Wines from Tuscany

Intense and pure fruit bouquet. Lively on the palate with beautiful blackberry components and hints of the origin of clay and limestone soils. Well-knit tannins guide this refined and full-bodied cuvée into a thoroughly respectable finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Belguardo – the beautiful view. The Mazzei family gave their Maremma estate this name in 1997, and it's a fitting one: from the hills between Grosseto and Montiano, the view stretches all the way to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which lies just ten kilometres away. This proximity is not merely a romantic detail – it is terroir. The sea breezes cool the vineyards every day, slowing down the ripening process and preserving the freshness that characterises the Vermentino grown on these sandy Arenaria soils.

Tenuta Il Palagio is located in the hills south of Florence, where Sting and Trudie Styler have been cultivating a 350-hectare estate dating back to the 16th century biodynamically since 1997. The Vermentino comes from eleven hectares of vineyards on the calcareous soils of the Chianti Colli Fiorentini – vinified under the aegis of Riccardo Cotarella. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September and fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures to preserve freshness and primary fruit.

The Mazzei family acquired the Tenuta Belguardo in the Tuscan Maremma in 1997 – on the hills between Grosseto and Montiano, ten kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. An estate with a view and sea breeze, on sandy Arenaria and Alberese soils. Here, the family opted for an unusual pairing: Sangiovese and Syrah as the basis for a rosé, which forms a category of its own in the Maremma. Sangiovese brings freshness and structure. Syrah brings the floral fragrance and Mediterranean depth. The short maceration time preserves the elegance of both varieties without taking away their character.

Palmina Abbagnano was from Naples. Her husband, John Dunkley, was from England. Together, they bought one and a half hectares of land in Gaiole in Chianti in 1971 – from the monks of Badia a Coltibuono – and built Riecine into one of the most prestigious estates in Chianti Classico. Both have long since passed away, but Palmina’s name lives on in this Rosato, which has been part of the portfolio since 2014. The grapes are harvested 15 to 20 days earlier than those used for the estate’s great red wines – in order to maximise acidity. After careful selection in the vineyard and on the sorting table, they are pressed immediately and without contact with the must. What follows is the most unusual part: fermentation lasts around 40 days in unglazed Nomblot concrete tanks at 15°C – – far longer than for most rosés. This slow pace gives the wine a depth and complexity that rapid vinification processes can never achieve. This is followed by four months in concrete, spontaneous stabilisation and clarification.

Borrigiano – named after the inhabitants of the medieval village of Il Borro – marks a special chapter in the history of the Ferragamo family. As the estate's first wine to bear the prestigious Valdarno di Sopra DOC designation, it embodies the tradition of an appellation that was recognised as one of the first four Tuscan wine regions as early as 1716 by Cosimo III de' Medici. Grown in organically farmed vineyards at altitudes of between 300 and 500 metres in the Valdarno Valley, this elegant cuvée is made from 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The unique soil composition – characterised by sandstone, clay and fossilised marine deposits from a prehistoric lake – lends the wine its characteristic minerality. Ten months' ageing in large wooden casks preserve the vibrant fruit and create a harmonious balance between tradition and innovation.

"When We Dance" – sting's 1994 ballad is about a love that makes angels hide their wings. The eponymous Chianti is more down-to-earth, but no less seductive: a classic triad of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino, as Tuscany has known it for centuries. The biodynamically farmed grapes are harvested by hand and matured in stainless steel for six months – no wood, no distractions, just pure varietal expression.

100% Sangiovese Grosso from the argilloso-sandy soils of the estate, interspersed with fossils, marl and limestone – the foundation on which the Brunello vines of Camigliano also stand. After 10 to 15 days of maceration and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, the wine matures for six months in large French and Slavonian oak barrels, followed by six months of rest in the bottle. The 2024 vintage benefited from a cool, rainy September, which gave the Sangiovese the necessary time for slow, complete phenolic maturation after a hot summer – the result is wines of unusual freshness and fine contours.

The name tells of ancient craftsmanship: "Gerla" was the name the winegrowers gave to the conical baskets they carried on their backs during the harvest. In 1976, Sergio Rossi acquired the estate from Tedina Biondi-Santi – together with her family's legendary Sangiovese clones. Today, La Gerla is the only family-run winery in Montalcino that still works with this historic heritage. Poggio gli Angeli comes from young vines in Castelnuovo dell'Abate, the warm south of the appellation, vinified with the same care as the Brunelli of the house, only matured for a shorter time: four months in large Slavonian barrels preserve the impetuous fruit.

Salcheto is not just an organic winery – it is a manifesto. Since 2011, the winery has been completely self-sufficient, detached from the regional electricity grid and powered by photovoltaics, geothermal energy and biomass. Gambero Rosso named Salcheto "Sustainable Winery of the Year" in 2014, and Michele Manelli, who has managed the estate since 1997, is Vice President of Equalitas, the organisation that sets standards for sustainable wine production in Italy. The lightest bottles in the industry, certified CO₂ balances, energy-independent winery – at Salcheto, sustainability is not a claim, but a reality.

Fuori Misura – beyond all measure. The name is no mere flourish. It is a description. This Rosato is not made in the same way as other rosés. It is not a by-product, nor the result of a separate decision. It is a saignée – a bleeding – from the very same fermentation vats in which the Chianti Classico, the Riserva Le Baròncole and the Percarlo are being produced at the same time. The must is drawn off 12 to 24 hours after crushing. To this are added 10% freshly pressed grapes, which macerate for up to 12 days. Sangiovese, Canaiolo – the very soul of the estate, seen in a different light.

