Argentiera, 2011 IGT Toscana "Lavinia Maria," Bolgheri, Italy
Cab Franc du Jour #122
While the story of Argentiera as we know it today begins in 1999, the lands on which the estate was built have a rich history of agriculture and viticulture stretching back to the early 1500s, when the great Serristori family of Florence developed the area for agricultural and humanistic purposes. The modern chapter opened in 1999 with the Fratini family, who began establishing vineyards under the guidance of renowned agronomist Federico Zileri Dal Verna, who also served as president of the Bolgheri DOC from 2013 to 2019. Today, Argentiera is owned by Austrian entrepreneur Stanislaus Turnauer, run by Leonardo Raspini, and Nicolò Carrara has served as winemaker since 2009.
Argentiera farms 85 hectares of vineyards across three estates in the southern part of Bolgheri, of which an impressive 22 hectares are planted with Cabernet Franc, a full quarter of the estate’s total vineyard area. As a traditional variety in Bolgheri, Cabernet Franc appears in several of the estate’s wines, but it has also taken centre stage in two single-varietal bottlings. Ventaglio is today the estate’s top wine, first produced in 2015, preceded by Lavinia Maria, which was made only in 2011 and 2012. To give a comprehensive picture of Argentiera’s work with Cabernet Franc, it is worth examining both parcels, as together they tell the story of where the estate has been and where it is heading with the variety.
The Bolgheri Region
While the Bolgheri DOC was not formally established until 1983, the region’s viticultural history reaches back to the ancient Etruscan civilisation that inhabited the area in the 7th century BCE. The beginnings of Bolgheri as we know it today took shape in the 1940s when Bordeaux varieties were first planted at Tenuta San Guido by the Marchese Mario Incisa della Rochetta, uncle of the legendary Piero Antinori. Struck by the similarities between Bolgheri’s seaside position and soils and those of Bordeaux, he believed world-class wine in the Bordeaux style was achievable here. The wine that proved him right and ultimately defined the region was Sassicaia, first bottled in 1945.
Following a 1994 update to DOC rules extending protection to red wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, rapid vineyard expansion followed, and the region today has 1,370ha under vine. Cabernet Sauvignon is the most planted variety at around 34%, followed by Merlot and then Cabernet Franc at approximately 16%, or about 250ha. In recent years, Cabernet Franc has shown remarkable resilience and promise in the face of climate change: since 2014, plantings have increased by 60%, and there are now at least 16 single-varietal Cabernet Francs being produced in the region.
Bolgheri sits about 40km south of Livorno along Italy’s western coast, a compact region roughly 13km from north to south with the main vineyard area only 5 to 6km wide. It is bounded to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the east by the Colline Metallifere, a series of hills that form a natural amphitheatre over a landscape that slopes gently westward toward the coast. This configuration captures constant cooling breezes off the Tyrrhenian Sea, making Bolgheri cooler than many other coastal areas along the Tuscan coast. Vineyards begin about 2km from the sea and range in elevation from around 10m to about 200m above sea level, with the majority sitting between 10 and 55m. Temperatures generally cool as you move inland and upward, and precipitation increases as you approach the hill amphitheatre.
The region has identified approximately 27 distinct terroir units across its relatively small area. Soils vary with elevation and proximity to the sea, ranging from very sandy pockets near the coast at lower elevations, to sandy clays on terraces between 20 and 135m, to more silty-clays at higher elevations in the hills. The soils throughout carry an alkaline character with varying amounts of calcareous materials and gravels, as well as iron-rich red sands and clay in some areas.
The Estate and Its Vineyards
Argentiera’s vineyards are located in the southern part of the Bolgheri region across three estates. The Lavinia Maria came from a single parcel at the main Argentiera estate, while the Ventaglio parcel is planted less than 1.5km to the north.
The main estate occupies a genuinely distinctive position within the Bolgheri appellation. The vineyards here sit at among the highest elevations in the region, between 144 and 205m above sea level, and are only about 2km from the sea. The slopes are steeper than much of the appellation, with a variety of exposures and the vineyards entirely surrounded by forest. The combination of strong sea influence, higher elevation, and surrounding woodland makes this area considerably cooler than where many of the region’s historic producers are based. The soils are also heavier here, with more clay and calcareous content.
The Lavinia Maria parcel covers approximately 1ha, planted in 2001 on a predominantly west-facing slope with a small south-facing corner, at an elevation of around 150 to 155m above sea level. Topsoil depth ranges from 50 to 150cm in fine silty-clay over a marly limestone bedrock.
The Ventaglio vineyard, whose name translates to “fan” in Italian, is located about 1.5km north of the main estate and is a truly remarkable site. It is a 1ha parcel entirely isolated on a small outcropping in the hills, completely surrounded by forest, at an elevation of around 68 to 83m above sea level. The entire parcel is planted exclusively with Cabernet Franc, with vines planted in 2010 in a deliberate fan shape radiating outward from a large holm oak at the centre. Each section of rows faces a different direction, north, west, or south, so that different parts of the vineyard receive varying sun exposure and light intensity throughout the day. The soils here are somewhat more homogeneous than at the main estate, with a deep silt-clay mix carrying a higher proportion of calcareous materials.
In the Cellar
The winemaking approach for both wines is broadly similar. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed but not crushed, and transferred to tank by gravity. Fermentation is with cultured yeast, with approximately 25 days of skin contact using more active extraction in the first portion of maceration and progressively gentler techniques over the final 10 days. Only the free-run wine is used in the finished cuvée. The primary distinction between the two wines lies in the élevage. The Lavinia Maria was aged in barriques with around 30% new oak for approximately 14 months. Today, barriques have been set aside entirely for Cabernet Franc, and the Ventaglio is aged in larger 500L and 3,000L Stockinger wooden casks instead.
Wine Details
Producer: Tenuta Argentiera
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Sub-Region: Bolgheri (IGT Toscana)
Soils: 50 to 150cm silty-clay, over a marly limestone bedrock
Alcohol: 14.5%