Home > Bolgheri > Bolgheri: 2021 Vintage Report

 

Bolgheri: 2021 Vintage Report

 

Words: Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Italy
Published: 19th July 2024

FOUR-MINUTE READ

 

The region of Bolgheri is a cradle of vineyard paradise on Tuscany’s coast. The region shot to fame with its 1968 vintage, when Tenuta San Guido first released the now-iconic Sassicaia.

The Tuscan sun and Mediterranean influences means that vintages in Bolgheri are reliably consistent, but there are peaks in quality. We are delighted that in 2021, this quality reached a head: already, this vintage is gaining an outstanding reputation across the globe.

 

 

The region’s fame might have been built from its gravelly plains, but many of the finest sites are located on the hillsides above the vine-locked coastal plain.

Due to the protected forest which spans the hills, vineyard sites here are rare, and in high demand. These sites give a different expression; the hills have older, diverse, often calcareous soils which are similar in nature to those of Montalcino. Paired with altitude and constant coastal breezes, these impart a tension and sapid freshness to these wines – which are not often associated with the sun-kissed Super Tuscan styles, but which are becoming increasingly important in this climate.

 

 

Bolgheri’s DOC laws are flexible, compared to others in Italy. Due to this, our Bolgheri offer is not a “one vintage release”; instead, we are focusing on the region as a whole, celebrating the wealth of quality from five producers over three vintages (2020, 2021 and 2022). However, the highlight is the stunning Bolgheri Superiore 2021.

The Tuscan sun and Mediterranean influences means that vintages in Bolgheri are reliably consistent, but there are peaks in quality. Even after a winning streak of strong quality in recent years – notably 2019 and 2020 – we have reached new heights with the 2021. Here, we see a vivid combination of Tuscan power, complexity and elegance, and many of our winemakers have agreed that this is a career-defining vintage.

Many producers have likened it to both 2016 and 2019, yet 2021 has more joy. There is a succulence of fruit to these wines in youth, and a sleekness to the tannic profile: a character helped by a perfect phenolic maturity in the vineyards, paired with a vivid tension that will help these wines age for decades.

 

 

Tenuta Argentiera has reached new heights with the 2021 release. Winemaker Nicolo Carara, of Ch. Palmer fame, describes it as “a perfect vintage: amazing harmony, with a unique balance and drinkability.” Argentiera’s altitude and complex patchwork of soils has given the wines a bright focus and vivid sense of place. Its Ventaglio 2020, a single-vineyard Cabernet Franc made in miniscule quantities, is one of the greatest wines of the vintage.

Castello di Bolgheri’s owner, Conte Federico Zileri Dal Verme, is a cousin to the families of both Ornellaia and Sassicaia. His vineyards sit in between these esteemed estates, and the pedigree of terroir gives his wines a rival quality and longevity to his neighbours – without the lofty price tags. Castello di Bolgheri’s 2021 vintage is its best to date, according to Federico, combining finesse and power. It truly shows the quality and skill of the team, and secures the winery’s place at the top table of Bolgheri.

We are thrilled to include La Macchiole’s top expressions: three single-varietal, multi-site blends that showcase both the brilliance of the terroir, and the team’s creativity in the cantina.

Tenuta Sette Ciele are defining what we can expect from Bolgheri, expanding our expectations, while simultaneously raising the region’s own horizons under the control of the amazing Elena Pozzolini.

We are introducing Poggio Lamentano to this year’s offer: a new cantina, and a true garagiste who is trailblazing a new style of the region. Poggio Lamentano has created a lighter “Extra Tuscan” wine, focusing on vineyard expression and retaining a Mediterranean flavour by planting on organic hillside vineyards, using native Sangiovese, and avoiding oak in winemaking – a rarity in the region.

 

 

There are few regions in the world where we can find such value and quality, alongside many of the world’s most treasured wines. With the 2021 release – a truly outstanding vintage – there has never been a better time to acquaint oneself with this exciting coastal zone of Tuscany, before these producers inevitably reach the stardom of their peers.