Wines from Tuscany

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.

When Zefiro Pieri saw the old farmhouse in the hamlet of Sesta in 1950, between centuries-old olive groves and the rolling hills south of Montalcino, he knew that this was where he would stay. He planted the first Brunello vines, initially selling the grapes to others – until his grandson bottled his first own wine in 1991. Today, Claudio Monaci and Silvia Batazzi are the fourth generation to run the estate, while their daughters Caterina and Emma are already waiting in the wings. Sant'Angelo in Colle, just a stone's throw away, is considered one of the finest Brunello locations: volcanic, stony soils, permeable and warm, while the Orcia Valley carries the sea breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea 45 kilometres away to the vineyards. Claudio and Silvia select the best Sangiovese grapes of the vintage for their Riserva. Spontaneous fermentation in concrete with the vineyard's own yeasts, followed by 40 months of ageing in large vats – time enough to gain depth without losing the fruit. The 2019 epitomises a classic vintage in the best sense of the word: concentrated yet lively, with that balance that only comes about when cool nights and Mediterranean warmth play in harmony.

Gallule – a name that wafts over the hills of Castellina like a gentle breeze from times long past. It is the Lombard name for what was once the heart of this magical place: the Galla, the fruit of the centuries-old oaks that dominate the wide valley at the foot of the hills. Here, where the son of the Longobard king Berengario gave this land to his bride as a wedding gift back in 994, one of the most extraordinary Chianti Classico wines in the region is produced today. The vines that give life to this Gran Selezione are rooted in terraces that were created by human hands centuries ago – stone witnesses to a time when viticulture was still a craft. These UNESCO-protected terraces, nestled between olive trees and cypresses, create a microclimate of unique harmony. The Galestro-rich soils, interspersed with limestone and sedimentary stones, allow the Sangiovese roots to penetrate deep into the earth and extract the minerality that gives the wine its unmistakable signature.

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.

Named after the man who turned his film-loving father's dream into one of the most respected addresses in Tuscany, this wine represents the essence of a twenty-year project: the complete replanting of the Sangiovese vineyards on Le Macìe with the aim of capturing the soul of the terroir in its purest form. Originating from the exquisite "Le Terrazze" vineyard, where Miocene calcareous marl soils at an altitude of 265 to 360 metres create the ideal conditions, a Gran Selezione of exceptional complexity is created here from 100% Sangiovese. The hand-picked grapes undergo ten days of alcoholic fermentation, followed by 15 days of maceration, before the wine is aged for 18 months in French Troncais barriques and a further 20 months in the bottle.

"The 2020 expresses itself through opulence, intensity, fruit and softness, but also manages to emphasise the depth and freshness, the floral notes, in an enveloping and elegant balance." Francesco Ripaccioli

When tasted blind, it literally screams Syrah, and for all the right reasons: Lamb, steak and charcuterie are present in abundance. Behind this are more vegetal nuances, such as blackberry leaves and juniper berries and, of course, blackberries and blackcurrants. The palate is very dense, cleanly structured, deliciously flavoured with ripe black fruits and earthy notes. Velvety tannins and a long, harmonious final form the impressive final. SUPERIORE.DE

Directly in front of the cantina, at an altitude of 450 metres and facing south-west, lies the vineyard that has defined Fontodi's claim to Sangiovese since 1985. Three plots, planted between 1963 and 1973, are united by a special geological feature: slaty Galestro soils that break up into characteristic platelets on the surface. Giovanni Manetti recognised early on that this soil structure gives the Sangiovese the dark fruit and volume on the mid-palate that distinguishes it from the limestone-dominated sites. The name "Sorbo" refers to a local Tuscan fruit – dry, tannic, almost like grapes themselves. What began as a Riserva in 1985 was elevated to Gran Selezione in the 2011 vintage, when the new classification was introduced in Chianti Classico. Since 2012, 100% Sangiovese, previously blended with small proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Cotarella family's Le Macioche Brunello 2020 shows balance and character, opening with bright cherry fruit, menthol, balsamic herbs, minerals and soft earthy tones. On the palate, the wine unfolds with lightness, silky and refined, with a pure presentation of ripe red berries accompanied by violet-coloured flowers and a hint of leather. Although grippy and structured, it remains energetic and fresh on the final, leaving a hint of violets and lavender. SUPERIORE.DE

Le Serre Nuove carries the DNA of Ornellaia in every fibre, born from the same vineyards, shaped by the same philosophy. What Marchese Lodovico Antinori began in 1981 as a visionary experiment – french vines on the Tuscan coast, four kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea – has long since become a legend. Le Serre Nuove, the estate's "Second Vin" since 1997, is much more than just the younger brother: it is a preview and invitation to discover the Mediterranean Bordeaux style that made Bolgheri world-famous. After a mild winter and early budding, the 2023 vintage brought frequent rainfall during flowering and fruit set, which reduced yields but gave the grapes the perfect physiological balance that characterises great wines. Cooler summer conditions and precise August rains enabled ideal ripeness. The cuvée of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc is vinified separately from the grape varieties and matures for 15 months in French oak – 25% in new barrels and 75% in one-year-old barrels.

