Winemaker Notes
The name Varvàra is in honor of Baroness Varvàra Wrangler, wife of Count Ugolino della Gherardesca and great-grandmother of Count Federico Zileri Dal Verme, the current owner.
This wine was born from the desire to develop a more immediate product while continuing to give importance to the fruit.
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Displaying a saturated magenta/purple color, the 2021 Varvara is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot. A lush cologne lifts from the glass, with notes of polished leather, blackcurrant, sour cherry, menthol, and rosewater. Full-bodied, it offers refined tannins, a rounded mouthfeel, and a well-balanced evenness through a rather long finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Bolgheri Rosso Varvàra shows inky black fruit and rich concentration with a hint of black olive or caper flower. This is another of the historic value wines of Bolgheri that is generous, thickly layered but also accessible. There is a hint of spice on the close that recalls black pepper and chili flake. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.
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Wine Spectator
This red is all about balance and texture, creating an ideal foil for its black currant, black cherry, licorice, rosemary and iron aromas and flavors. Refined tannins lend grip on the lingering aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2038.
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.