Wines from Tuscany

The same muse, a different dress. While the white Roxanne seduces with Vermentino, its red brother relies on Tuscan tradition: 90% Sangiovese, supplemented by 10% Ciliegiolo – the indigenous grape variety whose name means "little cherry" and whose character perfectly describes it. Hand-picked at the end of September, fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, ten days on the skins. Ageing takes place mainly in steel, with only a small proportion maturing in wood – enough to provide structure without overpowering the fruit.

The Rosso di Montalcino from Caparzo embodies the philosophy of a house that has been one of the pioneers of modern Montalcino since 1970. Under the visionary leadership of Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, wines are created here that perfectly express the terroir understanding of the various micro-locations. This Rosso is far more than just the "little brother" of the legendary Brunello – it is a wine of character in its own right, combining the youthful freshness of the Sangiovese grape with the complexity of different vineyards. The grapes come from three strategically selected vineyards that cover the entire spectrum of the Caparzo terroirs: In the north, the Caparzo site at an altitude of 220 metres, in the south Il Cassero at 270 metres and in the east San Piero-Caselle at 250 metres. This diversity of locations – from the warmer, early-ripening sites to the higher, cooler terroirs – enables the cellar team to create the optimum blend depending on the character of the vintage.

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.

Il Bianco is Brancaia's fresh white wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc – grown on loamy soils around Castellina in Chianti, at an altitude of 230–400 metres above sea level with south to south-west exposure. The cool hill winds and the day/night temperature gradient keep the profile clear and fragrant. Pale straw yellow in colour with a greenish tinge. Juicy citrus fruit, green apple and white peach on the nose, with a hint of sage and wet stone. Lean and precise on the palate, with lively, well-integrated acidity, a fine yeasty texture and a salty, mineral finish. Organic-certified, very clear Toscana Bianco with character: ideal with seafood, vegetable tempura or simply as an elegant aperitif. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1981, the Swiss Widmer family purchased the Brancaia hill in Castellina in Chianti; in 1998, they acquired land in the coastal Maremma region, overlooking the sea. This is where the Merlot vines for this Rosato are grown, at altitudes of between 75 and 175 metres on sandy loam, facing south-south-west and cooled by an almost constant sea breeze. The must ferments at a cool 16 degrees and rests on the fine lees for three months in a stainless-steel tank. A vibrant salmon-pink colour. On the nose, sliced white peach, lemon and apple, along with floral notes and a hint of watermelon. On the palate, it is medium-bodied, fresh and dry, with a crisp finish. A Merlot that has deliberately embraced Mediterranean lightness. SUPERIORE.DE

Swiss precision meets Tuscan elegance in this characterful Super Tuscan, which has embodied the Widmer family's DNA for over four decades. The name carries a dual meaning: three grape varieties and three terroirs, which Barbara Widmer blends into a harmonious cuvée with inimitable finesse. This blend, comprising 70% Sangiovese, is sourced from the vineyards of Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and the Maremma, and is refined with 15% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The continental Chianti vineyards, situated at altitudes of 230–400 metres with their soils interspersed with clay and galestro, meet the Mediterranean Maremma terroir with its sandy loam soils, which lend the wine its characteristic depth. 

Silìneo – a neologism born from the fusion of "sinuoso" (supple) and "lineo" (linear). The name epitomises what this wine is all about: elegance, suppleness, balance and harmony. It is the most classic wine from Fattoria del Cerro and has been the most successful for years. Silìneo is made from 90 per cent Sangiovese (locally called Prugnolo Gentile) and ten per cent Merlot and Colorino, from vineyards in Acquaviva di Montepulciano on soils of marine Pliocene origin with clay and silt between 250 and 400 metres above sea level. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place with maceration at 24 to 28°C with daily overflow and délestage. The wine then matures for seven months in tonneaux, followed by eleven months in large Slavonian oak barrels.

Monti in Chianti, on the southern tip of the Chianti Classico region, seven kilometres south of Gaiole. Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi has been cultivating the same slopes here for generations – the family's history dates back to the Lombard era, and its winemaking tradition is almost as old. The estate has been certified organic since 2010. The Rosato is made from the same Sangiovese vineyards that also supply the grapes for the Chianti Classico and the Gran Selezione San Marcellino. Hand-harvested, with a short maceration period of 40 to 50 minutes, must clarification at low temperature, around one month's fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by three to four months sur lie. The result is not a light summer rosé, but a Rosato with substance: lively acidity, salinity and subtle minerality.

"Atheist" is a provocative name for a wine that was first produced in 1989 – at a time when international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot had no official place in the Tuscan wine hierarchy. Anyone who planted and marketed them was challenging the established rules. Ateo was Ciacci Piccolomini's response: a small rebellion that went on to become one of the estate's classics. The wine blends two international varieties with the native Sangiovese: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from vineyards first harvested in 1989, complemented by the Tuscan soul. The soils are medium-grained, rich in Eocene marl, at altitudes of 240 to 360 metres. Fermentation takes place in steel and glazed concrete tanks at a controlled temperature.

