Which are the best Bolgheri? Discover our list with photos, description and tasting of the 20 best Bolgheri DOC wines, value for money. From the most famous Bolgheri wine to the lesser known one of the best companies.
Discover also the articles dedicated to the best Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, Bolgheri and Vernaccia di San Gimignano value for money and wine events in Tuscany.
Perhaps you might also be interested in the article dedicated to the best Italian red wines.
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INDICE:
- History and terroir of Bolgheri DOC wine
- Disciplinary of the Bolgheri DOC
- The best 20 wines of Bolgheri
BOLGHERI WINES
The success of the red wines of Bolgheri is linked to the exposure, the morphology of the hills, the temperature variations, the soils of marine and alluvial origin. Last but not least, the proximity of the Tyrrhenian Sea, which favors a thermoregulatory action and caresses the vines with the sea breezes, mitigating the summer heat.
All these elements combine to make this territory incredibly suited for the production of wine of great structure and finesse.
The Bordeaux vines in Bolgheri owe their success to Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, founder of Tenuta San Guido. Mario Incisa planted the first Cabernet in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri in 1944, making the iconic ‘Sassicaia’ wine for the first time in 1968.
The renamed Bordeaux cuts of Bolgheri acquired a significant growing success starting from the 1980s, reaching a DOC specification in 1994.
TOP 20 Bolgheri Wines – Recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best wines of Bolgheri?
We discover together the updated list of the 20 best wines from Bolgheri with photos, features and detailed information so that everyone can find the best wineries that produce bolgheri suitable for their tastes.
To discover other excellence and the best producers of Bolgheri seeks in our archive with in-depth articles on producers.
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC ‘Sassicaia’ 2019 – Tenuta San Guido
Description: Titillates the nose, alternating intense varietal aromas of black cherry, myrtle, eucalyptus and hints of green pepper on a background of toasted tones. The taste is material with compact and velvety tannins well balanced by a strong acidity. Fruity-balsamic finish of imperishable persistence.
A wine that made the history of Cabernets in Italy and paved the way for Bolgheri wines: dutifully one of Bolgheri’s best wines for indisputable finesse. A lysergic, refined but imaginative wine that speaks of the eloquence of the Tuscan terroir.
Grapes: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Messorio 2019 – Le Macchiole
Description: Olfactory it is austere and complex with notes of ripe berries, traces of humus and roasting. On the palate it flows warm, dense and incisive with a thick but extremely silky tannic texture, supported by a pleasant mineral note. Clean finish of excellent persistence with spicy references.
The famous Bolgheri winery boasts one of the best Merlots internationally. An austere wine on the nose that reveals a great elegance in the mouth, undoubtedly among the best Bolgheri wines for complexity, persistence and expressiveness.
Grapes: Merlot 100%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Ornellaia’ 2019 – Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
Description: Layered fan on notes of red currant, blackberry and cherry in alcohol, mineral sensations of graphite, chalk and roasting. The drink is vigorous, warm and enveloping with a thick but velvety tannic texture and a pleasant iodized savory note that gives structure to the palate. Excellent persistence of great cleanliness with balsamic references.
Ornellaia delights us with an iconic label, which continues to enchant aficionados from all over the world. Of great concentration and sensational and varied taste-olfactory expressiveness, it must be classified among the best Bolgheri.
Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon 56%, Merlot 27%, Cabernet franc 10%, Petit Verdot 7%
Bolgheri Superiore 2019 – Castello di Bolgheri
Description: The nose is austere, broad and complex ranging from notes of ripe red fruit followed by black pepper, coffee and cocoa. Excellent harmony thanks to a well-defined but harmonized tannic texture of great finesse. Clean and persistent finish.
A very elegant Bolgheri as sumptuous and elegant is the Bolgheri Castle in Castagneto Carducci. Impeccable quality / price ratio, deservedly among the best Bolgheri for identity and territorial representativeness.
Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon 60%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Merlot 20%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Argentiera’ 2019 – Argentiera
Description: On the nose it is broad, complex and fine, articulated between ripe red fruits, undergrowth, humus, sweet spices and roasting. On the palate it is vibrant and engaging with an incisive acidity perfectly integrated with defined and velvety tannins. Final with hints of undergrowth and aromatic herbs. Excellent persistence.
One of the most compelling interpretations of Bordeaux style in Italy. An elegant and slender wine, rich in fruit and balsamic suggestions. Deservedly to be counted among the best Bolgheri.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 10%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Guado al Tasso’ 2019 – Guado al Tasso – Antinori
Description: The nose opens as fruity notes of cherry and plum jam, followed by more complex, spicy, toasted and balsamic hints. On the palate it is soft, balanced and sumptuous balanced by an acid vein of backbone.
