<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\nis always a pleasure to go to the Bolgheri coast. I have been waiting for a\nlong time to receive a phone call from Leonardo Raspini, general manager, to\nvisit the Argentiera Estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nphone call was made and therefore with great pleasure I went early in the\nmorning to be able to taste some wines, exactly the latest vintages of\nArgentiera and the three vintages produced of the “Ventaglio” wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\nknow this estate well because I have seen it being born. The previous owners\nwere Corrado and Marcello Fratini who in 1999 bought 600 hectares of land from\nFlorentine entrepreneurs as part of the historic “Tenuta di\nDonoratico”. The Fratini brothers planted the vineyards and built the\ncellar using mostly old building materials. A splendid cellar with a thrilling\nsea view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nestate owes its name to the Etruscan mining area where silver was extracted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today\nthe vineyard lands are about 80 hectares, all of which are part of the Bolgheri\nDOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since\n2016, the owner has been the Austrian Stanislaus Turnauer, Tuscan by adoption,\nsupported by the CEO Dr. Federico Zileri Dal Verme, by Dr. Leonardo Raspini,\ngeneral manager, agronomist and great connoisseur of the Bolgheri area. The\noenologist is Dr. Niccol\u00f2 Carrara and the external consultant oenologist is\nSt\u00e9phan Deranancourt, an expert not only of Bordeaux wines. As we know, the\nstyle of the wines and the blends of Bolgheri are those of Bordeaux.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\nhave known several owners of chateaux in Bordeaux who have tried, and some have\nsucceeded, to buy companies or land in Bolgheri. The main vine grown in\nBolgheri that even the French envy us is Cabernet Franc. The history of\nBolgheri began thanks to the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta who planted\nthe first Cabernet vineyard in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri, creating the\nlegendary “Sassicaia” wine. The first vintage released on the market\nof Sassicaia was 1968. The DOC Bolgheri Superiore and the Bolgheri Sassicaia\nwere born in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\nmy opinion the producers, in producing and breeding the wine, wanted, at least\ninitially, to use wood too much to make the wines resemble certain Bordeaux\nwines. Fortunately, slowly, someone has realized that it is pleasant to drink\nwine that is not excessively contaminated by wood. The work is long but surely\nthe wines, in this sense, will improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But\ngoing back to Tenuta Argentiera, this one has vineyards that kiss the sea and\nreach an altitude of 200 meters above sea level. The exposure of the vineyards\nbetween south and south-east, the ventilation due to the proximity of the sea,\nmean that there is a significant temperature difference between day and night.\nThis allows the wines to be enriched with perfumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\ncompany produces the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot,\nSyrah and Vermentino vines. As for the land there are those in the “Poggio\narea” which is rich in red sands of Donoratico structured by ferrous\nmaterials, suitable for Vermentino and for the typical Bordeaux varieties. The\nsoils in the “Villa area” have a composition of clay and silt\nsuitable for growing merlot and petit verdot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nsoils located in the upper area called “I Pianali” are rich in\nskeleton and are calcareous-clayey, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet\nFranc, and Merlot. From these vineyards comes the “Argentiera” wine.\nThere is another piece of land just under one hectare, called\n“Ventaglio”, at 120 meters above sea level, planted with Cabernet\nFranc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nwines and bottles produced by the Estate are as follows: “Ventaglio”\nabout 3.000 bottles a year. “Argentiera”, annual production 70\/95.000\nbottles. “Villa Donoratico”, annual production 135.000 bottles.\n“Poggio ai Ginepri”, annual production 200.000 bottles.\n“Vermentino” annual production 40.000 bottles. “Rosato”,\nannual production 20.000 bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now\nwe come to the wine tasting<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As\nregards the width of the tannin, it is important that I make the following\nclarifications, so that I can be understood. I feel the tannin of the wine on\nthe upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6\/6, the whole width of the\nupper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less wide, it could be for example 5\/6\nand so on. The width of the tannin is important when the quality of the same is\nof a good or high level. The broader the tannin, the more the wine is worthy of\nattention, but the tannin, as I specified, must, in any case, be of good\nquality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s\nnow go on to describe the wines tasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage\n2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Grapes: 50% Cabernet\nSauvignon, 40% Merlot e 10% Cabernet Franc)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruby\nred-intense purple-black colour<\/p>\n\n\n\n An\nintense and pleasant aroma of black truffle rises from the glass followed by\nnotes of mint, eucalyptus, black pepper, nutmeg, intense notes of licorice\ngrains, laurel, sage, plum, blueberry, cherry, juniper berry, blond leather to\nfinish with puffs of blond Virginia tobacco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate the wine has a medium-intense body and is sapid, mineral with\nplentiful and pleasant flavors of squeezed plum and cherry. The wine is well\nbalanced with the alcohol content subject to freshness and tannins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nlatter are sweet, quite large (5\/6) and silky, a little tight and thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout\nthe long gustatory persistence the fruity flavors mentioned above remain. In\nthe final one feels a very slight bitter sensation due to the presence of wood.\n(95\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage\n2016<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense\nruby-purple red – black<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olfactory\nmix made of light aromas of tannery leather in the very last stage of\nprocessing, intense chocolate, mint, eucalyptus, plum, slightly ripe cherry,\nblueberry, fine ice cream cone, light black truffle, rosemary, light Indian ink\n, violet, to finish with pinches of juniper berry (resembles the scent of solid\nshoe wax).<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate there is a medium body that is less intense than that of the 2015.