Category Archives: Italian wines

MONTECI’S ORGANIC LUGANA DOC: BETWEEN HISTORY AND IDENTITY

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Monteci’s Lugana DOC is an organic white wine that belongs to a unique and distinctive territory, that of the southern shore of Lake Garda; The morainic soil formed in ancient times has created a rich, mineral-rich, and fertile land that produces wines with a structure and body that are particularly savory, with complex aromas ranging from white flowers, citrus fruits, and aromatic herbs to complex sensations of flint, hazelnuts, and almonds.

Monteci, in order to protect the territory and preserve its original and varied richness, has undertaken a process of organic conversion in all its vineyards, which was completed in 2018 and guarantees authentic, high-quality wines.

In particular, the grapes used to produce Lugana DOC come from the native Trebbiano di Lugana vine and, after rigorous selection, are aged in steel barrels. After bottling, the wine is left to rest in the bottle for several months.

The result is a wine that expresses the harmonious notes of flavors and colors of its terroir. Its straw yellow color with greenish reflections takes on golden notes over time, creating a balanced wine with significant softness, freshness, structure, and a variety of aromas.

Fattoria Mantelassi, winemakers for passion and sustainability

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Giuseppe and Aleardo Mantelassi

Tradition, innovation, and a deep respect for the environment and the local area. This is how the company based in Magliano in Toscana continues its success, with over sixty years of activity.

When we talk about sustainability, we think of pollution, bad habits in everyday life, unhealthy food, but the world of wine is also involved. But what does this mean?

Sustainable viticulture means “a continuous process in which environmental, social, and economic well-being objectives coexist and have equal value.” Is this really the case?

Fattoria Mantellassi, a company based in Magliano in Toscana and a leader in the production of Morellino di Scansano DOCG, has made sustainability a priority by implementing measures that meet these major objectives for the protection of our planet.

Among the most recent developments is the installation of a 98 KW photovoltaic system on the roofs of the winery, thanks to which energy is produced from a renewable and inexhaustible source: the sun. This green energy significantly reduces environmental impact and consumption.

This achievement is linked to Fattoria Mantellassi’s strong commitment to innovation. In fact, the company adheres to the GreenCare calculation system, which allows it to monitor water and energy consumption. By monitoring carbon dioxide emissions, wine is produced while minimizing the use of non-recyclable products within the supply chain.

Fattoria Mantellassi’s green soul is also consolidated in another major goal: the production of the first Morellino di Scansano without added sulfites using Purovino technology, currently being tested. The aim of this project is to replace the use of sulfur dioxide, a wine preservative, with ozone, which, through a process of hyperoxygenation, blocks the oxidation of wine, ensuring excellent preservation of its organoleptic properties.

For Fattoria Mantellassi, sustainability also lies in what may seem like small things to most people but which, in reality, are an added value for the environment. We are referring to a cork, that small protective seal that, with NORMACORC, from Green Line, is used for some labels. A line whose distinctive features are the renewability of the raw materials and the vegetable base. Pleasant to the touch and attractive in design, they are free of TCA, the trichloroanisole that gives wine its so-called cork taint, and glue, making them 100% reliable. It should also be added that their core consists of a breathable air filter that ensures optimal oxygen transfer through their walls, resulting in 70% air, an abundant resource in nature. This passage of oxygen into the bottles also ensures that red wines can age for up to 25 years! In addition, the bottles are completely recyclable.

Many initiatives and ideas are in the pipeline, all aimed at providing consumers with high-quality wine and giving the environment the support it deserves.

Bertinga 2018

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The timeless expression of a Chianti vineyard

Bertinga, a boutique winery rising on Gaiole in Chianti’s loftiest hills, finally unveils the 2018 vintage of its namesake wine: IGT Toscana Bertinga, an elegant blend of Sangiovese and Merlot that until now has been slowly maturing in the estate’s cellars, dug into the hillslope.

Bertinga is not just the name of the wine, it is also a reference to the location where the cuvée originates. The vineyard soils, of Eocene origin and predominantly calcareous, are light, compact and “cool” and, as estate’s Commercial Director Luca Vitiello explains, “they allow the Sangiovese and Merlot to express themselves to the highest degree and to yield complex wines, capable of dialoguing with their most prestigious peers.”

