Bolgheri wines
27th August 2019
On a bright, sunny, warm day in August, what better diversion than to take a trip down to the vineyards of Bolgheri, just over an hour’s drive from Lucca heading south beyond Livorno. This was most definitely on my son Simon’s to-do list, with friends Eddie and Karen providing transport and Lucchese restaurant owner and wine expert Pasquale providing the knowledge. Indeed, Pasquale’s contacts enabled us to spend most of the day visiting two exceptional winemakers Castello di Bolgheri and Chiappini.
LEFT: Barrel mark RIGHT: Serious wine-tasting
Bolgheri lies just 10km from this part of the Etruscan coast and is reached by the famous Viale dei Cipressi (Cypress Avenue) that was celebrated by the Italian poet Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907). Spending some of his youth in the region, Carducci wrote of poetry that included “Davanti San Guido” (In front of San Guido). Lucca’s most famous son, Giacomo Puccini often hunted in the region with his close friends that included the Conte Giuseppe Della Gherardesca and Marchese Piero Antinori between the years 1903 to 1924.
Upon entering the small medieval village of Bolgheri, the castello dominates and which has for many centuries been the property of the family of the counts of the Gherardesca. In the large cantina of the castello, we were treated to some fine wines by a member of the family whose knowledge and anecdotes were fascinating. We were given a guided tour in the cellars underground and the vast rows of oak barrels that induced us to buy a few bottles of their Bolgheri Superiore.
For a simple pasta lunch, we just moved next door to the adjoining restaurant. Here we were able to buy small tastings of the area’s most famous wines that included Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri, Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore and Marchesi Antinori Tenuta Guado al Tasso Bolgheri. These famous super Tuscan red wines are normally too expensive to buy by the bottle!
The reason why the wines are so good is the unique micro-climate with warm, dry soft sea breezes and the three main French grape varieties, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These three main grapes are blended in various proportions and may also include Petit Verdot, Syrah and Sangiovese. For more recent productions of white wine, Vermentino is blended sometimes with Sauvignon Blanc or Voignier.
After lunch, we moved on to our second producer Chiappini also situated in the heart of the Bolgheri area along the Via Bolgherese. We met owner Giovani Chiappini, the son of a family of farmers from the Marche region of Italy who moved to Bolgheri in the 1950s. Giovanni explained that his farming background gave him a ‘special connection to the soil’ and he is assisted with the vine cultivation by his two daughters Martina and Lisa.
Their immaculately kept vineyard and buildings have been a mix of new and old that overlooks rows of vines planted in between rows of existing olive trees
LEFT: Simon enjoying the location RIGHT: Immaculately tended vines
At present, Chiappini produces two Doc Bolgheri Rosso, one Doc Bolgheri Superiore, four Igt Toscana Rosso and a white Igt Toscana Vermentino. Chiappini’s Bolgheri Superiore, made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot gets a high score rating (90) and represents good value.
Puccini on the hunt in Bolgheri and Capalbio (colours of the picture have recently added to an old black and white photograph)