Non Confunditur – "not to be confused with": the family motto on the Argiano coat of arms also encapsulates the ethos of this wine. Founded in 1580, the estate is one of the founding members of the Brunello Consortium and has been cultivating its 60 hectares organically since 2018. The NC blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese from the estate's younger vines – a "Junior Super Tuscan", as cellar master Bernardino Sani calls it. Vinification in stainless steel and used barriques preserves the fruit's freshness.

A new day, a new vintage – and the first wine of the year to leave the winery each year. While the red wines are still slumbering in their barrels, "New Day" already brings the message of the new 2025 vintage: freshness, joie de vivre and anticipation of what is to come. 100% Sangiovese, harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation takes place at a low temperature in stainless steel, followed by a few months of ageing on the fine lees.

Prugnolo Gentile – is the name given to Sangiovese in Montepulciano. And mammolo simply means violet in Italian. Anyone who knows the aromas of this wine will understand why the Corradi-De Ferrari family uses both: 85% Prugnolo Gentile for freshness and fruit, 15% Mammolo for the floral perfume that makes this Rosso unmistakable. Boscarelli has been producing Prugnolo as Rosso di Montepulciano since 1989 – from the youngest, most fragrant vines in the Cervognano cru vineyard at 280 to 350 metres, on calcareous alluvial soil with sand, silt and clay. Organic cultivation. Hand-picked in crates, selection at the sorting table, natural yeast fermentation in steel, 6 months maturation in glazed cement tanks.

Monsanto Rosso takes its name from the estate itself – a young, light-hearted red wine, a single-varietal Sangiovese from the estate's own vineyards on the south-western slope of the property. Here, crumbly galestro meets a striking concentration of tuff, that volcanic-marine soil which, over time, reveals fossils from the Cretaceous period. These soils, particularly rich in phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and lime, give the wine its complexity whilst preserving the purity of the fruit. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled, truncated cone-shaped steel tanks, accompanied by délestage and pumping over for 18 to 20 days. The wine is then aged for around twelve months in 38-hectolitre oak barrels.

In the heart of Bolgheri, where Marilisa Allegrini and her late brother Walter realised their Tuscan dream in 2001, an ancient tradition is being revived. Cassiopea takes its name from the constellation that shines brightly above the 70-hectare Poggio al Tesoro estate – a cosmic 'W' for Walter or 'M' for Marilisa, depending on your perspective in the night sky over the Costa Toscana. This elegant rosé hails from the prestigious Le Sondraie vineyard, which was once leased to Ornellaia and now forms the heart of the Allegrini vision. The 'soprastrada' site, situated east of the famous Strada Bolgherese, is regarded as the highest-quality area in Bolgheri. Here, where the Seggio stream has carried minerals from the nearby hills for centuries, complex soils of sand, clay and pebbles with a high magnesium content create ideal conditions for both grape varieties.

The owner of Selvapiana, Francesco Giuntini, and the owner of the Petrognano winery, Cecilia Galeotti Ottieri, have been friends for a long time. Their small winery on the border between Tuscany and Emilia Romagna is located in the centre of the Pomino DOC, which was first mentioned in a document in 1716 and is one of the first four protected appellations in Tuscany (alongside Rufina Classico, Carmignano and Valdarno Superiore).

Virginie Saverys is a lawyer, not a winemaker. When she took over Avignonesi in 2009, it came as a surprise to many – and for her the beginning of a radical conviction. No herbicides, no pesticides, no additives in the cellar, no compromises. Today, Avignonesi is the largest biodynamically certified winery in Italy – over 170 hectares on the hills around Montepulciano, organic since 2016, biodynamic since 2019. What began in 1974 as a traditional Tuscan winery has become one of the most consistent sustainability projects in Italian viticulture under its leadership.

Only one wine at a time bears the estate's name – and there is a reason for this. The Montecucco Rosso Riserva is the centrepiece of the estate's production: the wine that most directly expresses the estate's philosophy. Italian passion meets Swiss precision – that is how the Tipa Bertarelli family themselves describe their approach. In the glass, it impresses anew every year. 80% Sangiovese, 10% Ciliegiolo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon – grapes from vineyards on sandstone, marl and clay at an altitude of 300 metres. Spontaneous fermentation on natural yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, followed by 16 months' ageing: the Sangiovese in 40-hectolitre oak barrels, the Ciliegiolo and Cabernet inLiters French oakLiters.

A rare treasure from Le Cinciole: just 2,000 bottles of this exceptional rosé leave the small winery in Panzano each year. With their certified organic Rosato, Valeria Viganò and Luca Orsini have created a unique wine that stands out clearly from comparable wines in the region – 100% Sangiovese, vinified using the traditional white wine method. The Sangiovese grapes are hand-harvested at perfect ripeness and undergo a short, twelve-hour maceration before being gently pressed. Fermentation takes place at a maximum of fifteen degrees in stainless steel tanks, where the wine also completes its ageing. Bottling takes place traditionally in the spring during the waning moon – a detail that reflects the Orsinis' deep connection to nature.