It is always a pleasure to go to the Bolgheri coast. I have been waiting for a long time to receive a phone call from Leonardo Raspini, general manager, to visit the Argentiera Estate.
The phone call was made and therefore with great pleasure I went early in the morning to be able to taste some wines, exactly the latest vintages of Argentiera and the three vintages produced of the “Ventaglio” wine.
I know this estate well because I have seen it being born. The previous owners were Corrado and Marcello Fratini who in 1999 bought 600 hectares of land from Florentine entrepreneurs as part of the historic “Tenuta di Donoratico”. The Fratini brothers planted the vineyards and built the cellar using mostly old building materials. A splendid cellar with a thrilling sea view.
The estate owes its name to the Etruscan mining area where silver was extracted.
Today the vineyard lands are about 80 hectares, all of which are part of the Bolgheri DOC.
Since 2016, the owner has been the Austrian Stanislaus Turnauer, Tuscan by adoption, supported by the CEO Dr. Federico Zileri Dal Verme, by Dr. Leonardo Raspini, general manager, agronomist and great connoisseur of the Bolgheri area. The oenologist is Dr. Niccolò Carrara and the external consultant oenologist is Stéphan Deranancourt, an expert not only of Bordeaux wines. As we know, the style of the wines and the blends of Bolgheri are those of Bordeaux.
I have known several owners of chateaux in Bordeaux who have tried, and some have succeeded, to buy companies or land in Bolgheri. The main vine grown in Bolgheri that even the French envy us is Cabernet Franc. The history of Bolgheri began thanks to the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta who planted the first Cabernet vineyard in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri, creating the legendary “Sassicaia” wine. The first vintage released on the market of Sassicaia was 1968. The DOC Bolgheri Superiore and the Bolgheri Sassicaia were born in 1994.
In my opinion the producers, in producing and breeding the wine, wanted, at least initially, to use wood too much to make the wines resemble certain Bordeaux wines. Fortunately, slowly, someone has realized that it is pleasant to drink wine that is not excessively contaminated by wood. The work is long but surely the wines, in this sense, will improve.
But going back to Tenuta Argentiera, this one has vineyards that kiss the sea and reach an altitude of 200 meters above sea level. The exposure of the vineyards between south and south-east, the ventilation due to the proximity of the sea, mean that there is a significant temperature difference between day and night. This allows the wines to be enriched with perfumes.
The company produces the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Vermentino vines. As for the land there are those in the “Poggio area” which is rich in red sands of Donoratico structured by ferrous materials, suitable for Vermentino and for the typical Bordeaux varieties. The soils in the “Villa area” have a composition of clay and silt suitable for growing merlot and petit verdot.
The soils located in the upper area called “I Pianali” are rich in skeleton and are calcareous-clayey, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. From these vineyards comes the “Argentiera” wine. There is another piece of land just under one hectare, called “Ventaglio”, at 120 meters above sea level, planted with Cabernet Franc.
The wines and bottles produced by the Estate are as follows: “Ventaglio” about 3.000 bottles a year. “Argentiera”, annual production 70/95.000 bottles. “Villa Donoratico”, annual production 135.000 bottles. “Poggio ai Ginepri”, annual production 200.000 bottles. “Vermentino” annual production 40.000 bottles. “Rosato”, annual production 20.000 bottles.
Now we come to the wine tasting
As regards the width of the tannin, it is important that I make the following clarifications, so that I can be understood. I feel the tannin of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, the whole width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less wide, it could be for example 5/6 and so on. The width of the tannin is important when the quality of the same is of a good or high level. The broader the tannin, the more the wine is worthy of attention, but the tannin, as I specified, must, in any case, be of good quality.
Let’s now go on to describe the wines tasted.
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2015
(Grapes: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot e 10% Cabernet Franc)
Ruby red-intense purple-black colour
An intense and pleasant aroma of black truffle rises from the glass followed by notes of mint, eucalyptus, black pepper, nutmeg, intense notes of licorice grains, laurel, sage, plum, blueberry, cherry, juniper berry, blond leather to finish with puffs of blond Virginia tobacco.
On the palate the wine has a medium-intense body and is sapid, mineral with plentiful and pleasant flavors of squeezed plum and cherry. The wine is well balanced with the alcohol content subject to freshness and tannins.
The latter are sweet, quite large (5/6) and silky, a little tight and thick.
Throughout the long gustatory persistence the fruity flavors mentioned above remain. In the final one feels a very slight bitter sensation due to the presence of wood. (95/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2016
Intense ruby-purple red – black
Olfactory mix made of light aromas of tannery leather in the very last stage of processing, intense chocolate, mint, eucalyptus, plum, slightly ripe cherry, blueberry, fine ice cream cone, light black truffle, rosemary, light Indian ink , violet, to finish with pinches of juniper berry (resembles the scent of solid shoe wax).
