Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesWith nearly a quarter-million bottles of this vintage produced, this estate is able to offer a quality red at a value price. The Tenuta Argentiera 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Poggio ai Ginepri is an informal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The results are genuine and focused, making this an excellent red to pair with your favorite home-cooked meals. Red cherry, dried raspberry and a slice of crisp apple give the wine a bright and lifted bouquet. There are some oak-driven notes of toasted cinnamon, but those are well folded into that core of pretty fruit.
Tenuta Argentiera stands in a magnificent patch of land in the Maremma that blends countryside and sea, suspended between woods and Mediterranean scrub. The Argentiera estate covers 80 hectares of breathtakingly beautiful Tuscan coast, approximately 100 km southwest of Florence. Argentiera is incredibly close to the sea and at a high altitude, making the land especially well-suited to growing incredible red grapes. The estate is considered among the most beautiful in Italy, with its spectacular view of the islands of the Tuscan archipelago. Their soils range from calcerous and stony to sandy to mineral and pebbly, lending complexity to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah. The vineyards are surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation and the countryside is flush with maritime pines and olive tree groves.
Argentiera has five main vineyard sites, ranging in elevation from 80-220 meters above sea level: Argentiera, Ginestre, Ventaglio, Porcarecce, and Ceccosodo. Every plot is harvested and vinified separately, exclusively in stainless steel, to preserve the character and fruity complexity lent by terroir variations. The wineries and cellars themselves are made of recycled or traditional materials such as terracotta and baked roofing tiles.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.