Tenuta le Colonne Plenum Costa Toscana 2024

Plenum Costa Toscana 2024, the Mediterranean echo

In this red from Tenuta Le Colonne, the Tuscan coastline is not just a backdrop: it is part of the identity of a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, aged in wood for about twelve months. I recommend it to those looking for a wine of character, marked by fruit and spice, without losing sight of balance. Its 2024 vintage tells the story of an encounter between coastal soils, organic work and a minimally interventionist winemaking.

Bolgheri, between sand, gravel and sea

The Plenum is produced in the Bolgheri region, on the Tuscan coast, within the IGT Costa Toscana appellation. The vines that give rise to this cuvée lie about forty kilometers from the Tyrrhenian Sea, on sandy and gravelly soils. This coastal landscape helps explain the Mediterranean personality the estate claims, without needing to attribute aromas that the tasting notes do not specify. Organic farming and environmentally respectful treatments are part of this attention paid to the plots.

Tenuta Le Colonne has belonged since 2016 to the Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni. The estate covers 400 hectares, including 64 hectares of vines, and is located in the Bolgheri area. For this red, the selected grapes are destemmed and then crushed. Fermentation takes place spontaneously, with indigenous yeasts, in concrete conical tanks, for thirteen days. The wine then spends about twelve months in large untoasted oak casks before bottling. The wood thus accompanies the aging, but the source does not detail the degree to which the oak is perceptible nor the precise aromas of color or nose: I prefer not to invent tasting notes.

The available indications describe a fine intensity and good balance. On the scales provided, the profile leans toward fruitiness, with a pronounced spicy presence, a perceptible aging and a rather ample body. This gives useful reference points for imagining the wine's structure, without claiming to replace a personal tasting. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah make up a red of character here, whose fruit and spices seem to hold together rather than oppose each other. If you enjoy wines that have presence and a firm place at the table, these indications can guide you.

At the table, for dishes that can stand up to it

I would serve this Plenum with cured meats, red meat, or game, which are the suggested pairings for this cuvée. Its announced structure and spicy accent should find their place alongside flavorful dishes, without the need to multiply side dishes. It's a bottle to open for a meal where you take the time to eat and talk, rather than a casual red. Serve it with the dish, then let it evolve in the glass: you'll be able to form your own opinion of its balance between fruit, spice, and oak aging.