Bolgheri: Land of the Super Tuscans with Jimmy Smith

 Bolgheri is a wine region that is placed proudly on the highest echelon of vinous quality. Jimmy will lead you through expertly picked wines showcasing the staggering quality you find in this small coastal zone of Tuscany.

 

Bolgheri

It is a wine zone in the Maremma that runs parallel to the Tuscan coast in the province of Livorno, named after the town of Bolgheri. It is different from other Italian wine regions, because it is surprisingly new for such an old country. Maremma was swamp land in living memory and only completely drained in the 1930s. What a surprise it was that the fertile, alluvial soils would be so conducive to grapevine cultivation—and not just any, but French varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon rules the roost here, with many people often calling this area the Bordeaux of Italy, crafting complex layered wines found on gravelly soils (just like in the Médoc, Bordeaux).

Fame was achieved, when, in 1978 Sassicaia of Bolgheri was crowned the best Cabernet Sauvignon from a selection of seventy-two by Decanter magazine. Further, the 1985 vintage was awarded 100 points by Robert Parker - this was the first time an Italian wine had achieved this feat.

Bolgheri has grown to 1,360ha as of 2023.