Juicy and balsamic finish of sensational persistence.
Guado al Tasso is once again confirmed as an icon of Italian enology. With an elegant and enveloping sip and a unique character, it is fully among the best Bolgheri wines.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 18%, Cabernet Franc 18% Petit Verdot 2%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Dedicato a Walter’ 2018 – Poggio al Tesoro
Description: It opens on the nose, clean and fragrant with intense hints of raspberries, blackberries and currants, embellished with spicy and vegetable notes.
The palate is voluminous and elegant with a silky, long-limbed and clean tannic texture, with excellent persistence.
One of the best Bolgheri for identity and enjoyment. It involves on the palate with an effective alternating fruity-savory note, of impeccable persistence. Deservedly among the best Bolgheri.
Grapes: Cabernet Franc 100%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Guado de’ Gemoli’ 2019 – Chiappini
Description: The olfactory picture opens up intense and articulated on succession of ripe red fruit, berry jam, embellished with licorice, roasting and graphite. On the palate it is voluminous, solemn and enveloping, with a thick and velvety tannin supplemented exceptionally by an iodized mineral note that gives sapidity and a vigorous backbone acidity, creating an interesting dialectic tannin acidity in the mouth. Balsamic finish, long, clean and of great persistence.
The Bolgheri Rosso Superiore ‘Guado de ‘Gemoli’ is a champion born from the classic triptych of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines. Above average value for money, a wine that deserves a special occasion.
Fully qualified among the best Bolgheri.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc 10%
Dedicato a Vittorio 2019 – Campo al Pero
Description: The nose expresses a great complexity and finesse. The scents range from ripe cherry fruits and wild berries in jam, embellished with spicy notes, licorice, cinnamon, camphor and with light mineral and undergrowth references. On the palate it has a thick and very fine tannic texture, perfectly integrated with good acidity that gives it drinkability. Persistent finish with references of delicate vanilla notes.
A strong Bolgheri, with sophisticated and variegated aromas of great clarity. Fully among the best Bolgheri for balance between alcoholic, phenolic component and acidity.
Grapes: Merlot
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Marianova’ 2018 – Michele Satta
Description: The nose diffuses articulated fruity and floral suggestions, which are embellished with chalky mineral notes, Mediterranean scrub and sweet spices. On the palate it is very harmonious and smooth flowing, with a smooth and caressing tannic texture and a strong acidity that gives great freshness and rhythmicity and a pleasant sapid iodized note that gives volume and character.
One of the most important interpretations of Bolgheri, telluric and seductive, deservedly among the best Bolgheri for the sensational dialectic between flavor and juiciness of the fruit.
Grapes: Sangiovese 50%, Syrah 50%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Grattamacco’ 2019 – Grattamacco
Description: Olfactory is variegated and long-limbed with red fruits in evidence and blackberries alternating with suggestions of sweet spices, cloves, white pepper and white chocolate. On the palate it is soft and enveloping, with a balanced and fine tannic texture and good acidity that makes it smooth and dynamic. Balsamic finish, flawlessly clean and velvety.
Grattamacco is a highly concentrated wine that comes from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to which a small portion of Tuscan Sangiovese is added. A label that masterfully combines structure and drinkability, fully qualified among the best Bolgheri. Truly captivating value for money.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 20% and Sangiovese 15%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Maronea’ 2019 – Casa di Terra
Description: The nose is complex and fine with hints of wild blueberries, ripe cherries and eucalyptus alongside nuances of white chocolate, hints of coffee powder and spicy tones of black pepper. The sip is lively with a strong acidity that gives freshness and thick and silky tannins synergistically linked to a mineral flavor that amplifies the sip.
A wine of great elegance and olfactory eloquence, sensational for its versatility in food pairing. A very elegant interpretation of Bolgheri, one of the best in terms of value for money.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 85%, Cabernet Franc 15%
Apistos 2019 – Podere Conca
Description: Immediate and layered fruit aromas unfold on the nose, varying from wild berries, red currant and plum to which are added harmonizing light notes of pepper, undergrowth and goudron in the making. On the palate it is voluminous and pressing with an excellent balance between the tannic texture of thickness and acidity that creates a continuum of great elegance and balance. Slightly balsamic finish of great persistence and cleanliness.
