Winemaker Notes
A dry and mild winter resulted in early bud burst in spring. Luckily, Bolgheri was not affected by the frost that was felt up and down Italy. Summer was very warm and a humid July necessitated careful vineyard management.
A prolonged drought period necessitated some irrigation intervention. The result was an unusually excellent harvest in 2017, compared to other regions, with marked freshness offsetting the broad fruit.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Sweet berries and cherries with some fresh-herb undertones. Very perfumed. It’s full-bodied, yet fresh and linear, with brightness and firmness at the same time. Really linear and layered. Needs two or three years to soften. Best from 2024.
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Wine Spectator
Laced with vanilla, cherry, floral, herbal and oak spice aromas and flavors, this elegant red is tightly wound, needing time to absorb the oak, yet beautifully balanced, lingering with fruit, spice and mineral notes on the long finish. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2035. 750 cases made, 50 cases imported.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
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.