as a Toscana IGT. Not a step backwards – quite the opposite. A statement. This wine is bigger than its designation of origin, and Elisabetta did not want the lack of international recognition of an appellation to limit its ambition.

The youngest wine from the house of Manetti – and yet one that bears Montevertine's signature like a second skin. Pian del Ciampolo is more than just an entry-level wine: it is the accessible side of the uncompromising philosophy for which Sergio Manetti gave up the Chianti Classico DOCG in 1981 because he refused to blend white Trebbiano into his Sangiovese. This wine comes from parts of the two great bottlings – le Pergole Torte and Montevertine – as well as from grapes from younger vines. What would elsewhere be called a second or third wine is here pure Sangiovese character in its freshest form.

When Brigitte and Bruno Widmer bought the abandoned Brancaia estate near Castellina in Chianti in 1981, nobody could have guessed that this would become one of the defining wineries of modern Tuscany. The very first vintage in 1983 took first place in a blind tasting – the beginning of a success story that daughter Barbara Widmer is continuing today as a qualified Oenologist. The entire winery has been certified organic since 2019, a consistent development of the philosophy that has always applied here: no compromises. The Riserva combines the best Sangiovese lots from both Chianti Classico estates – brancaia in Castellina and Poppi in Radda – supplemented by twenty per cent Merlot. The sites between 230 and 400 metres above sea level bring together different soil structures: Clay in Castellina, sandy loam with a stony skeleton in Radda.

Le Cupole has been the accessible entry point into the world of the legendary Tenuta di Trinoro since 1995, but "accessible" never means compromise at this visionary winery. In the Val d'Orcia, where southern Tuscany is wild and unspoilt, near Sarteano on the border with Umbria and Lazio, the eccentric scion of the Cinzano empire and nephew of the American painter Cy Twombly created a wine paradise at an altitude of 500 to 700 metres, which was initially thought to be crazy. Le Cupole is made from the same Bordeaux blend as the great Tenuta di Trinoro – merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot –but comes from younger vines on deeper, less extreme soils. The proportions vary depending on the vintage in order to optimally interpret the characteristics of the harvest.

Vigna Spuntali is located in the south-west of Montalcino, at 300 metres, less than 30 kilometres from the sea. This is no small matter. Where other locations are characterised by continental influences, the Mediterranean reigns here: dry heat, constant ventilation, salty breeze. Olive trees, myrtle, rosemary, sea lilacs – the Mediterranean maquis begins just behind the vines. The soil consists of sandy soils of weathered Pietraforte rock, well drained, rich in minerals, warm. Sangiovese Grosso thrives here unlike anywhere else in Montalcino – riper, more voluminous, with an iodised sea breeze on the finish that is unmistakable. The Rosso Vigna Spuntali is a new chapter in the Val di Suga portfolio: a single-vineyard Rosso that expresses the character of this exceptional terroir directly and without detours. Hand-picked in the morning, fermentation lasts twelve days, followed by a ten-day post-fermentation phase. Ageing: six months in 40-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels, then twelve months in concrete vats – an ageing process that preserves freshness and develops depth at the same time. Twelve months of bottle ageing complete the circle.

From the highest corner of the Vigna Istine (the name 550 refers to the metres above sea level), surrounded by cool forests, this balanced Merlot is vinified in concrete before spending around 15 months in lightly toasted tonneaux. Due to the cool location, it is – unusually – harvested after the Sangiovese so that it has more time to mature on the vine. The result is a wine with a fine tannic structure and juicy, ripe blue fruit, with a hint of red fruit and some coffee notes leading to a long, graceful finish. Production is 2,600 bottles per vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Deimassi comes from the large stone blocks that make up the terrace wall that supports the vineyard. These were dug out of the ground during the preparatory work for the planting in 2008. The large stones and the friable clay still mark this small parcel of land, originally intended for the production of Brunello di Montalcino, the results of which are now being marketed without the longer ageing period prescribed for Brunello.

Anagallis arvensis – is the correct botanical name for the small, inconspicuous flower with bright orange petals that grows between the rows of vines in the vineyard plots around Lilliano. When the Ruspoli family decided to give their Bordeaux-inspired cuvée a name, they chose this humble wildflower – a symbol of its roots in the terroir, even though the grape varieties themselves originate from France. While Chianti Classico embodies the soul of Lillliano, Anagallis represents the Tuscan courage to embrace modernity that revolutionised the wine world in the 1970s and 1980s: international varieties on Tuscan soil, vinified with respect for origin and craftsmanship. The blend of 50 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 40 per cent Merlot and ten per cent Petit Verdot comes from the Tenuta's best plots, selectively harvested by hand and fermented separately in small stainless steel tanks. Each grape variety undergoes its own cycle before being transferred to French barriques after malolactic fermentation, where it matures for 14 months – not in new barrels, but in used ones, which give the wine structure without dominating it.