On the palate there is a medium body that is less intense than that of the 2015. Flavors of chocolate and cherries in alcohol. The wine has a good freshness, but the upper gum is slightly burned. The tannins are sweet, wide (6/6–) initially silky to then dry the upper gum a little in the finish, perhaps due to the tannins of the wood. The tannins are less compact and intense than those of 2015.
Long is its gustatory persistence. (92/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2017
Intense ruby red colour, slightly garnet.
On the olfactory examination, intense aromas of cherry and nutmeg emerge followed by juniper berries, chocolate, red apple, black pepper, bay leaf, sage, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, slight hints of black olive, plum, boisé, leather saddle, for end in pleasant blueberry sighs.
On the palate it has just enough medium body.
Balanced wine with the alcoholic mass dominated by freshness. The tannins are sweet, wide (6/6–), sparse, not intense and tight like the 2015, initially they are silky and then dry the upper gum a little in the finish. Its gustatory persistence is long with a chocolate finish. (91/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2018
Intense ruby red.
The olfactory casket opens to aromas of plum, mint, eucalyptus, light black pepper, intense nutmeg and amber. The olfactory path continues with light tones of leather at the end of the tannery process, Indian ink, tomato preserve, to end with memories of blond Virginia tobacco.
The body is medium, a little higher than that of 2017. Balanced wine between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, quite wide (5/6), initially silky and then dry the upper gum a little. Its intense gustatory persistence is long. The upper palate burns a bit in the finish. (91/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2019
(Grapes: 48% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon e 7% Cabernet Franc)
Ruby red- intense purple-black coat.
The nose is an explosion of aromas of chocolate and nutmeg followed by plum, cassis, mint, eucalyptus, blueberry, crunchy cherry, ending with sensations of peeled tomato.
On the palate it has a medium body, a plum and boisé flavour, and is savory and mineral. Balanced wine with alcoholic mass dominated by freshness and tannins. The latter are sweet, fat, quite large (5/6), chocolaty and silky. Its gustatory persistence is long with a finish of plum, chocolate, violet and boisé.
Very young wine that has yet to express itself at its best and will have to lose its woody note a little. (96/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
VENTAGLIO. Toscana IGT, vintage 2015
(Grapes: 85% Cabernet Franc e 15% Cabernet Sauvignon)
Intense ruby red with slight purple hints.
On the nose it has an intense aroma of black truffle that reminds me of Argentiera 2015, followed by licorice grains, tomato preserves, mint, eucalyptus, light blue cheese and medicine drawer, chocolate, boisé, ending with a fruity note of cherry.
The taste has a medium body that tends to thin out a bit. Flavors of plum and chocolate. Well balanced wine with freshness and tannins that dominate the alcohol mass without second thoughts.
The tannins are sweet, quite wide (5/6) and silky.
Long but not very long is its intense aromatic persistence with a plum finish.(93/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
VENTAGLIO. Toscana IGT, vintage 2016
(Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc)
Intense ruby red color with slight purple textures.
On the olfactory examination it reveals an intense aroma of nutmeg, followed by mint, eucalyptus, red apple, violet, toasted wood, plum and oregano.
The body is medium and tapering more slowly than the 2015.
Well balanced wine with freshness and tannins that do not even minimally feel the alcoholic mass.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6++) and silky.
The persistence is long, but not very long (it is longer than that of the 2015) with a chocolate finish. (93/100)
TENUTA ARGENTIERA
VENTAGLIO. Toscana IGT, vintage 2018
(Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc)
Deep purple-black.
Varied and pleasant nose with aromas of mint, eucalyptus, Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk), violet, plum, blueberry, hard almond shell, tomato preserve, slight hints of small licorice grains, wild strawberry, herbs, to end with whispers of amber.
On the palate it is very pleasant, fine and elegant. The body is medium and the wine is well balanced. The tannins are sweet, quite wide (5/6) and silky.
Its persistence is long thanks also to the freshness because at the moment in which the body runs out, the freshness gives continuity to the persistence like the drawbridge of the castle.
Fine and elegant wine which for this reason reminds me a bit of Burgundy .
(95/100)
After the tasting, I confessed my satisfaction for having done it and for having made contact with these wines again, after a few years of being on the run from the company. Leonardo then took us to lunch in San Vincenzo, at the “La Perla” restaurant where we had a pleasant lunch based on fish, drinking the Vermentino produced by the Tenuta together with Argentiera 2015 and 2019 and Ventaglio 2018. After lunch with Leonardo we went on the terrace of the restaurant, sitting in the sun to smoke the “Presidente” Tuscan cigar comfortably and blissfully.
Back in Florence, I thought back with pleasure on the wines I tasted and drank.
