Tenuta Le Colonne Bolgheri Superiore 2020

Tenuta Le Colonne is a small Bolgheri winery owned since 2016 by Alejandro Bulgheroni, set among the appellation's vineyards close to the Tyrrhenian Sea. This Bolgheri Superiore is a classic coastal Tuscan blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The maritime climate is the key: sea breezes temper the summer heat and draw out ripening, so the Bordeaux varieties reach full maturity while holding their acidity. Bolgheri's gravel-rich, free-draining soils concentrate the fruit and lend the wines their depth. As a Superiore the wine spends twenty-four months in oak, and that long maturation builds structure, integrates the three grapes and adds vanilla, cedar and sweet spice through steady oxygen exchange while refining the tannins. The colour is deep, near-opaque ruby. The nose is layered with dark plum, black cherry and red currant, with tobacco, dark chocolate and oak spice. The palate is full-bodied and structured, the tannins ripe and grippy, carried by fresh acidity into a long, savoury finish. It will reward several years in the cellar. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees in a large glass, decanted. It is built for red meat.