Tenuta Argentiera - Poggio Ai Ginepri Blogheri 2014
Pairing Suggestions
Nice blend of 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 % Syrah, 20 % Merlot and 5 % Petit Verdot with 14 % Alc.
Ruby red with violet hues. In the nose flowers and spices (black pepper) combined with fresh red fruit flavors like cherry and currant.
The palate is round and complex with the presence of sweet tannins besides a nice freshness. Wine with good structure and persistence and offcourse a bit young.
Climate:
The first three months of 2014 were characterized by mild temperatures and heavy rainfalls exceeding 1000 mm in March. However, the month of April we had almost a complete lack of rain and much sunshine, which favoured the beginning of the vegetative stages.
In June the weather conditions became quite unusual what lasted until the first two weeks of August. In fact the summer, where sunny days alternated with rainy – sometimes stormy – days, brought temperatures, which were in average about 3° C degrees below seasonal average and with peaks over 30 degrees in July and August only. For this reason the grapes start to get coloured only in the last July week, about a week later than usual.
During the second part of August the weather turned to regular conditions and remained sunny until the end of September, what allows the grapes to arrive to full and healthy maturation, thanks also to the microclimate of the Mediterranean Sea, which is typical for the Bolgheri area and the good and constant ventilation in the vineyards of Argentiera estate, what prevented humidity stagnation.
Merlot was harvested a bit earlier than usual, starting from September 9th and ending the 27th of the same month. Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah were harvested on the last two weeks of September. Finally, Cabernet Sauvignon was regularly harvested from the 23rd of September to October 10th.
Vinification:
After destemming and soft crushing the different grape varieties were vinified separately. Fermentation and maceration took place in stainless steel vats for 15-20 days at a controlled temperature within 28° C.
Half of the wine was then transferred into used 225 l French oak Barriques, where malolactic fermentation was completed and the wine was aged for about 8 months. The other 50% of the wine remained in stainless steel tanks for the fining and was then blended before the final bottling.
Alcohol: 13,50%
Wineproducer: www.argentiera.eu