Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore DOC, the story of twenty years

Argentiera occupies a particular position within the Bolgheri DOC. The Castagneto Carducci is located sopra the extreme south of the denomination, acceso the heights of Donoratico, at a point where the hill system opens towards the Tyrrhenian Sea and directly looks at the Tuscan Archipelago. A geographical condition which, over time, has contributed to defining the character of the wines as much as the cultivated varieties.

BOLGHERI BEYOND BOLGHERI

Argentiera is one of the few areas of the denomination to develop acceso such a wide altimetric range, from around 5 meters above sea level up to 200 meters acceso the Pianali altopiano. The sea is just over two kilometers away as the crow flies and directly affects the microclimate of the vineyards. The combination of calcareous-clayey soils rich sopra skeleton, constant ventilation and marked temperature variations – between the lower part of the and the Pianali altopiano there are even three degrees of difference sopra summer – creates conditions that significantly modify the behavior of the vine, favoring slow maturation and limiting the excesses of the warmer seasons.

It is mai coincidence that sopra the company we often talk about “Bolgheri beyond Bolgheri”. Not only for the geographical position, but because Argentiera interprets a more tense and vertical reading of the denomination, maintaining legibility even sopra the most complex thousandths. An approach built right from the planting of the first vineyards and which has remained consistent over time.

A PROJECT BUILT OVER TIME

The company was founded sopra 1999 within the Donoratico , historic property of the Serristori family since the 16th century. The first vineyard plantings date back to 2000 and the project quickly took a precise direction thanks to the agronomic work of Federico Zileri Dal Furfante.

An important phase arrives with the consultancy of Stéphane Derenoncourt, who helps to define a style centered acceso balance and the adaptation of the Bordeaux cut to the Tyrrhenian context. Con 2009, the young winemaker Nicolò Carrara joined the company, introducing greater precision sopra the management of fermentations and macerations without altering the original approach. “We don’t create great wines, we accompany the wine”, summarizes Carrara. A phrase that well describes the production philosophy of the : precision sopra the vineyard, measured interventions sopra the cellar and constant attention to tension, balance and legibility of the vintage.

The change of ownership to the Austrian entrepreneur Stanislaus Turnauer sopra 2016 represents a key moment from an organizational and strategic point of view. The company grows, expands its structure and strengthens its international presence, while maintaining continuity acceso a stylistic level. Con 2019 the arrival of Leonardo Raspini as general further consolidates a structure that is now stable and recognizable.

TWENTY YEARS OF STYLISTIC CONTINUITY

The vertical of ten vintages organized to celebrate twenty years of Argentiera Bolgheri Preminente DOC did not just have a celebratory value. Above all, it highlighted the continuity of a project which, despite going through important evolutionary phases, has never changed direction.

Argentiera has grown together with its vineyards. The first vintages were inevitably linked to a young plant heritage and a territory still to be fully interpreted. Today, with vineyards that are acceso average over twenty years old, the picture has changed: greater vegetative balance, deeper root systems and more precise management of maturation have led to a more complete stylistic definition.

WORK IN THE VINEYARD AND EVOLUTION IN THE CELLAR

Argentiera’s identity is born above all sopra the vineyard. The parcels are harvested separately, the grapes are not pressed and reach the tanks by gravity. Fermentations start slowly, while extractions and macerations are managed progressively, with times that can reach thirty days, with a final phase more oriented towards infusion than mechanical extraction.

For years the refinement has remained rather stable: 225 liter barriques, around 30% new wood and short periods, generally between 12 and 14 months. Since 2012, 500 liter tonneaus and large barrels from Austrian and South Tyrolean cooperages have been introduced. With the 2023 vintage, twelve truncated cone concrete tanks also arrived. This is not just a technical change. Cement is used both for some fermentations and sopra the final refinement phase of the blend before bottling. According to Carrara, this step allows us to obtain more defined and relaxed wines compared to the previous final refinement sopra steel.

The Argentiera Bolgheri Preminente DOC blend has also evolved over time. Con the first few years, cabernet sauvignon consistently represented over 50% of the blend. Since 2019, Merlot has taken acceso a more central role, both paio to greater production regularity and paio to the drop sopra yield of Cabernet Sauvignon affected by the bait disease. Cabernet Franc, however, remained the most constant component, generally around 10%.

