“We want to have elegance be the main focus of our wines. The biggest fear for me is over-extraction.”
Tenuta Argentiera winemaker Nicolò Carrara is right to be a little afraid. He is dealing with ripening and fermenting grapes in Tuscany’s Bolgheri, after all, where sunlight and the potential for big levels of ripeness—not to mention over-ripeness— is never not a looming sword of Damocles.
Fortunately for him, Argentiera’s vines are well-positioned to weather such, well, weather. They’ve got 85 hectares near the Tyrrhenian Sea (the vineyards are 1.5 miles away), located from about 250 to 670 feet above sea level. Founded in the `90s, the property is surrounded by forest, in the southernmost part of the (smallish) appellation (you can get a lot more detail on all of this from some of my previous coverage of Argentiera).
“The lower part of Bolgheri is sandy soil, but going up you start to have some limestone, some clay, some rocks, and that’s where Argentiera developed its best soils, it’s another uniqueness of [our] property,” Carrara explained during a recent Zoom tasting of samples from their recent releases. “It’s a spectacular place. It’s a special place to grow vines.” Altitude, forests, and sea influences all combine to help preserve freshness in the fruit, and keep Carrara from realizing his worst vinous nightmare. His cellar approach is similarly cautious: “In the vineyards we have a very minimal approach, and we try to do the same in the cellar. We don’t crush the berries, we ferment very slowly. We do everything by hand.”
Tenuta Argentiera’s wines have always impressed me—and this most recent batch does not disappoint. And that’s really it; that is the headline, basically. Like Carrara, fans of Super Tuscans also have a deep fear: of getting ripped off. While Argentiera’s wines are pricey, they remain worth every one of your hard-earned shekels.
2021 Tenuta Argentiera ‘Argentiera’ Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, $150
Consisting mostly of clay soils with some limestone and rocks, “it’s always a pleasure” to work with the fruit from this vineyard according to Carrara. 2021 was also quite kind to the region, being widely considered a great vintage (“The quality we achieved was incredible”). Sweet baking spices, with a hint of wood, kick it off, followed by dark plums and red currants, great herbal notes, and some lavender action, too. This has a more come-hither presentation to it, offering up a depth, richness, and concentration of fruit in the mouth. The fruit is almost chewy, the tannins are noticeable but well in-check, and the freshness is bringing it all together with a fine thread of liveliness. Gorgeous.
2022 Tenuta Argentiera ‘Argentiera’ Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, $150
This hails from one of the earlier ripening vintages they have seen in this vineyard, with no rain from January on; “The landscape was a little bit sad during the Summer,” Carrara recalled. Rain finally arrived at the end of August (“That was crucial!”). The blend here is Merlot (48%), Cab Sauv (45%) and Cab Franc (7%), aged in both barrique and tonneau for up to about 14 months. “We tried to have a very ‘human’ approach” to the vineyard work, Carrara noted, avoiding working the soils and mirroring the gentleness in the cellar with less extraction. Juicy black, blue and red plum and berry fruits on the nose, some cedar, a lot of dried herbs, graphite, blackcurrants, and dried rose petals… Complexity is the thing here. The palate is impeccable; fresh, broad, dark, rich, with sweet baking spices and fantastic structure tying it all together. The finish is fresh, long, leathery, and mineral. Wow.
2022 Tenuta Argentiera ‘Villa Donoratico’ Bolgheri, Tuscany, $55
Named after the original 18th century villa on the estate, this vineyard en joys some sandy soils, but with some limestone and other elements here and there. It blends Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, and a bit of Petit Verdot as well. The spices are a bit darker here, with the red fruit being deep and the florals being “darker” as well (more violet than rose petal). A bit earthy and robust on the palate, it’s showing leather hints and a strong structure. Having said that, the tannins are never aggressive, despite their additional prominence.
2022 Tenuta Argentiera Poggio ai Ginepri Bolgheri, Tuscany, $30
Carrara calls this entry-level red “an introduction on our style.” Also from sandy soils, and also combining Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, and a bit of Petit Verdot, this is juicy, spicy and herbal. Red fruits dominate the nose , with great graphite and spice action in there, too. The palate is fresh and lively, with excellent dried herb spices and lovely red berry and red plum fruit flavors. Very nice length, too. Floral throughout, and just a delight to sip.
2022 Tenuta Argentiera ‘Scenario’, Bolgheri Bianco, $NA
This newer project is a delightful surprise: 100% Vermentino, sourced near the wooded area above Villa Donoratico, planted to a a Corsican clone, and mostly fermented in concrete (and aged 9 months in barrel). Beautiful blossom aromas start it off, with rich citrus and then hints of nuts and green herbs. Some white peach starts coming through as well. Yes, this has the rich, melon-like palate common to Tuscan Vermentino, but it also maintains its freshness and floral qualities significantly better than most other examples in the region. The combination of ripe citrus, intensity, heady florals, and minerality in the mouth is delicious and irresistible.
Cheers!