\nFlavors of chocolate and cherries in alcohol. The wine has a good freshness,\nbut the upper gum is slightly burned. The tannins are sweet, wide (6\/6–)\ninitially silky to then dry the upper gum a little in the finish, perhaps due\nto the tannins of the wood. The tannins are less compact and intense than those\nof 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long\nis its gustatory persistence. (92\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA ARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ARGENTIERA,\nBolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense ruby red colour, slightly garnet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the olfactory examination, intense aromas of\ncherry and nutmeg emerge followed by juniper berries, chocolate, red apple,\nblack pepper, bay leaf, sage, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, slight hints of black\nolive, plum, bois\u00e9, leather saddle, for end in pleasant blueberry sighs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the palate it has just enough medium body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA ARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore,\nDOC, vintage 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense ruby red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The olfactory casket opens to aromas of plum, mint,\neucalyptus, light black pepper, intense nutmeg and amber. The olfactory path\ncontinues with light tones of leather at the end of the tannery process, Indian\nink, tomato preserve, to end with memories of blond Virginia tobacco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ARGENTIERA, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, vintage\n2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Grapes: 48% Merlot,\n45% Cabernet Sauvignon e 7% Cabernet Franc)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruby red- intense\npurple-black coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The nose is an explosion\nof aromas of chocolate and nutmeg followed by plum, cassis, mint, eucalyptus,\nblueberry, crunchy cherry, ending with sensations of peeled tomato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the palate it has\na medium body, a plum and bois\u00e9 flavour, and is savory and mineral. Balanced wine\nwith alcoholic mass dominated by freshness and tannins. The latter are sweet,\nfat, quite large (5\/6), chocolaty and silky. Its gustatory persistence is long\nwith a finish of plum, chocolate, violet and bois\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Very young wine that\nhas yet to express itself at its best and will have to lose its woody note a\nlittle. (96\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VENTAGLIO. <\/strong>Toscana IGT, vintage\n2015<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Grapes: 85% Cabernet\nFranc e 15% Cabernet Sauvignon)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense ruby red with slight\npurple hints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the nose it has an\nintense aroma of black truffle that reminds me of Argentiera 2015, followed by\nlicorice grains, tomato preserves, mint, eucalyptus, light blue cheese and\nmedicine drawer, chocolate, bois\u00e9, ending with a fruity note of cherry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The taste has a medium body\nthat tends to thin out a bit. Flavors of plum and chocolate. Well balanced wine\nwith freshness and tannins that dominate the alcohol mass without second\nthoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tannins are sweet, quite\nwide (5\/6) and silky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long but not very long is\nits intense aromatic persistence with a plum finish.(93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VENTAGLIO. <\/strong>Toscana IGT, vintage\n2016<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Grapes: 100%\nCabernet Franc)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense ruby red color with\nslight purple textures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the olfactory examination\nit reveals an intense aroma of nutmeg, followed by mint, eucalyptus, red apple,\nviolet, toasted wood, plum and oregano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body is medium and\ntapering more slowly than the 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well balanced wine with\nfreshness and tannins that do not even minimally feel the alcoholic mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tannins are sweet, quite\nbroad (5\/6++) and silky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The persistence is long, but\nnot very long (it is longer than that of the 2015) with a chocolate finish. (93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TENUTA \nARGENTIERA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VENTAGLIO. <\/strong>Toscana IGT, vintage\n2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Grapes: 100%\nCabernet Franc)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Deep purple-black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varied and pleasant nose\nwith aromas of mint, eucalyptus, Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk),\nviolet, plum, blueberry, hard almond shell, tomato preserve, slight hints of\nsmall licorice grains, wild strawberry, herbs, to end with whispers of amber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the palate it is very\npleasant, fine and elegant. The body is medium and the wine is well balanced.\nThe tannins are sweet, quite wide (5\/6) and silky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its persistence is long\nthanks also to the freshness because at the moment in which the body runs out,\nthe freshness gives continuity to the persistence like the drawbridge of the\ncastle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fine and elegant wine which for this reason reminds me a bit of Burgundy .<\/p>\n\n\n\n (95\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n After the tasting, I\nconfessed my satisfaction for having done it and for having made contact with\nthese wines again, after a few years of being on the run from the company.\nLeonardo then took us to lunch in San Vincenzo, at the “La Perla”\nrestaurant where we had a pleasant lunch based on fish, drinking the Vermentino\nproduced by the Tenuta together with Argentiera 2015 and 2019 and Ventaglio 2018.\nAfter lunch with Leonardo we went on the terrace of the restaurant, sitting in\nthe sun to smoke the “Presidente” Tuscan cigar comfortably and\nblissfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in Florence, I thought\nback with pleasure on the wines I tasted and drank.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[334,137,310],"class_list":["post-12375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","tag-bolgheri","tag-paolo-baracchino","tag-tenuta-argentiera","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG-20220307-WA0027-da-sinistra-Sergio-Antonini-Leonardo-Raspini-e-Paolo-Baracchino.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pav13q-3dB","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12375"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12378,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12375\/revisions\/12378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}