Wines from Tuscany

Swiss precision meets Tuscan passion: Monika and Thomas Bär-Bettschart have been realising their dream at the Antico Podere Gagliole in Castellina in Chianti since 1990. The Rubiolo 30 anni is a certified organic homage to three decades of winegrowing in one of the most beautiful terroirs in Tuscany. Made from pure Sangiovese grapes from both the historic terraces around Castellina and the famous Conca d'Oro in Panzano, this wine epitomises the synthesis of two exceptional sites. The grapes ripen on soils rich in galestro between 350 and 450 metres above sea level, facing south-west, where the centuries-old dry stone walls – uNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019 – between vines, olive trees and roses create a unique microclimate. After temperature-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts and 20 days of maceration, the wine matures for ten months, half in French barriques and half in concrete tanks, followed by three months of bottle ageing.

Located in the south of Montalcino, Ciacci Piccolomini's sprawling estate is characterised by warm, fragrant afternoon breezes from the Mediterranean. The wines are typically very fragrant and have a higher alcohol content, but also plenty of freshness and focus. In the aromas we find sun-kissed cherries and raspberries, red roses, tobacco, sage and thyme. Light-footed on the palate with grainy tannins that dissolve easily, this wine is already very accessible. It is literally fuelled by the golden light that falls on this part of Tuscany in the last hours of the day. A wine full of personality and identity. SUPERIORE.DE

The structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, the spiciness of Cabernet Franc, the power of Syrah and the softness of Merlot combine here to create a red wine full of character, Mediterranean aromas and elegance. Dark red with a violet edge, fresh fruit bouquet of pomegranate and red currant with balanced hints of thyme, bay leaf and cedar. Initially very fresh and powerful on the palate with memories of raspberry and redcurrant, then round and harmonious, well structured and with soft tannin. SUPERIORE.DE

The vineyard on the western side of the Montalcino hills is so secluded that you can enjoy the starry sky to the full without being disturbed. It is therefore not surprising that this supple, very classic Brunello bears the name "Sky of Ulysses". As is well known, Odysseus had the ability to navigate the seas without a compass and by simply orientating himself by the stars.

This impressive red comes from the single vineyard "Vitticciana", which was created by the "Godfather of Carmignano" Ugo Contini Bonacossi especially for a pure Sangiovese wine due to its perfect orientation. It is only produced in the best years, when it presents itself as a multi-layered wine with fine fruit and fine-grained tannins. After a few years of ageing in the bottle, it can easily hold its own with some of the best Brunello di Montalcino. SUPERIORE.DE

In the Montebuoni vineyard, high above the hills between Gaiole and Radda, a wine is produced whose name embodies a poetic philosophy. Haiku – the traditional Japanese verse form in three lines, whose power lies in its allusion to nature and which requires clear thinking and imagination. Marco Pallanti and Lorenza Sebasti did not choose this name by chance: like a perfect haiku, their wine combines three elements into a harmonious whole that captures the essence of Tuscan nature in its conciseness. The story of Haiku begins in 2009 with the acquisition of the Montebuoni vineyard, the replanting of which had already been completed in 2001. Three noble grape varieties found their ideal expression on these calcareous soils at an altitude of around 500 metres: 50 percent Sangiovese as Tuscan soul, 25 percent Cabernet Franc as Burgundian elegance and 25 percent Merlot as Bordeaux opulence. This tripartite division not only reflects the classic Haiku structure, but also Marco Pallanti's vision of a perfect balance between regional authenticity and international flair.

Francesco Illy came to Montalcino as a nature photographer – and stayed. What began as a personal project in 1997 is now one of the most exciting biodynamic wineries in the denomination. Demeter-certified, run by a young team, with a philosophy that does not see perfection and joie de vivre as a contradiction. The "Cielo d'Ulisse" – the sky of Ulysses – comes from the western parcels of Montalcino, near Camigliano. Clayey-sandy soils with Galestro influence, evening sun, cool forest climate: a combination that gives Sangiovese freshness and elegance rather than power. Fermentation takes place spontaneously, ageing lasts three years in large used Slavonian oak barrels.

Rich, dark ruby colour with a slight garnet sheen, very dense bouquet, clear, concentrated and inviting, of fine dark chocolate, lots of blackberry, flowers and liquorice. Intense dark berry fruit flavours on the palate, fine-grained tannins, subtle mineral tones. A great, smooth and very characterful Merlot from the Cortona region with a long finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Bucine, Valdarno di Sopra – where the Arno meanders through gentle hills between Arezzo and Florence, Fattoria Petrolo lies between 250 and 500 metres above sea level. In 1988, Lucia Bazzocchi Sanjust wanted a wine that told the true identity of this terroir: the "Château" of Petrolo, a tribute to the centuries-old Tuscan tradition of combining French varieties with Sangiovese. As early as 1834, Giorgio Perrin, agronomist of Swiss origin and owner of Petrolo, reported in the "Giornale Agrario Toscano" that it was customary in Chianti to blend "uve francese" with Sangiovese, not to change the quality, but because the terroir won out over the grape varieties.

Here comes the new top Gran Selezione from San Felice: intense ruby red in colour, with broad and persistent aromas on the nose. Notes of violets and blackcurrants mingle with a sweet spiciness of tobacco and liquorice. Full-bodied, supple, well-structured wine, characterised by ripe and juicy tannins that harmonise with the acidic component. SUPERIORE.DE

1976: A young man called Gordon Sumner sits in a small flat in Newcastle, with no money, no prospects, nothing but an acoustic guitar and a dream. He writes a song about the magic that emanates from a woman – about those small gestures that enchant the everyday. When he later plays the song to his future bandmates, they wave it off: too soft, too gentle for the rough punk sound that London is currently celebrating. The song goes into the drawer. Five years later, when The Police had long since become global stars, they brought it out again. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" becomes a number one hit in four countries and wins the Ivor Novello Award.