“In 2018, a selection of the finest Sangiovese and Merlot grapes from the Bertinga vineyard melded together into this cuvée,” Luca Vitiello continues, “that today offers an incredibly crisp, dynamic experience, hinting at an extraordinary longevity.” Bertinga’s philosophy, after all, is to take the luxury of patiently ageing its portfolio and introducing the wines to the market only when each vintage begins to truly express its potential.

2018 was characterized by particularly variable weather, making vineyard management quite complex. Unlike 2017, which experienced a lengthy drought and high temperatures, this season alternated sunny, dry stretches with rain, and largely cool temperatures. These conditions challenged vine growth, which remained active and in vegetation until late August, complicating vineyard management. 

“However,” as Elisa Ascani, Bertinga’s winemaker, points out, “the situation improved significantly in September, when the weather took a positive turn: sunny days and warm temperatures reigned during the day, and night brought excellent temperature ranges. This favoured optimal ripening of the grapes and good balance between sugars and acidity. The harvest began in mid-September, a little later than usual, which was positive both in terms of quality and quantity.”

“This was a vintage, therefore, that combined the elegant dynamism of Sangiovese with the depth and structure of Chianti Merlot,” concludes Luca Vitiello. “We simply gave the two varieties all the time they needed to blend together.”

The result is a wine with a contemporary stylistic bent that looks to the future with a modern, international approach. Produced in just 15,000 bottles, it can be found in the best wine shops and restaurants.

Pascale Marthine Tayou interprets the character of Ornellaia 2022 “La Determinazione”

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From June 12 to 24, 2025, storied auction house Bonhams will hold an online auction of large-format Vendemmia d’Artista 2022 “La Determinazione” bottles. Ornellaia has pledge its proceeds to support the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to restore artworks for upcoming exhibition.

Internationally renowned Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou was chosen to interpret the vintage character, “La Determinazione” (Determination), of Ornellaia 2022 for the 17th edition of the Vendemmia d’Artista project.

With the labels designed by Pascal Marthine Tayou to celebrate Ornellaia 2022 “La Determinazione”, the artist remains faithful to his practice that is intrinsically linked with the materiality of colour and the joy of living. His oeuvre stands out for its diversity, unrestricted by a single medium or a particular set of themes. For Ornellaia 2022 “La Determinazione”, the artist focused on the life cycle of the plant, starting with the seed, its germination and resilience in adapting to the climate in order to flower and bear fruit.

For the 750ml label, the artist created a design based on concentric circles formed by a series of signs of different colors. They represent the energy generated by the union of many individual elements when they form a single whole.

For the Double Magnums, Pascal Marthine Tayou took a photograph that depicts a plant growing in a desert area, emerging through the cracks in the soil. Each label is unique, like a sequence that shows the various stages of the plant as it manages to sprout with determination. Meanwhile, the 10 Imperials (6 litre) and the sole Salmanazar (9 litre) become sculptures in their own right with textile artworks reclaimed from recycled materials forming uniquely crafted colorful patchwork cases.

As Pascale Marthine Tayou explains, “I went looking for things deep inside myself that could be in line with the idea of a plant’s lifecycle. For example, I came across a plant that had grown on a stone and had succeeded in flowering. In a way, it became a symbol of what I wanted to express in my research.” He continues: “You have people who live and work together and aim to shape the world in their own way. That’s where I saw the most fundamental meaning: the courage to reach your goals. That’s where wine plays a part, bringing special music to the phenomenon of binding people together. For me, determination is a form of commitment and courage. It could even be related to resilience and resistance. Artistically, I was in a determined mental state, so I used materials and a technique that would push me to focus on their repetition as I was seeking some kind of poetry. I wanted to consider determination from the point of view of the relationship between humans and nature, and the environment in its broadest sense.”  

“It moved me to see the way in which Pascal Marthine Tayou had interpreted the vintage character La Determinazione,” remarks Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of the group. “His art demonstrates how courage and resilience always bring joy within reach. His vision remains close to the wine world where the ties between humans and nature form the basis of everything we do.”

Fourteen rare lots, including the Imperials and the sole Salmanazar, hand-signed by Pascale Marthine Tayou will be sold by Bonhams, one of the world’s oldest privately owned auctioneers. The online auction will be held at www.bonhams.com/ornellaia between June 12 to 24, 2025 and will close at 7pm GMT.