Sergio Manetti, a steel entrepreneur from Florence, bottled his first wine in 1971 – a Chianti Classico from the two hectares of vines he had planted around his holiday home. A wine for friends and business associates, nothing more. He sent a few bottles to Verona for the major wine fair Vinitaly, more out of curiosity than ambition. The reaction was overwhelming. The hobby became a passion, and the passion a vocation. Until 1981, this wine bore the name ‘Chianti Classico Montevertine Riserva’. Then came the turning point. Sergio Manetti refused to blend white Trebbiano into his Sangiovese, as required by the Chianti Classico regulations. The decision cost him the DOCG – and made him a legend. From 1982 onwards, the wine was simply called “Montevertine”, without any additions, without compromise. A name that became a statement: Sangiovese in its purest, most traditional form, just as the old Chianti farmers would have pressed it before bureaucracy and commercialism dictated the rules. The wine comes mainly from a two-and-a-half-hectare plot facing south-southeast, planted in 1982 – in the year of the great upheaval.

Deep dark, impenetrable ruby colour with violet reflections. Opulent, warm bouquet of fully ripe cherries, plums, liquorice, young leather with a hint of French oak spice. Powerful and firm on the palate, with a brilliant structure and taut tannins. With increasing aeration, it reveals its good structure and refined elegance. This outstanding Merlot from central Tuscany never seems broad or too heavy until the long finish, but is completely convincing with its terrificenergy and complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

In the annals of Tuscan wine history, there are vineyards that bear witness to dynasties and eras, and the Vigna dell'Impero is one of these living monuments. In 1935, in that fateful year when Europe was on the eve of great upheavals, the Savoia royal family had a vineyard planted on their hunting reserve in Valdarno di Sopra, which is now one of the most venerable terroirs in Tuscany. Three hectares of terraced vineyards, planted by hand at an altitude of 300 metres, where the Sangiovese vines dig their roots deep into the stony, galestro-rich soil. Antonio Moretti Cuseri recognised the exceptional quality of this ancient site and decided in 2012 to create a limited edition from this historic cru. Only in the best vintages, in numbered bottles, as a tribute to 85 years of winegrowing history. The Sangiovese in Purezza undergoes a particularly gentle, one-month maceration to extract all the noble components of the grapes harvested at optimum phenolic ripeness. 24 months of ageing in large 15 and 25 hectolitre barrels, followed by months of bottle ageing without filtration – to preserve the purest terroir notes.

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Syrah and Alicante varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino (of which only 4,000 bottles were made) offers great balance and a very pretty personality, based on bright cherries, some earthiness and crushed flowers on the nose. The wine is very supple and integrated, especially in terms of its polished tannins, and there is of course a wonderfully perky spot of bright acidity at the end. A beautiful wine full of verve and grace with waves of red and black berries over its savoury and mineral core. A rich, grippy tannin accompanies the juicy final, which ends with delicate notes of almonds and roses. SUPERIORE.DE

Castelnuovo dell'Abate has its own character – rougher, denser, more mineral than many other corners of the appellation. The clayey-sandy soils with their high proportion of skeleton, the altitudes between 150 and 350 metres, the lee of Monte Amiata, the cool nights from the Orcia Valley: anyone who plants vines here gets Sangiovese with attitude. Andrea Cortonesi has been planting here for almost four decades. 2021 demanded a lot from this terroir – and the winegrower – a lot. The late frost in April hit the lower vineyards hard and the harvest was around 15 per cent smaller than the previous year. A hot, dry summer followed before two rainfalls in the second half of August gave the vineyards water and the grapes their final aromatic depth. The long September nights did the rest: phenolic ripeness, without heat character, without compromising on freshness. What Uccelliera subsequently brought into the cellar was concentrated, healthy, clear and – and with that crisp fruitiness that makes Castelnuovo wines unmistakable.

