Tenuta Le Colonne Bolgheri Superiore 2020

Tenuta Le Colonne 2020, Bolgheri in depth

I'd single out in this Bolgheri Superiore 2020 a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged for a long time in wood and made from vines farmed organically. Its announced profile favors spice, oak character and a fairly generous body: a good pick if you like structured Tuscan reds, without looking for a light or immediately subtle wine.

Between sandy soils and the Bolgheri coast

Tenuta Le Colonne is located in the Bolgheri area, on the Tuscan coast, close to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The estate's vineyards rise between 5 and 150 meters above sea level, on sandy soils containing fossil marine sediments. This coastal setting and soil composition give the wine a well-defined origin, without any need to attribute particular aromas that the available notes don't mention.

The estate belongs to Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni, who has developed winemaking projects in several regions, including Tuscany. For this red, the selected grapes ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, for thirteen days, at a controlled temperature not exceeding 28 °C. The wine then spends twenty-four months in untoasted French oak barrels, followed by three months in bottle before release. The stated production does not exceed 10,000 bottles.

The available tasting information does not precisely describe the color or the aromas of the 2020, so I'd rather not invent notes of fruit or flowers. The communicated profile nonetheless places it clearly on the spicy side, with a marked wood influence and a rather generous body. The announced result calls for a structured red, shaped by its Bordeaux-style blend and extended aging, rather than a tasting based on undocumented aromatic details. The vintage received 94/100 from Parker and 92/100 from James Suckling, two benchmarks that complement these style indications without replacing your own palate.

At the table, with dishes of character

I'd serve it with red meat, game, good charcuterie or aged cheeses: pairings suggested for the wine and consistent with its announced profile, fuller than light. At the table, let it breathe a little in the glass so you can approach it calmly, without trying to guess precise aromas at all costs. If you want to taste an organic Bolgheri Superiore, aged for a long time in barrel and made from an blend of international grape varieties, this 2020 deserves a place in an attentive tasting, over a shared meal.