In a continuation of the existing seven-year partnership, Ornellaia has pledged its proceeds to support the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation for the upcoming exhibition titled Collection in Focus|Modern European Currents, at Guggenheim New York opening July 2025. The funds are intended to assist with the conservation treatment and in-depth analysis of select collection works included in the upcoming Guggenheim exhibition.

Mosnel, Franciacorta Brut

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The 44th cuvée embodying stylistic consistency,vision and a deep connection with the land

In Franciacorta, there is plenty of wine to talk about and many other bottlings that, year after year, tell their own story due to their consistent style, longevity and unmistakable character. This is certainly the case for Franciacorta Brut Mosnel, the family’s first Franciacorta, dating back to 1979 and since then the messenger of a long story of elegance and a deep connection with the land.

Franciacorta Brut Mosnel embodies the philosophy of the Barzanò family and a winery that produces Franciacorta through dedication, proportion and a real agricultural spirit. “We have always worked to communicate our connection with the land through the quality and enjoyment in the wine,” explains Giulio Barzanò, who leads the family-run business with his sister, Lucia.

Mosnel, a long-established winery in the appellation, was one of the first to believe in organic grape growing and preserving local identity. The winery consists of 42 hectares under vine and, although Chardonnay remains the main varietal, Pinot Bianco has always been a trademark of the house style.

This 44th edition is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco (naturally), Pinot Nero and, for the first time, a touch of Erbamat, a native grape from the Brescia area that was recently reintroduced into the production regulations and that grows in a hectare of vineyards. “Including Erbamat in the cuvée of our Brut goes far beyond experimentation,” continues Giulio Barzano. “This grape is known for its standout acidity and neutral aromas. It brings a natural freshness to the base, reinforces the local identity of Franciacorta and helps to combat the effects of climate change.”

Approximately 30% of the base wine ferments and ages in barriques and spends 30 months on the lees, considerably longer than the 18 months required by the production regulations. This duration enables the wine to acquire complexity and depth, while keeping its energy intact. “The outcome is a very precise and fine Franciacorta, in which the elderflower and hawthorn nuances blend with citrus, white and yellow fruit, herbs and almonds. The perlage is subtle and velvety, while the wine is balanced and refreshing to taste, in addition to having a taut and enduring finish. This is a wine that isn’t searching for the spotlight. Instead its true nature is revealed naturally, like everything with authentic roots.”

Accompanying this story in a bottle, throughout the spring and summer, Mosnel continues to extend a warm welcome to the winery with an events lineup featuring wine, the local area and social moments through vertical tastings, vineyard walks and picnics, as well as new seasonal formats aimed at offering a true immersive experience that respects the rhythm of nature. 

All experiences are booked in advance. The full programme is available at https://visit.mosnel.com

Wine Tourism: Creating Memories

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Credits: Vinitaly 2025

The debut of Vinitaly Tourism, featuring 63 Italian wineries alongside domestic and international travel agencies from the United States, Spain, and Germany, signalled the growing importance of experiential offerings . Violante Gardini Cinelli Colombini, president of the Movimento Turismo del Vino (MTV), articulated the sector’s evolution: “Differentiation is the key to meeting the needs of the contemporary wine tourist. It’s no longer about just showing the cellar, it’s about creating memories” .

Across Italy, wineries are responding to this challenge with creativity and ambition. From yoga sessions among the vines and vineyard cycling tours to wine festivals with live music and art workshops, producers are transforming wine tourism into a sophisticated driver of brand loyalty and market differentiation . Tuscany and Umbria lead with premium experiences priced up to €170, while southern wineries have embraced digital outreach and social media engagement to reach new audiences .

Looking Forward: The Road from Verona

As Vinitaly 2025 drew to a close, the industry reflected on a fair that had successfully balanced celebration with sober assessment. The 7% increase in foreign buyers, strong performance from key markets, and record engagement with new sectors like No-Lo and wine tourism provided grounds for optimism . The presence of two European Commissioners for the first time signalled the fair’s growing policy relevance and its role in shaping the regulatory framework for European wine .

