Winemaker Notes
To describe a wine, it is necessary to decipher its origin – the landscape, the place, the environment from which it is born – in order to fully understand its nature. Villa Donoratico is a decidedly consistent and complex wine that never risks normality, demonstrating a character deeply linked to territory.Matured in oak, it is extraordinarily drinkable and faithful to its identity, year after year. A nose full of red fruit and a pleasant spice on the palate.
Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very pretty aromas of berries, mushrooms and fresh herbs follow through to a full body with round, fine tannins and plenty of blackberry and blackcurrant flavors. Long and intense. The texture is beautiful in this wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Villa Donoratico comes from the middle of the estate portfolio. It offers good value and a little more heft and fruit concentration. This wine would enhance a plate of fried chicken or a grilled filet mignon, either way. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, all aged in oak for one year. The tannins are well managed and elegant. The wine hits the senses with bold cherry, cassis, spice and campfire ash.
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.
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.