Description
Argentiera DOC Bolgheri Superiore Rosso
Go to Tenuta Argentiera website – click here
Area: Toscana/ Tuscany
Argentiera, Doc Bolgheri Superiore, draws its strength and uniqueness from the magnificent territory in which it’s generated. The grapes come from the estate’s best vineyards of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It is a wine with a rich and silky taste. A long maturation in French oak barrels, the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon and the unique terroir of Tenuta Argentiera make this wine on of the greatest expressions in the Bolgheri area.
Vinification
Grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected from the estate’s best vineyards, which are found at an altitude between 180 and 200 meters (590-600 feet). The grapes are released by gravity into tanks, each varietal vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration take place in stainless steel tanks for roughly 25-30 days at a controlled temperature never exceeding 28/30° C. The wine is then transferred to 225-liter French oak barrels – half of which are new – to complete malolactic fermentation. Aging takes place in barrel, then in bottle before being released to the market.
Terroir
Altitude: 180/200 m. asl
Vineyard exposure: Southwest
Plant density: 7500 Wine grapes/Ha
Yield per hectare: 60 quintals Grapes/Ha
Climate
After an extremely mild and dry winter, the vine’s shoots emerged about 10 days earlier than the historical norm, followed by an abrupt slowing of growth due to a week with very low temperatures. A total absence of rain continued throughout the spring, a favorable situation for health and vegetative development. Water stress began to be worrisome during the summer, given the total absence of rain.
On the most sensitive soils, the drought was feared to provoke blockage of the plants – a dire phenomena – which was countered by careful monitoring and attention in the vineyards. Torrid temperatures continued through August, consistently soaring above 30°C, which led to an early harvest of various parcels of Merlot. Fortunately, September began with a rainfall of 30mm, followed by another of 40mm, ensure maturation for Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon without excessive concentration of sugars. Harvest ended with a parcel of Cabernet Sauvignon next to the cellar on September 26th, 10 days ahead of 2016.
The production was 15% less than average, but the quality is very good with wines that seem to have absorbed the summer heat without suffering imbalance.