For organic wine, the message from Verona was clear: sustainability is no longer a niche concern but a central pillar of Italian winemaking’s future. From the comprehensive vision of Grapur to the cultural sophistication of Fabula Amoris, organic producers demonstrated that environmental responsibility and commercial success can advance together.

Yet challenges remain. Tariff disputes, regulatory delays, and the need for continued market diversification will test the industry’s resilience in the months ahead. The organic sector, with its emphasis on long-term thinking and sustainable practices, may be uniquely positioned to navigate these uncertainties.

As Italian wine looks toward Vinitaly 2026, scheduled for April 12-15, the foundations laid in 2025 will prove crucial . The organic revolution is underway, and Verona has confirmed its place at the heart of that transformation.

Henry Borzi

Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2022

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Artisanal and pioneering, elegant and anti-conformist: Isole e Olena’s Chianti Classico classically embodies all these qualities, amply confirmed by its 2022 vintage.

“Our Chianti Classico exhibits a continuously dynamic equilibrium”, comments Isole e Olena Technical Director Emanuele Reolon. “Its fulcrum always remains tradition, which we see as a privileged observation point from which to interpret the future. In addition, however, each new vintage constitutes an advance over preceding vintages in reflecting its origins in our roots, memory, and the terroir itself”.  

From its debut in 1969, Isole e Olena Chianti Classico, predominantly Sangiovese with a small amount of Canaiolo, has been the beating heart of this San Donato in Poggio-based wine estate and proud ambassador of its denomination and winegrowing heritage.

With a vision centred on the human, its close bond with nature and its innate flair for unblinkered thinking, Isole e Olena has always been ahead of its time, as well an example of a distinctive yet terroir-faithful Chianti Classico. 

That identity was on rich display in the 2022 growing year, whose stages developed with admirable rhythm. Ushering in the season was a nicely-balanced spring with well-spaced rains, cool nights, and warm, breezy days, which favoured a rapid, textbook-perfect flowering and fruit-set. Temperatures gradually rose from mid-June until mid-August, when welcome rains brought relief to the vines and set up conditions for an early harvest. Harvesters found clean, sound clusters at peak ripeness.

The must fermented in steel, then the wine matured for 12 months in large oak ovals, followed by 6 additional months in the bottle before release.

“Thanks to our history, our values, and our legacy, Isole e Olena’s journey continues today towards a new genesis, without ever compromising its style and quality, eloquent proof that it is perfectly possible to be a pioneer and innovator while at the same time serving as a guarantor of tradition”, concluded Emanuele Reolon.

Marcella Caimi

Ornellaia Announces Release of the 2022 Vintage

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“La Determinazione” (“Determination”in English) is the character selected to describe the 2022 vintage.

“La Determinazione”  is the character selected to describe the 2022 vintage, which saw both the technical team and the vines excel during a year of unusual contradictions in the weather. It is a result born out of resilience in a nuanced and stylish expression from the winery.

The 2022 vintage proved to be the driest in the last four years from February to June as well as one of the hottest between May and September. Rainfall arrived later in August and September, an aspect that was important for this vintage of two extremes. The dry conditions resulted in slower growth, which led to low yield and smaller, more concentrated grapes, while the rain towards the end of the vegetative cycle restored the correct balance. The technical team carried out a strict selection in the vineyard, in addition to double sorting upon the arrival of the grapes in the cellar.

“Just the right concentration and character distinguish this vintage,” remarks Marco Balsimelli, Technical Director. “All of the positive attributes of the sun are felt alongside a convincing freshness. The conditions were interpreted best by the Petit Verdot, which features in a slightly higher percentage in this year’s blend. Linear and forthright in style, Ornellaia 2022 again demonstrates vibrancy and elegance, characteristic of the terroir we have here at Ornellaia.” 

Internationally renowned Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou was chosen to interpret the vintage character for the 17th edition of the Vendemmia d’Artista project. For the 750ml labels, his vision for Ornellaia 2022 “La Determinazione” is a design based on concentric circles formed by a series of signs of different colors. These represent the energy generated by the union of many individual elements when they form a single whole. One artistic label will be included in each case of six 750ml bottles of the vintage.

Ornellaia 2022 is set to make its debut on the market on April 1.

