Il Seggio 2020 – Poggio Al Tesoro.
Along the Tuscan coast lies a region that combines the best of Bordeaux and Tuscany, it is the land of Super Tuscans, Bolgheri. Here great wines are produced combining world famous French grape varieties, with or without some of Italy’s finest. A winery with great stature that succeeds in this is Poggio Al Tesoro, owned by the Allegrini family. In this review we are discussing their “Il Seggio” 2020, a beautiful red blend.
About the Region
The winemaking history of Bolgheri goes way back, and started with a history of strict viticultural traditions, with Sangiovese as the main grape to be grown here (like in many other parts of Tuscany). It was not until the late 20th century that Bolgheri became more and more well known as an Italian quality wine region.
It started in 1960’s when a group of innovative winemakers recognized the potential of this region. Very controversially they set aside the Tuscany traditions. Knowing it would lead to discussions, they started to grow Bordeaux grape varieties, such as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. We know now that their perseverance has paid off. The big turning point for the Bolgheri region was in 1968, with the release of Sassicaia. The success of Sassicaia paved the way for Bolgheri to be recognized as a DOC in 1994.
About the Winery
Poggio Al Tesoro is owned by the Allegrini family. Originally from the Valpolicella region, where Giovanni Allegrini made great success, being recognized as one of the most important persons in the history of the Valpolicella region. After passing away in 1983, his children inherited the company. His daughter Marilisa, now the CEO of the Allegrini group, took the baton together with her brothers and has built the Allegrini brand into what it is now. Her daughters Carlotta and Caterina now work alongside their mother in Poggio Al Tesoro and the company’s other Tuscan estate; San Polo in Montalcino.
In 2001 Marilisa and her brother Walter fell in love with the Bolgheri region, while searching for something extraordinary. They bought three separate plots, of which one already had Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon planted. This allowed them to found Poggio Al Tesoro in 2002, as they could start to make wine immediately. In 2004 they added a Vermentino clone from Corsica to their vineyards.
Years and years of creating beautiful wines passed by, adding strict quality rules to make sure the wines are not only of high quality, but also made in a sustainable way. Now 20 years since getting the first hectares, they are now ‘Equalitas’ certified and own 63 hectares of vineyards within Bolgheri.
The Vineyards
As the Allegrini family owns plots in four different parts of Bolgheri this allowed them to plant those grape variety that matches best with the individual soils and microclimates.
Il Seggio is classified as a Bolgheri Rosso and a blend of four grape varieties, being Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Petit Verdot (10%). The wine is named after the Seggio river, which is the largest watercourse in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci.
The vineyard where the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine grow is called Via Bolgherse, and it can be found between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci. The soil consists of red sand, contains lots of fossils and drains well. The vines have an average age of 17 years.
A bit closer to the sea lies the largest plot of the estate (50 hectare); Le Sondraie. Here the rest of grapes for Il Seggio grow; Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The soil consists of clay, sand and pebbles and is rich in minerals, which serves the different grape varieties very well. The vines here have an average age of 15 years.
About the Winemaking
After harvest the grapes are de-stemmed, then softly pressed to only partially rupture the grapes. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. Eventually the wine ripens in 225-liter French oak barrels, of which 30% new. While ripening natural malolactic fermentation takes place. This process takes 15 months, after which the wine is ready to drink after being bottled.
About the Wine
In the glass a beautiful ruby red color, with a light raspberry rim. At the first encounter fruity tones enter your nose, with loads of different red fruits such as strawberries, cherries and dried plum. When you give the wine a good swirl and another sniff some herbs and a slight hint of chocolate will reveal itself.
The smell is mouthwatering, but the taste even surpasses this feeling. Medium bodied, round and with soft tannins this wine is incredibly elegant. The herby tones and splash of acidity give this elegant wine a small touch of toughness. As the wine is fairly young we expect it to become more elegant over time with some ageing.
Conclusion
Italian wines carry the sun, and so does Il Seggio. This wine is both elegant and tough. A great wine to drink young and fresh and a lovely companion for juicy meat like a steak or even a juicy burger. But with some additional aging there is even more to discover, as the wine will become more elegant and softer. We award Il Seggio with a 92 point DWA score.
Tuscany, a Journey through Five Lenses
This review is part of our project “Tuscany, a Journey through Five Lenses”. In this project we travel through one of the most exciting parts of Italy and show its different faces interpreted through leading wineries. We do this through wine reviews, background articles and interviews.
The regions we discuss are Tuscany IGP, Chianti, Bolgheri, Montepulciano and Montalcino. Poggio Al Tesoro is our guide through the Bolgheri appellation.
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Other wines by Poggio Al Tesoro in this project:
This wine is reviewed by our own Michelle van de Vosse.
Price: €25
Taste date: July 2023
Score: 92/100 DWA Score
Website: Poggio Al Tesoro