Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesAromas of blackcurrants and fresh herbs with hints of green olives. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins and a solid core of ripe tannins and juicy fruit. Extremely long and flavorful. Rich and intense red. Give it three to four years to soften.
The popular Castello di Bolgheri 2018 Bolgheri Rosso Varvàra opens to sultry dark fruit with measured layers of tobacco and leather. This wine shows a smoky and savory side that is rendered brighter and more intense thanks to the crisp plum, blackberry and black cherry found at its core. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and this wine gives you a classic taste of Bolgheri with its chestnut trees, cypresses and Mediterranean shrub oak. This is the ultimate trattoria choice, especially when grilled steak or funghi porcini are on the menu.
Aromas of black-skinned berry, violet, Mediterranean brush and leather lead the nose on this Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend. The smooth, savory palate offers black currant jam, tobacco and licorice alongside fine-grained tannins.
The origins of Bolgheri Castle date back to 1200. Since then, it has been the property of the Counts of Gherardesca family. In the second half of the 1700s, restoration work and improvements were made to the building, and the cellars were built. In 1895, the castle’s facade was modified, with the construction of the tower and merlons as we still see them today.
Bolgheri Castle and its surrounding lands were transferred by hereditary succession to the current family of the Counts Zileri Dal Verme.
The farm extends around the Castle for an area of 130 hectares, 50 of which are covered by vineyards; the rest is made up of areas cultivated with 6,000 olive plants, sown grounds and woods. Both sides of the farm are adjacent to the famous cypress road extolled in the poetry of Giosuè Carducci.
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.