Tenuta Meraviglia Maestro di Cava Bolgheri Superiore Rosso 2019

Maestro di Cava 2019, the Cabernet Franc of Bolgheri

I'm happy to linger on this Bolgheri Superiore for its bold choice: a Cabernet Franc vinified on its own, rather than blended into the assemblage often associated with the appellation's reds. The 2019 vintage spends two years in French oak barrels. Its sheet describes it as organic, with a profile where ageing and body matter more than lightness.

A vineyard between sea, clay and volcanic rock

Tenuta Meraviglia is located in Bolgheri, in Tuscany, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vines there receive sea breezes and grow on soils mixing clay and limestone, to which are added areas of volcanic origin, locally known as Rioliti di San Vicenzo. This landscape gives the cuvée a distinctive context, without it being necessary to attribute to it precise aromas that the available information does not describe.

The Bolgheri DOC was created in 1983, first for white and rosé wines. Reds were admitted later, starting in 1994, under the categories Bolgheri Rosso and Bolgheri Superiore. In this appellation known for its blends, Tenuta Meraviglia here chooses Cabernet Franc as its sole grape variety. The spontaneous fermentation lasts about thirteen days in conical raw concrete vats, with indigenous yeasts. The wine then remains 24 months in untoasted French oak barrels. The stated approach is minimally interventionist and respectful of the wine; the cultivation is organic.

For tasting, I prefer to stick to the available indications: they give neither a detailed colour of the wine, nor an inventory of aromas, nor precise notes on the palate. The style grid nevertheless places the wine at 4 out of 9 on the fruity-spicy side, 7 out of 9 for wood influence and 7 out of 9 for body. One can therefore expect a red of good presence, marked by its ageing, without presenting it as strongly spicy or attributing particular perfumes to it. This is a bottle to choose if you enjoy structured reds and the character of Cabernet Franc, while keeping in mind that these benchmarks do not replace an actual tasting.

At the table, for dishes with some backbone

I would serve it with red meat, a platter of cured meats or aged cheeses, pairings consistent with its announced body. It can also accompany a risotto, pasta or a pizza, as the suggested pairings for this wine indicate. For a meal, choose a fairly flavourful preparation so that it does not get lost next to the red's presence. And if you prefer to taste without waiting for the dish, blue-veined cheeses or a generous aperitif offer another option. A simple way to discover Bolgheri through an organic cuvée, its Cabernet Franc and a long barrel ageing.