In the heart of Valdarno, where history and vision merge in a timeless act of faith, Il Borro – the flagship wine of a dream that began in 1993, when Ferruccio Ferragamo acquired the abandoned medieval village and brought it back to life. This exceptional blend not only embodies the essence of the Il Borro estate, but also the unshakeable conviction that wines of global appeal can be created from careful terroir analysis and a visionary grape variety philosophy. After meticulous geological studies, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah were planted on the soils that promise them optimal development: Merlot on the clay-rich layers, Cabernet Sauvignon in the alluvial sand, Syrah on the mineral-rich, stony terraces at the foot of Monte Pratomagno. Between 300 and 500 metres above sea level, the vines thrive on sandstone subsoil over a loamy-sandy matrix – a rare combination that was already considered ideal for great wines during the Renaissance. The dense planting of 4,500 vines per hectare forces each vine to fight for nutrients and concentrates the flavours in the berries.

Ghiaie della Furba means "pebbles of the Furba stream" and there is a reason for this, as the vines for this wine grow on the river pebbles on the banks of this stream. It is one of the very first "Supertuscans". After an hour in the carafe, this extremely complex red reveals wonderfully clear, dark fruit, blackberries and cassis, as well as coffee notes, dark chocolate and spices. Its very good structure and personality are impressive. It is already very accessible today (with aeration), but still hides its great potential for the next decade. SUPERIORE.DE

Here is a wine that fulfils a very specific and important objective: It is exactly the bottle you want when you are sitting in front of your favourite meal with your favourite family or friends. Rosso di Montalcino Ignaccio stands for fruit, elegance, energy, good humour, accessibility and informality. It comes out of the bottle with a bright ruby red colour and exudes delicate aromas of wild berries, blue flowers and slight hints of sweet spices. There is that subtle note of freshly ground white pepper again in this vintage that you only see in cool climate Sangiovese or other wild indigenous Italian grape varieties. It is amazing how Il Marroneto manages to produce such a fruity and at the same time absolutely harmonious Rosso (6,000 bottles produced) year after year. SUPERIORE.DE

High above Sambuca Val di Pesa, just three kilometres south of the famous Tenuta Tignanello, rises the venerable Abbey of San Michele Arcangelo – a bastion of faith since the 10th century, where Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of the Vallombrosan order, once lived and died. Here, where wine of exceptional quality was already appreciated around the year 1000, only the finest Sangiovese grapes thrive on calcareous soils with clay content at an altitude of 300 metres. The historical importance of this place is documented in hundreds of volumes in the Florentine state archives – centuries of Sangiovese cultivation and rural life, preserved for eternity.

The dark, seductive Cabernet Franc Poggio de' Colli takes its time in the glass and slowly awakens with a blend of redcurrants, peppery roses, exotic curries and a slight hint of musk that lends it gravitas. Velvety soft yet refined. Aristocratic and cool on the palate, with a powerful wave of tart raspberry fruit that feeds the palate with savoury spices and mineral notes. Leaves a layer of fine tannins and a hint of berry concentration on the final, which tapers off savoury, long and perfectly balanced. A radiant wine that will only reveal its full beauty in a few years. SUPERIORE.DE

At Podere le Ripi, the grapes for the Rosso di Montalcino are given more time in the cellar than elsewhere, making the wine more similar to a Brunello than a Rosso. Deep ruby red in colour with orange reflections. A captivating symphony of aromas on the nose, ranging from cherry, strawberry and violet to fresh balsamic herbs. On the palate, an impressive, broad structure, beautifully interwoven primary and secondary flavours, a fine minerality and a remarkably long finish. The longer ageing period really pays off! SUPERIORE.DE

This red classic from Montepulciano already bears its claim in its name: nobile. No other wine in Italy has this adjective written into its specifications – and hardly any other producer has honoured it as consistently in recent decades as Federico Carletti and his Poliziano winery. Founded in 1961 by father Dino, today under Federico's leadership and long since anchored in the next generation – with Francesco and Maria Stella, who have been helping to shape the future since 2019 and 2021. Poliziano has been certified organic since the 2021 harvest – not a marketing decision, but the logical conclusion of decades of work without chemical weedkillers and insecticides. Prugnolo Gentile, the local variety of Sangiovese, grows on clay and limestone soils between 300 and 450 metres above sea level. Hand-picked, careful selection in the vineyard and in the cellar, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in conical concrete vats – minimum intervention, maximum expression. Maturation in large barrels and tonneaux: the wood frames, it does not dominate.

When Ferruccio Ferragamo took over the dilapidated Borgo from the Duke of Savoy-Aosta in 1993, it was more than just a property purchase. It was, as he himself said, "an act of faith". Thirty years later, the flagship of the house carries this spirit in every bottle: a commitment to elegance without compromise. A meticulous geological study preceded its creation. Each grape variety was planted where the soil would best bring out its strengths: Merlot for velvety opulence, Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and depth, Syrah for freshness and aromatic lift. Separate vinification, then the marriage – a blend that bears the signature of Valdarno. The wines mature for eighteen months in French oak – the Merlot partly in larger barrels to preserve its fruit, Cabernet and Syrah in first and second passage barriques. The result is neither a copy of nor a competitor to Bolgheri or Chianti, but something completely unique.