Winemaker Notes
Perfect for aperitifs, crustacea, raw fish, whitemeats and fresh cheeses, as well as with vegetable based firstcourses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Poggio Argentato shows the creative and sophisticated side of white wine on the Tuscan coast. The blend is Sauvignon Blanc with Traminer. This vintage also sees a smaller percentage of Petit Manseng, a grape that has caught the attention and fancy of Elisabetta Geppetti. (In fact, she has vinified it apart to make a tiny production that has not yet seen commercial release. The grapes come from the Pian di Fiora vineyard that is slightly cooler.) The Petit Manseng used here serves to thicken the mouthfeel and add textural richness. It does not contribute to the aromatic profile of the wine that showcases the fragrant varieties instead. There is citrus, honeysuckle and star jasmine. Poggio Argentato reveals a round and creamy mouthfeel with zesty crispness on the close.
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James Suckling
A dense and velvety textured white with sliced pear, green apple and mineral character. Full to medium body. Juicy finish. Phenolic texture as well as bright acidity. A blend of sauvignon blanc, traminer, and petit manseng. Drink now.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
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.