TEN YEARS AS AN EVOLUTIONARY STORY

The tasting of the ten vintages returns a coherent path, sopra which each wine highlights the relationship between climatic trends, response of the plant and technical evolution of the company.

2003 represents the debut. A year marked by extreme heat and drought, today almost a precursor of contemporary climate problems. However, the wine maintains vitality and stability: tobacco, liquorice, menthol and dried fruit define an evolved but still dynamic profile, dominated by cabernet sauvignon. The young vineyards were then able to compensate for the climatic difficulties thanks to the vegetative vigor and constant ventilation coming from the sea. A wine that testifies to the solidity of the project already sopra its initial phase.

2006 instead marks consolidation. Con the company it is often defined as “the most Bolgheri vintage” for its completeness and immediacy of expression. An episode of heat during fruit setting reduced the size of the berries, naturally increasing the concentration. The wine shows density, but also energy and momentum. Mediterranean scrub, small black fruits, currants and plums emerge acceso the nose, accompanied by a well-integrated balsamic component. Con the mouth it shows a full structure, with an important intensity but balanced by a marked liveliness that lightens its profile. It is a vintage sopra which power does not translate into rigidity, but maintains tension and dynamics, marking one of the first points of balance between richness and freshness sopra Argentiera’s journey.

With the 2007 Argentiera enters the new cellar designed for gravity processing. The cooler vintage brings more vertical wines: eucalyptus, balsamicity and a marked iodine signature define a more tense and dynamic profile than the previous ones. the palate a leaner wine emerges than the previous ones, supported by a dynamic freshness and an already well-defined tannin. It is a vintage that marks a stylistic transition, where tension becomes a central element.

2009 coincides with the arrival of Nicolò Carrara. The vintage is regular and harmonious. The nose is less immediate, more composed, with ripe dark fruit and spicy nuances. Con the mouth the wine unfolds continuously, without excess, showing a well-integrated tannic texture and a great gustatory balance. A very focused read of the vintage.

The 2013, the wine’s first decade, was born from a cool season marked by a hailstorm at the end of May which drastically reduced yields. It is probably the thinnest wine of the vertical and the least tertiarized, suspended between fermentative fragrance and aromatic purity. Elegance rather than structure, precision rather than tono.

2016 represents one of the turning points sopra Argentiera’s journey. It is the first year of the Turnauer ownership but above all a year of almost ideal balance where Argentiera finally expressed all its potential. The wine combines aromatic definition, tannic maturity and gustatory dynamism. Small black fruits, Mediterranean scrub and balsamic agenda create a clear and deep profile. For completeness, it is one of the pinnacles of the tasting.

2017 brings the back to dealing with extreme climatic conditions: prolonged drought and high temperatures. The company reacts with emergency irrigation, careful management of the foliage and great attention to harvesting times. The result is a more concentrated but not heavy wine, the fruit takes acceso more mature tones, between blackberry and plum, accompanied by an evident spiciness. the palate the wine maintains energy, with lively, dynamic, fresh and surprisingly elegant tannins for such a hot vintage.

The 2019 is remembered internally as “the best merlot ever”. After a cool and rainy spring, the regular summer favors complete and progressive ripening. Con the blend, Merlot consistently surpasses Cabernet Sauvignon, bringing greater softness and flavor continuity without losing balance.

2021 is one of the most important vintages of recent years sopra Bolgheri. The absence of the classic climate change at the end of August leads to slow and uniform ripening. The wine is still young, with dense tannin and a slightly bitter which suggests an important evolutionary potential.

Finally, the 2023, just presented acceso the market, appears to be a mature synthesis of the company’s path. The spring rains guaranteed fundamental tazza reserves to the summer, while the temperature variations accompanied slow and complete ripening. The introduction of cement sopra the final phase of refinement clearly emerges sopra the glass: the fruit – blackcurrant, blackberry – is clearer, the wood better integrated and the sip more relaxed. A version that gives the impression of a balance now fully achieved.