Poggio Al Tesoro Bolgheri Il Seggio

Poggio al Tesoro is a 70 hectare property in Bolgheri acquired in 2002 by the Allegrini family. The first vineyard they bought, Le Sondraie, is next door to Ornellaia and was previously rented by them. It is 50 hectares in size and is planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Vermentino.

The 'Solosole' Vermentino is crisp and fresh, made from a specially selected Vermentino clone from Corsica. The 'Pagus Camilla' is a step up, made from Vermentino from a prime vineyard on deep sandy soils by the river Camilla and aged on its lees with regular bâtonnage for nine months. This premium Vermentino boasts intense aromas of Mediterranean herbs and citrus with a marked minerality on the finish. The Cabernet Franc and Merlot-based 'Cassiopea' Rosato is a deliciously fruity rosé, softly pressed and fermented in stainless steel.

The 'Mediterra', a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is a fragrant and intensely fruity red wine. 'Il Seggio' is the name of the creek that runs through Bolgheri. The wine that bears its name is a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend aged in 225 litre barriques for 15 months. It is structured, concentrated and fresh. The 'Sondraia', a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc has a pure cassis note on the nose that gives way to a lovely depth of fruit on the palate. It is a very classy wine indeed. 'W Dedicato a Walter' is their pure Cabernet Franc, first produced in 2003. It is lifted yet ripe, intense yet balanced.

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot

"Seggio" is the name of the creek that runs through Bolgheri - its course from above is represented on the label. This wine is produced from different plots of vineyards in the Poggio al Tesoro estate. The Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the Via Bolgherese vineyards, at 56 metres above sea level. Here soils are deep, with coarse-grained red sand, that is gravelly and well-drained with a layer of clay four feet below the surface. The other varieties are grown in the Le Sondraie vineyard 35 metres above sea level where the soils are clayey with well-drained sandy silt and high concentrations of magnesium and iron.

Following destemming and gentle pressing to partially rupture the berries, fermentation took place over 12 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 28-30°C. The wine was then aged for 15 months in 225 litre French oak barrique from Allier (30% new, 70% second fill) during which time malolactic fermentation occurred naturally.

This wine is intense ruby red in colour with aromas of fresh crunchy red berries and dark fruit nuances enriched with layers of tobacco and spice. The fruit follows onto the complex palate that combines elegant silky tannins and a lively clean finish.