One of the best interpretations of Bolgheri monovarietal wines for finesse: expansive but long-limbed, with sculptural tannins and a persistence that unfolds enveloping and imperishable.
Fully qualified among the best Bolgheri.
Grapes: Cabernet Franc 100%
Scipio 2017– Tenuta Sette Cieli
Description: The nose is characterized by wild berries, black cherry and gentle spices, white cocoa and mentholated hints.
On the palate it gives great richness, warm and enveloping with a tannic texture of great finesse. Great persistence with balsamic references.
A French style Bolgheri peacock tail, with a fine nose and explosiveness on the palate. Deservedly among the best monovarietal Bolgheri wines.
Grapes: Cabernet Franc 100%
Bolgheri Rosso ‘Magari’ 2019 – Ca’ Marcanda – Gaja
Description: On the nose, variegated suggestions of ripe cherry, blackberry and sour cherries stand out on brushstrokes of undergrowth, black pepper and cloves. On the palate it gets hot, with a thick but velvety tannic texture which is counterbalanced by an acidity that gives freshness and harmony. Balsamic, clean and very persistent finish.
A true legend of Italian enology delights us with a telluric wine, with a lyrical and refined character. Undoubtedly to be counted among the best Bolgheri for the disarming sincerity with which he tells the essence of a territory.
Grapes: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25% and Cabernet Franc 25%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Arnione’ 2016 – Campo alla Sughera
Description: The nose is slender, with a well-defined and immediate fruit, combined with sensations of orange peel, red currant and balsamic mentholated nuances. On the palate it is juicy, rich, savory and with a smooth tannic texture of great finesse and softness. Final with balsamic references of excellent persistence and shelf life.
A wine made of fabric, where the great intelligibility of the fruit and the woody echoes bring us back to the essence of a territory. Among the best Bolgheri for seductive drinking, with harmonious and peremptory strings.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Merlot 20%, Petit Verdot 10%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Millepassi’ 2017 – Donna Olimpia 1898
Description: On the nose it expresses definite notes of wild berries, morello cherries and punches which alternate with brushstrokes of cocoa and licorice.
On the palate it is vibrant and harmonious, with a pleasant freshness that is well balanced with a thick tannic texture. Intense, long and balsamic finish.
Sophisticated, juicy and vigorous wine with a great territorial identity. Among the best Bolgheri for taste-olfactory expressiveness.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Bolgheri Rosso Superiore ‘Atis’ 2017 – Guado al Melo
Description: Olfactory spreads intense and sinuous, ranging from succession of small ripe red fruits to strawberries in jam, enriched with notes of vanilla, licorice and cocoa.
On the palate it is of great presence, savory and with an important, enveloping and silky tannic texture.
A long-limbed and intense interpretation, a synthesis of territoriality and evolution. Fully among the best Bolgheri for the original and exciting sip.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Merlot 10%
Bolgheri Superiore ‘Tam’ 2016 – Batzella
Description: On the nose it is broad, complex and fine, articulated between ripe red fruits, undergrowth, humus, sweet spices and roasting. On the palate it is vibrant and engaging with an incisive acidity perfectly integrated with defined and velvety tannins. Final with hints of undergrowth and aromatic herbs. Excellent persistence.
Captivating and vertical wine, with great extracts. Fully among the best Bolgheri for the sensational dialectic between fruity notes and evolutionary aromas.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Cabernet Franc 35%
Bolgheri Rosso DOC ‘Volpolo’ 2019 – Podere Sapaio
Description: Intense hints of ripe cherry, blueberries and small red fruits make room for the nose, with reminiscences of undergrowth, vanilla and dark cocoa. On the palate it has a very thick tannin, defined but never too exuberant, assisted by a strong acidity that cleans the mouth and promotes drinkability.
A very interesting line is that of Podere Sapaio, which offers highly refined interpretations of the Bordeaux blend in Bolgheri. Certainly to be counted among the best Bolgheri for evolutionary potential and character.
Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon 70%, Merlot 15%, Petit verdot 15%
What are the best wineries in Bolgheri?
Which are the best wineries in Bolgheri? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which however inevitably is subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have simply compiled a list of our favorite interpretations according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that wine is not born as a status symbol, to be exhibited or flaunted coram populo.
But to excite us and be shared in a genuine way with the people we love, binding ourselves to contingent situations and to the unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to visit wineries and get to know the producers who produce wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently discover and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your personal favorite wines. If you have had the patience to read this far, thank you for your attention, but now is the time to fill the glasses and cut distant hopes, and therefore:
Cheers, Salute, Santé
Jean Marco Palmieri
