Bolgheri’s Mediterranean Elegance Comes Alive: Weekly Tasting Report

Our latest Weekly Tasting Report of 337 wines is top-heavy with the latest offerings out of Tuscany and specifically Bolgheri, which saw a challenging 2023 vintage that revealed both the skills of the region’s finest producers and the extraordinary suitability of the territory for great wine, according to Senior Editor Aldo Fiordelli.

The year also highlighted one weakness and one strength in the wines themselves: some samples showed a more diluted mid-palate, yet the clear advantage across much of the vintage is the presence of half a degree to a full degree less alcohol than usual.

The 2023 growing year was marked by climatic complexity, requiring extensive, costly and highly refined vineyard work. Beginning with winter, conditions followed a pattern that has become increasingly familiar in recent years: mild temperatures accompanied by below-average, rainfall with approximately 117 millimeters less precipitation than normal.

Spring, however, brought intense rains. During April and May, precipitation levels were dramatically higher than the average recorded between 2012 and 2022. Nearly 200 millimeters of rain fell during the period, replenishing water reserves but also forcing growers to undertake substantial measures against downy mildew.

Elena Pozzolini, the winemaker and CEO at Sette Cieli, one of the highest-elevation estates in the appellation, reported losing 27 percent of production to downy mildew in 2023, but said the result could have been worse. “We are surrounded by woodland, we farm organically and we select only the finest fruit” she said. “Considering the course of the season, we believe this loss was relatively limited.”

The rains were followed by an unusually hot, dry July, with well below average precipitation. August saw the arrival of an Atlantic weather system, but, as is often the case, it was September that ultimately defined the vintage and elevated the harvest.

September was drier than average with temperatures above seasonal norms but marked by healthy day-night temperature swings. These conditions allowed for excellent ripening and, above all, gave growers the opportunity to carefully determine the ideal harvest date. That assessment was echoed by Marco Ferrarese, the managing director and winemaker at Tenuta Guado al Tasso, which is owned by the Marchesi Antinori family.

“At Guado al Tasso we carried out our longest and latest harvest ever, continuing until Oct. 10,” he explained. “In the end, the grapes achieved remarkable concentration. A rain-free September allowed for perfect waiting conditions. Nevertheless, it was still necessary to be careful with maceration.”

The resulting wines are generally supple and fresh, with soft tannins and impressive complexity, reaching extraordinary levels in the finest examples. There is a strong sense of balance throughout the vintage. In some cases there is slight dilution at mid-palate, but often also half a degree to a full degree less alcohol, which for Bolgheri represents something of a return to its roots.

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Among the grape varieties, given the favorable conditions of September, this was not particularly a merlot vintage. The later-ripening varieties performed better, above all cabernet franc, which continues to serve as a beacon for Bolgheri.

Overall, it is a classic vintage for an appellation that became famous for producing powerful and ageworthy wines, yet wines that are fresher than those from many other areas along the Tuscan Coast and, above all, capable of expressing a rare Mediterranean elegance.

Among the top wines tasted, the Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Superiore Sassicaia 2023 (99 points) once again confirmed its stature. It’s very cool and complex, with pretty aromas of black currants, fresh herbs such as sage and rosemary, as well as lavender and violet undertones. According to James, who tasted it, it’s  “a very clear and distinctive Sassicaia with true character of the estate.”

Below the Sassicaia are three other extraordinary wines. The Masseto Toscana 2023 (98) is a gem of grace, meaty and balsamic with a mix of plums and cassis enhanced by graphite minerality. The attack is impressive for its suppleness as expected for Masseto, silky with sleek tannins and toasty cocoa-milk flavors and sweet tobacco, alongside endless length. It will develop more complexity with bottle aging but it’s delicious right now.

The Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore 2023 (98) is a restrained and complex wine, showing aromas of cloves, graphite, bark, Mediterranean scrub and dark yet fresh bramble fruit. On the full-bodied palate, it shines with extraction and suppleness, showing dense, velvety tannins and long, refreshing acidity. It confirms the trend of this label today – it’s more balanced and less muscular than in the past.

From the hills of Bibbona, on the opposite side of Viale dei Cipressi, comes another standout: the Tenuta di Biserno Toscana Colle Mezzano di Biserno 2023 (98). It’s dark and powerful with eucalyptus and maquis, bark and vibrant fruits with meaty depth and graphite. The super velvety tannins are almost silky, and there’s a lot of great harmony here with elegant richness.

A few other wines deserve mention as well. The Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore 2023 (97) remains one of the finest and freshest expressions of the appellation. The more recent Hortense from Tenuta Fratini (97), guided by French consultant Eric Boissenot, succeeds in achieving an extraordinary quality of tannin in 2023 – it's the new Haut-Brion of Bolgheri.

Caccia al Piano also continues its rise. Thanks to higher-altitude vineyards and the use of large oak casks, the estate is transforming its Bolgheri Superiore (97) into one of the most compelling wines in the denomination.

Equally evident is the progress of Greppicaia from I Greppi (96), which has added considerable complexity to its customary precision. Completing the picture of the territory’s richness are Orma, from the Moretti family, and Argentiera from Tenuta Argentiera, which was recently the subject of an outstanding vertical tasting that demonstrated its remarkable longevity.

Among the younger generation of producers, alongside the already mentioned Tenuta Sette Cieli – notable for the freshness and depth of its Toscana Scipio (94) – Giacomo Satta and Fabio Motta stand out as Bolgheri’s true garage wine producers.

We also rated a bevy of Beaujolais wines over the past week, with two Juliénas wines leading the top scorers in the Domaine Mont Bessay Juliénas En Bessay 2024 (96) and Domaine Mont Bessay Juliénas Les Quatre Cerisiers 2024 (96), as well as some quality 2023 and 2022 offerings from Bordeaux. You can check them all out in the tasting notes below.

– Aldo Fiordelli contributed reporting.

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated during the past week by the JamesSuckling.com tasting team. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. Some will be included in upcoming tasting reports.

Note: You can sort the wines below by score, alphabetically by winery name, by the country and by the vintage. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.