The name Tresette is derived from the fact that only 2,800 bottles of this single-varietal Merlot are produced each year and it is aged in three Liters French oak barrels. The grapes come from old vines on a plot 480 metres above sea level, and it is only vinified in the best years. Tresette is a cool, archetypal Merlot that is very elegant and unique in Tuscany and is entirely in keeping with the house style. Juicy blackberry flavours, clove, herbs and spices on the nose. Enveloped by supple tannins, this fresh red leads into a delicious finish. SUPERIORE.DE

There are moments in the history of Italian viticulture that shine like beacons through time. 1962 was one such moment when Fabrizio Bianchi, driven by a vision and surrounded by the scepticism of his contemporaries, made a decision that would change Chianti Classico forever. He dared to vinify the grapes from a single vineyard separately: Il Poggio. What began as an experiment became a revolution – the first cru of Chianti Classico was born. Il Poggio – "the hill" – lies in the heart of Monsanto like a natural amphitheatre, surrounded by wild cypresses, juniper bushes and strawberry trees. Here, on the characteristic Galestro soils between 280 and 320 metres above sea level, the Sangiovese vines have driven their roots deep into the slate-like rock over the decades. These soils – a gift of geological history – give the wine the mineral depth and structural complexity that have made Il Poggio a living legend.

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.

A journey through time on five hectares: Giovanni Manetti is a man who knows how to unravel historical secrets. When he discovered drawings from the 15th century in the archives of the University of Florence that showed that the hill of San Leolino was once completely planted with vines, this was the key to an extraordinary revitalisation project. Where for centuries there had only been olive trees – with the exception of a small plot from the 1970s –the Terrazze di San Leolino were created anew. The terroir tells a different story to the famous Vigna del Sorbo: here, at an altitude of 450 metres, it is not the slatey Galestro that dominates, but the calcareous Alberese soil. This geological peculiarity gives San Leolino its unmistakable character – mineral, salty, with a freshness that immediately reminds the nose of crushed stones and earthy notes.

Here is another outstanding 2019 Brunello from a winery that is still considered an insider tip given its small size and limited annual production. Medium, bright ruby red colour. Exotic aromas of minerals and citrus fruits, reminiscent of red cherries, blood oranges and Asian spices, with a floral nuance that gains strength with air. The palate is supple and expansive, with sweet flavours of red cherries and dark plums carried by a powerful acidity. Densely packed, at once fleshy and broad, but also lively and precise. On the strikingly long finish, it shows excellent power and cut, characterised by youthful, dusty tannins and a hint of candied violets. As is so often the case, this is one of the best Brunellos of the vintage and still completely under the radar of many Sangiovese lovers. SUPERIORE.DE

The world-famous Caiarossa is an extremely exciting blend of the Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache varieties, with the rich, dark fruit flavours of the Cabernet grapes taking centre stage. On the nose, a beautiful first wave of dark fruits that never appear too ripe, which greatly benefits the elegance of the wine. The palate is very balanced and focussed with blackberries, cassis and slight hints of salty or rusty minerals. Caiarossa displays a good degree of elegance, not least due to its fine and taut tannins, and despite its density and complexity never comes across as opulent or even overloaded. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1961, Aldo Bianchi bought the dilapidated Castello di Monsanto. His son Fabrizio looked down from the hill Il Poggio – the highest point of the estate – over the landscape: San Gimignano to the west, the Apuan Alps to the north, Monte Amiata to the south. What he saw was more than a view. He saw a vineyard that could say something of its own. In 1962, he had the grapes from Il Poggio vinified and bottled separately – for the first time in the history of Chianti Classico. A single-vineyard cru, inspired by the Premiers Crus of Burgundy, in a region that did not even have its own appellation at the time. The decision changed Chianti Classico forever. Today, after more than six decades of uninterrupted production, Il Poggio is one of those wines whose name needs no explanation. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 300 metres, the soils of galestro and calcareous marl give the Sangiovese a mineral structure that is not found in other vineyards.

San Leolino was already considered a cru site 200 years ago. Above the thousand-year-old Pieve, the Romanesque chapel that has been documented since 982, terraces run through the upper part of the Conca d'Oro. In the 15th century, Giovanni Manetti found drawings in the University of Florence that proved that this slope was once completely planted with vines. What followed was a rebirth: the terraces were renewed, 4.5 hectares at an altitude of 450 to 500 metres, on Alberese limestone. These soils are fundamentally different from the slatey Galestro of the Vigna del Sorbo – here, hard limestone dominates, giving freshness, brightness and mineral precision. The pandemic years gave Giovanni the leisure to walk through his vineyards, to reflect. He realised that this parcel has its own identity, a terroir that calls for separate vinification. The first vintage was 2019, the fourth now 2022. Production remains small: only 5,000 bottles.