Bolgheri DOC

DOC area for white, red and rosé wines in the central west of the Italian region of Tuscany, named after the municipality on the Livorno coast. The vineyards, only 200 hectares in size at the end of the 1990s, now cover around 900 hectares around the municipality of Castagneto Carducci in the province of Livorno in the west of the region. This was named after the literary historian Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907), who spent his childhood there. Bolgheri is a district eight kilometres to the north, which includes the Oasi di Bolgheri nature reserve of about 500 hectares. Among the best-known and largest producers are Antinori and Gaja with the Ca' Marcanda vineyard. The picture shows the Bellaria Alta vineyard of the Ornellaia winery with a view of the sea with the coastal municipality of Marina di Bibbona.

The Bianco is blended from Vermentino (max. 70%), Sauvignon (max. 70%), Trebbiano Toscano (max. 40%), as well as other authorised varieties (max. 30%). Rosso and Rosato are blended using Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot and/or Cabernet Franc (up to 100%), Syrah (max. 50%), Sangiovese (max. 50%) and other authorised red varieties (max. 30%). The Rosso Superiore must mature for 26 months, of which at least 12 months in oak barrels. The two pure white wines Sauvignon (Blanc) and Vermentino must contain at least 85% of the respective variety, the rest can be authorised white varieties. The red wine from the "Sassicaia" vineyard (named after the stony soil, sassi = stones) became famous in the late 1960s and contributed to the success of the so-called Super Tuscans. It is classified as a separate DOC area Bolgheri Sassicaia and owned by a single winery, Tenuta San Guido. For the most part, however, this wine is referred to as Sassicaia for short and is also, so to speak, a synonym or name for the winery itself.

Picture: © Jobst von Volckamer