Fattoria Le Pupille Poggio Argentato 2016
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Perfect for aperitifs, crustacea, raw fish, white meats and fresh cheeses, as well as with vegetables based first courses.
Blend: 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Traminer, 15% Petit Manseng, and 10% Semillon.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A pretty white with freshness and crispness. Plenty of dried apple, pear and melon character. Lovely finish. Sauvignon blanc, semillon, gewurztraminer and petit manseng.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a wine I always love, although my sample is a bit closed at this early stage. The nose will build in intensity with just a few more months of bottle aging for sure. Summer peach, honey and saffron show on the bouquet of the 2016 Poggio Argentato. The mouthfeel offers low to medium density, but the wine actually shows more power than you may initially expect. The blend is 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Traminer, 15% Petit Manseng and 10% Semillon.
Other Vintages
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James
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James
Suckling -
Robert
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
The operating nucleus of the property, from early 2000, is in proximity of Istia d'Ombrone, nearby Grosseto. The property is an antique farmhouse and its silhouette is present in some of the most recognizable wine labels of Le Pupille, the whole winery is surrounded by a 12 hectares vineyard, including a small patch destined to an experimentation of old Sangiovese grapes, coming from ancient vine rows. At first it is difficult to imagine that this large, quiet house is the beating heart of an agricultural activity, it rather seems like a noble residency surrounded by a large english style lawn and a myriad of flowers. Then the smell of must reveals the presence of a winery hidden by ivy, and once one enters the well-finished environment, the offices and tasting room appear like a succession of drawing rooms that the house owner has made to be warm and welcoming.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.