Unlitro – a name that says it all and, at the same time, sums up Ampeleia's entire philosophy. At a time when wines are becoming increasingly complex, the team led by Elisabetta Foradori and Giovanni Podini is returning to the essence of winemaking: to create an honest, easy-drinking wine that expresses the beauty of the Maremma landscape without any frills. The grapes for this special blend of Alicante Nero, Sangiovese, Carignano, Mourvèdre and Alicante Bouschet come from the organically farmed vineyards near Roccatederighi. Here, just a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, the vines thrive on the Maremma's characteristic Galestro and Alberese soils at an altitude of 200–400 metres. The Mediterranean climate, with its warm days and cool sea breezes, creates ideal conditions for wines of natural balance and freshness.

The name is a tribute. Maria Iris Bertarelli – co-founder and the heart and soul of Collemassari – is the woman who, together with her brother Claudio Tipa, acquired the abandoned castle in Montecucco in 1998 and planted it with a vision: that this forgotten hilly landscape between Montalcino and Scansano had what it takes to become an appellation in its own right. Irisse is her wine. Vermentino with up to 25% Grechetto – more body, more substance. But what really sets Irisse apart from Melacce is the short maceration on the skins, followed by twelve months' ageing in large oak casks. This yields a depth one rarely expects from Vermentino.

The name "Hebo" traces back to an ancient Etruscan settlement near Suvereto and serves as a reminder that this part of the Maremma has been a wine-growing region for millennia. Francesca Moretti conceived this wine as a versatile everyday companion that bears Petra's signature without being prohibitively expensive. The blend combines Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc – the very varieties that Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Piombino, introduced to this area in the early 19th century. Following selective hand-harvesting, the grapes ferment in stainless steel at controlled temperatures. Ageing takes place in a combination of vessels: part in large Slavonian oak casks of 30 to 50 hectolitres, and part in two- to three-year-old French barriques. After around 12 months, the cuvée is blended and matures for a further few months in the bottle.

The wines of La Badia have a clear style: clean and traditionally vinified, they are always a great pleasure. Intense ruby red, the bouquet has a burst of red-coloured fruit, pipe tobacco, cedar wood and sweet spices. The full-bodied flavour of Roberto Stucchi is wonderfully smooth, the acidity well balanced and the finish clean and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

An exceptionally charming blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, grown on the cool slopes of Castello Pomino in the Florentine mountains, where the vineyards reach altitudes of up to 700 metres, making them among the highest-altitude white wine vineyards in Tuscany. Gentle pressing with minimal exposure to oxygen and temperature-controlled fermentation, carried out predominantly in stainless-steel tanks, preserve the fruit, whilst a small proportion is fermented in French barriques, lending the wine slightly creamy, toasty notes. 

The Maremma is a land of red wine. Morellino di Scansano, Saffredi, great Sangiovese and Cabernet – these are the images that characterise this coastal region of southern Tuscany. Elisabetta Geppetti, who has been regarded as an ambassador for this region for decades, took a different approach in 1997: a white wine made from northern grape varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Traminer, Semillon – planted in the south. The result is called Poggio Argentato, a white wine with – as Geppetti herself puts it – "a French accent and a Tuscan soul". The grapes come from two vineyards: Pian di Fiora near Pereta, on tuff-rich, alabaster-laden soil with a south-easterly aspect, and San Vittorio near Scansano, on clayey silt with quartz and igneous rock, open to the north-east where it catches the sea breezes. Altitude 200 to 250 metres, 6,500 vines per hectare. The Sauvignon Blanc is aged exclusively in stainless steel. The other varieties spend a short time in second-use tonneaux. Five months on the fine lees – for texture and depth without any hint of oak.

Suvereto, south of Bolgheri – where the Tuscan Maremma lies between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the metalliferous hills of the Colline Metallifere, the Frascolla family continues the legacy of Rita Tua and Virgilio Bisti. They began in 1984 with a modest ten hectares, and today Tua Rita is one of the most respected addresses in the region. The Palazzetto epitomises the philosophy of the house, even in the entry-level segment: top quality without pretence. Sangiovese forms the backbone of this cuvée, with Cabernet Sauvignon providing structure and small proportions of Merlot and Syrah. The grapes come from various plots on the estate and are vinified according to organic principles. Short maceration, maturation in stainless steel tanks – deliberately without wood in order to preserve the clear fruit and vibrancy of the grape varieties.

Wife of Alexander the Great, unrequited love of Cyrano de Bergerac – and, in 1978, the red lantern in Paris' red light district that inspired Sting to write one of the most iconic songs in rock history - that's Roxanne. The Bianco of the same name has a softer glow, but is no less seductive. 85% Vermentino forms the aromatic backbone, complemented by Chardonnay from the Maremma. Hand-picked between mid-August and early September, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, five months maturation on the fine lees.

Brilliant ruby red colour. Intense bouquet of small red berries, cherries and a violet-spice component. Warm and full flavours of forest fruits and cherries on the palate, flanked by a solid tannin structure. The finish is soft and long, medium-bodied and very elegant. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1979, Sting sent a desperate message to the world with The Police – and landed a global hit. The red message in a bottle from Tuscany conveys a different message: that modern Tuscan red wine can combine tradition and cosmopolitanism. 70% Sangiovese forms the basis, supplemented by 15% each of Syrah and Merlot – a cuvée in the spirit of the Super Tuscans, but without their price ambitions. The grapes are harvested by hand, fermented for seven to eight days at a controlled temperature and matured for twelve months in French barriques.

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 "Der Wal" refers to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is visible from the hills of Suvereto and whose breeze sweeps daily across the San Lorenzo vineyard in the single vineyard of the same name. What is produced here carries the essence of this sea within it. 50% Vermentino, 50% Viognier – a meeting of two Mediterranean characters on loamy-sandy, slightly calcareous soil, 18-year-old vines, Guyot training. Three months on the fine lees. What ultimately 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.