Winemaker Notes
Marianova was born as the first experience of the second generation Satta, a blend in equal parts of the best Syrah and Sangiovese grapes. In the Vignanova vineyard the grapes that have most marked my experience in Bolgheri are picked, assembling an unprecedented blend for this area: Marianova is the first Bolgheri Superiore that does not have any Bordeaux grapes in the blend. Through Syrah and Sangiovese they express all the brightness and harmony of this Mediterranean place, which can give wines of very rare depth and complexity, avoiding to rely on concentration and stratification.
Blend: 50% Syrah, 50% Sangiovese
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A really fine, creamy red with blackberries and dark chocolate. Medium to full body, round juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Solid and focused. Needs time to soften.
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Decanter
The new blend of Marianova (Syrah plus Sangiovese) seems consistent even in a difficult vintage, showing a good freshness overall. It has great complexity and depth of dark fruit, with a slight leathery note. It's full-bodied, with liquorice, chocolate and cassis flavours and firm yet ripe tannins. The finish is grainy and quite raw. Not ready to drink just yet.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is an unusual blend of Syrah and Sangiovese, two opposite grapes that complement each other in an unusual fashion. The Michele Satta 2017 Bolgheri Superiore Marianova shows the hot-vintage intensity of Syrah with dark cherry, spice and crushed pepper. In fact, the normal Syrah bottling was not produced in this vintage, and the fruit was directed to this wine instead. Sangiovese kicks in with wild, lighter red-fruit aromas of raspberry and wild cherry. Those aromas follow up with a pinch of acidity. The wine shows moderate intensity on the close and a short mid-palate. This gives the wine a less formal and accessible style.
In 1982 Michele started his own winery, one of the first in Bolgheri, withnewly acquired vines from his previous employer. In this famous region ofTuscany, Michele rapidly earned respect and became known quickly as a vigneron. Michele even worked as a consultant for other properties in the early 1990s, including Ornellaia at which time Michele planted many of their vineyards. Michele has always been the local expert on the great terroir of Bolgheri and this is why his wines have been so well regarded in Italy.
Michele is a father of six (an example of his traditional roots), a farmer and a winemaker. He is an uncomplicated, sincere and humble man with very clear priorities; family and vines. While he is a traditionalist, he is also a non-conformist. This deferential character, when combined with a deep dedication to perfection, balance in the vineyards and great attention to detail in the cellar, produces Bolgheri wines that communicate the amazing uniqueness of this man and his terroir. Walking with giants is no easy feat, unless you are Michele Satta.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
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.