A deeply expressive Sangiovese from the hills of the upper Maremma. Tart cherries, ripe plums, and dried Mediterranean herbs meet earthy, iron-rich notes and a touch of spice. Fermented spontaneously in wooden vats and aged for three years in oak, this is a serious, traditionally minded Sangiovese that feels free and untethered. There's a lot going on here, and it'll only get better with some time in the cellar.

Massa Vecchia

The now legendary Tuscan natural wine estate Massa Vecchia was founded in 1985, long before natural wines were a trend of any sort and actually before the term (such that it is) was even coined. But definitions and categories have never applied to Fabrizio Niccolaini and his wife Patrizia, who see their love for the land and terroir as the foundations of a truly holistic entity, where man, nature, and the vine exist in imperfect (as perfection is for non-living things) and dynamic harmony. Massa Vecchia is located in Tuscany’s Maremma area, just at the feet of the Metallifere hills, and now comprises about 6 hectares of vines, some extremely old and venerable. The approach in the vineyards is as loving as it is uncompromising, going well beyond organic or biodynamic farming. In addition to Massa Vecchia, Fabrizio and Patrizia also manage Podere Aia Vecchia, a small farm in the mountains above Massa Marittima, 700 meters above sea level. Here they raise a few Jersey cows and some Cinta Senese pigs, creating that ideal circular and self-sufficient agricultural model, with an associated small production of cheese. In this tucked-away, wooded enclave, there is a 0.6-hectare vineyard that Fabrizio planted with Pinot Noir on barren, limestone soils, setting for himself yet another challenge of viticultural coexistence.