Castello di Bolgheri
On another beautiful day of middle of September 2019 we visited the winery Castello di Bolgheri. Built in an medieval Castle in the heart of the small Hamlet which carries its name. We were late at the early afternoon appointment for the guided tour, we got welcomed by a very knowledgeable young woman by the foreign accent.
The origins of Bolgheri Castle date back to 1200. Since then, it has been the property of the Counts of Gherardesca family. In the second half of the 1700s, restoration work and improvements were made to the building, and the cellars were built. In 1895, the castle’s facade was modified, with the construction of the tower and merlons as we still see them today.
Bolgheri Castle and its surrounding lands were transferred by hereditary succession to the current family of the Counts Zileri Dal Verme.
The farm extends around the Castle for an area of 130 hectares, 50 of which are covered by vineyards; the rest is made up of areas cultivated with 6,000 olive plants, sown grounds and woods. Both sides of the farm are adjacent to the famous cypress road extolled in the poetry of Giosuè Carducci.
The cellar was completed in 1796 and consists of two floors. The first floor is on the street, and is divided into an area for making/aging the wine, where the renovated cement tanks are located, in which the wines are aged after having passed a period of time in wood. This floor also contains the Farm’s wine store, where visitors can taste and purchase Bolgheri Castle wines and Olive Oil, and visit the cellar by appointment. The lower floor is a basement area divided into an area for making the wine, which contains steel vats at a controlled temperature, and an area for aging in wood casks, where the barriques are set.
Since 1997, the vineyards have been planted with the main variety in the product specification DOC Bolgheri (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot). The vineyards of Castello di Bolgheri are located in the neighborhood of the village, with south-west exposure and the rows perpendicular to the sea enjoying the afternoon ventilation during hot days the holds.
The soils are mainly a sub-alkaline reaction of sandy-stony stony clay. The average altitude is 70 meters s.l.m. The whole company falls in the DOC Bolgheri in the town of Castagneto Carducci. In the most interesting cru the ground sees a good skeleton; tendentially basic ph, these, together with a calcareous character of these wines are the matrix. This type of soil produces wines with subtle and soft tannins, well integrated low acidity and a marked aromatic depth. The main variety in both wines cuts is Cabernet Sauvignon which helps to give an expression in which the dense spice and fruit blend. In the mouth it is compact with a progression and a good persistence in the blend from 50% to 60%. Merlot addictive fruit, a wine developed in volume and wide, round, silky tannins, sweet blend in approximately 25% to 30%. Cabernet Franc, dark and deep in the nose and in the mouth as well, a fat wine, matierico in the blend by a note of elegance and finesse about 15% to 25%. The agronomist and oenologist are Federico Zileri Dal Verme and Alessandro Dondi.
The young host gave us an in depth history of the family Della Ghirardesca , a well known family who owned most of the land in Bolgheri. Piero Antinori, the iconic wine producer from the Chianti area of Tuscany is related to the Della Ghirardesca family through his mother : Carlotta dell Ghirardesca. The family's land became the vineyards which today produce wines like Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso.
As we were listening with great attention to this great family histories, we moved into the production winery where the fresh crashed must was just getting ready for fermentation. We tasted the very sweet juice that was going to become one of the bottling from the Castello. WE tasted Cabernet Sauvignon juice, i could tell by savoring it, that the future wine was going to become a good vintage. It was confirmed by the enologist who helped us. The beautiful sweet smell was filling the whole area, pipes were getting ready to fill the large tanks. It is a great time to visit a vineyard at Harvest.
We walked through the Bottaia, with few barrique and larger capacity barrels as well known as Tonneau.
Finally we tasted their wines , as for all the other visits, I will publish a proper tasting notes of their wines that are now part of our collection. So follow us on the Wine Voyager.
CASTELLO DI BOLGHERI 2015 - DOC BOLGHERI SUPERIORE
Castello di Bolgheri è una selezione delle migliori vigne intorno al Castello. Le uve subiscono una vinificazione molto delicata attraverso rimontaggi e delestage ed una lunga permanenza a contatto con le bucce.
VENDEMMIA VINIFICAZIONE
Parcelle selezionate, vinificate parte in acciaio e parte in tino di rovere. Macerazione su bucce fino a 30 giorni per il Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 per il Cabernet Franc e Merlot; tutto in fermentazione spontanea.
COMPOSIZIONE
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc In questa annata di particolare ampiezza gustativa abbiamo preferito aumentare la percentuale di Cabernet Sauvignon al fine di mantenere tonico il centro bocca e più essenziali le componenti aromatiche.
AFFINAMENTO
Vino imbottigliato a maggio 2017 dopo un affinamento di 18 mesi in fusti di rovere da 500 litri.
TERRITORIO
Provenienza e Suolo
Terreni Calcarei, Franco Argilloso-Sabbioso, pH.8
Zona di Produzione
ovest sud-ovest.
Densitá di Impianto
6.500 Viti per Ettaro
Resa per Ettaro
65 Quintali di Uva
VARVARA 2016 - DOC BOLGHERI
Il nome Varvàra è in onore della Baronessa Varvàra Wrangel, moglie del Conte Ugolino della Gherardesca, bisnonni dell'attuale proprietario.
Varvàra proviene dalla volontà di sviluppare un vino più immediato, con il frutto in primo piano. Un vino più giovane in cui si ricerca un bouquet ampio, preciso, elegante. Al palato è ricco e coinvolgente ma dal tannino gentile. La componente di freschezza e forza gustativa sono il finale. Massima cura in ogni passaggio e senza compromessi come per un premium vino.
VENDEMMIA VINIFICAZIONE
Raccolta a mano , selezione dell'uva in cantina prima della diraspatura
Vinificazione molto delicata attraverso rimontaggi e delestage. I vini rimangono in contatto con le bucce approssimativamente 20-25
COMPOSIZIONE
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
AFFINAMENTO
12 mesi in barriques e fusti da 500 litri
TERRITORIO
Provenienza e Suolo
Terreni Calcarei, Franco Argilloso: 58% Sabbia, 27% Argilla, 15% Limo, ph.8 Zona di Produzione
ovest sud-ovest.
Densità di Impianto
6.500 Viti per Ettaro
Resa per Ettaro
80 Quintali di Uva