There’s a lot of competition if you want to be a standout wine in Tuscany, one of the largest producers of DOC wines in Italy. When thinking of Tuscan wine we probably call to mind wines from the Sangiovese grape, the likes of Chianti Classico and Rosso di Montalcino.
We picture the hills and valleys of Chianti country and a historic viticulture dating back to the 13th century. However, it’s the wineries of Bolgheri which routinely run out of wine production at the beginning of each year because of world wide demand. Bolgheri, a wine which only came into prominence in the 1970’s and who’s vineyards were previous swamplands. Read on to discover how this rather late entry became a superstar of Tuscan wine…
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Region and Grapes
Bolgheri, now recognised as DOC wine region, was named after the small town in the north of the Maremma. It enjoys a magical light, warm sun and the breeze of the Tuscan coast. Rather surprisingly the land was only drained in the 1930’s, however it is the rich mineral land that adds to the wine’s celebrated natural terroir.
The wine is recognised for its mix of french grapes, largely: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and sometimes Petit Verdot and Syrah.
This is why Bolgheri was originally grouped with other exclusively french grape wines produced in Tuscany, the Super Tuscan Wines.
Rise to Fame
Bolgheri’s real recognition came after 1978 when Sassicaia, a Super Tuscan wine from Bolgheri was chosen over a number of top Bordeaux wines in a blind tasting by Decanter. It is at this moment the wine of Bolgheri made its entrance into fame and later went on to receive DOC accreditation.
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC 2018 - TENUTA SAN GUIDO £ 209.75
More recently Bolgheri has continued to be popular because of its constant growth, due to the magnificence of Sassicaia, but also thanks to the dozens of wineries that have been born and grown in recent decades. It is not difficult to find Bolgheri that are very close to the greatest vintages of Sassicaia and, at times, even surpass them.
Bolgheri Superstar
Our real superstar here at Wine It is the Bolgheri Superiore DOC "Maronea" from family owned winery, Casa Di Terra. The grapes come from 5 different vineyards allowing an expression of the full potential of the winery including the Ferruggini and Sondraie area where the different combinations of soil and grape variety create a unique finish. After the fermentation process the wine is then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels of 1 ° – 2 ° medium roasting passage followed by 6 months in bottle. This really is a special bottle and evidence enough for anyone who is yet to be converted to the elegance of Bolgheri.The colour is deep red, the notes of ripe fruit, coffee and truffle. Traditionally in Tuscany we pair with wild boar or game but it will complement most red meats. I like to savour mine with medium-aged hard cheeses like Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane D.O.P., Pecorino di Pienza D.O.P., but also cheeses with a floral rind such as Taleggio or Camembert.
Find out for yourself why Bolgheri really is a Superstar of Tuscan wine or spoil someone special this Christmas. Discover our full Bolgheri range from Casa Di Terra with bottles from £24.95 here: Casa di Terra
Ciao for now!
Riccardo Gavelli – Wine It Founder