Marcella Caimi

Siepi 2022, thirty years of a Tuscan icon

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An icon does not emerge out of the blue. Rather, it is the fruit of a unique hic et nunc: an extraordinary vineyard, a one-of-a-kind wine, and the spark of an intuition that unexpectedly takes flight. All of this is Siepi.

“Siepi is the quintessential union between our family’s winemaking traditions and the revolution unleashed by our father’s vision”, explained Filippo and Francesco Mazzei. “We have proudly made his far-seeing gift our own, and today we are delighted to celebrate the 30 vintages of a wine that is like our own brother: we have watched it grow and evolve, and we have had the honour of being at its side on the path that has led to its becoming the ambassador to the world of Tuscan winemaking”.

1992 saw the selection of Sangiovese and Merlot as the protagonists of the Siepi cuvée. The marriage of these two varieties achieves a perfect equilibrium between firm structure and stylish elegance, while ensuring that the blend speaks with an authentic Chianti voice.

“The vineyard has been in the family’s hands since 1435 and was mentioned by name in Madonna Esmeralda’s dowry. And yet it has always enjoyed independent status, like some precious jewel”, commented Filippo and Francesco. “There had to be a reason for its standing out so clearly. There was, and still is”.

Siepi is above all the concentrated expression in a bottle of a breathtakingly beautiful corner of earth. This vineyard-island, lying at elevations ranging between 220-310 metres in Castellina in Chianti, is surrounded by protecting woodlands. Its complex soils, a combination of limestone, local Alberese marl, and Pliocene clays, all lying on a thick bed of rock, make possible a capillary drainage providing the vines with a perfectly-balanced water supply. The Galestro allows the grapes to achieve incredibly nuanced aromatics and an impressive, firm structure, delivering a blend of unexpected delicacy and surprising longevity.   

“The 2022 growing season, Siepi’s 30th, started off with a mild winter and little rainfall”, explained Gionata Pulignani, Castello di Fonterutoli agronomist and winemaker. “Temperatures in the spring rose gradually, encouraging consistent canopy growth, while the hot conditions in the summer caused the skins to thicken considerably, which in turn provided what the grapes required to complete the ripening process”.  

“Siepi has taught us to look beyond the obvious, to dare, to experiment, and to launch ourselves confidently into the future”, concluded Filippo and Francesco.

Adorned with a label that commemorates its 30th anniversary, Siepi 2022 will be available in the finest wine shops and on the wine lists of top international restaurants starting from September.

Masseto, the fullest expression for the 2021 vintage

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The harvest at Masseto, a name that conjures up a wine, a vineyard and an estate, finished yesterday. While the just-picked bunches rest in the concrete tanks for the first stage in their long journey to become wine, down in the Caveau bottles of the 2021 vintage are beginning to set off around the world as ambassadors of the Mediterranean magic that can be discerned in the vibrant and intoxicating aromas.

In the glass, Masseto 2021, elegant and enticing as ever, fills the mouth with a certain corpulence and endurance. 

“The vineyard has interpreted 2021 with personality,” explains Marco Balsimelli, Production Director of Masseto “adding a range of emotions to a vintage that has proven to be beautiful and balanced, also due to the spring water reserves that helped the vines during the long summer months of sun and dry weather.”

After all, the uniqueness of Masseto derives from the distinctive soil, in which blue Pliocene clay veins resurfaced from the sea meet the water needs in the vineyard. “Again, this year, the soil stopped the vines from enduring too much water stress and helped them to grow concentrated berries with potentially high levels of quality,” confirms Balsimelli.

“Masseto 2021 is a wine that knows how to wow, ever present during tasting, dry on the finish, and the fullest expression.”

“We are thankful for this rich and powerful vintage,” confirms Lamberto Frescobaldi, President of Marchesi Frescobaldi, to which Masseto belongs. “We played our part by looking after each micro-parcel individually in this vineyard. All the same, without the complicity of nature, the sun and constant sea breezes from the Tyrrhenian, humans would be unable to create such harmony.”

Once harvested and selected, the grapes are gathered in the cellar carved deep into the hillside and designed to be at one with the surrounding clay. The smooth grey surfaces create a feeling of suspension as the bunches benefit from optimal conditions and technology, beauty and silence to be turned into bottles of rare prestige.

This is the 35th edition of Masseto. From September onwards, the 2021 vintage will be distributed in Italy and all around the world.

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