Tuscan Wine Estate Producing Fresh, Elegant Wines Due To Proximity To The Sea

The constant electricity pulsing within the darkness, living among the shadows, heightened by flashes of colorful lights that sporadically lit corners of the hedonistic den, contrasted with the trance music that seemed to make the bodies in the room feel loose and relaxed, conversely, the electricity jolted a spark in each of these dancers. A lifetime was lived within one night, and as such, nights became more frequent, more lives were lived to their fullest, pushed to the limits to get as many potent doses of decadence that immediately satisfied. Yet such a way to live is depleting, as the highs may be intense, but they are short-lived, and as the euphoric feeling quickly bottoms out, there is only the feeling of the deep, dark blues. But one finds themselves in situations like she always has, with that one friend who brings her on an unforgettable rave experience. However, that once-in-a-lifetime experience can quickly become a hundred, as such nights seem to blend into one another, offering only slight variations of their predecessors, with different tones and an alternate soundtrack in the background.

That friend is like a rich, plush wine that gives the drinker an extravagant experience in every aspect. Just as big, bold wines can be overwhelming, that good-time friend can become tiring as one ages. She wants to spend less and less time with that friend.

Then there is the friend who nourishes, brings out the best, and always knows the ideal ways to recharge and inspire. Over time, that friend becomes a constant, trusted advisor, the person many center themselves around to feel balanced, and who is always greatly missed, as she is someone who lifts people up. And like a wine that is refreshing and bright yet still has a concentrated core that is powerful in an elegant way, that friend becomes a vital part of someone’s tribe.

In the land of “Super Tuscans,” there are both versions of the above styles of wine and each style has their own legion of fans, but one particular wine estate, which is only 1.5 miles from the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to place that in context the most famous “Super Tuscan” is six miles from the sea, is making exquisite wines with overall finesse and vitality, like the friend that one can never get enough of.

Tenuta Argentiera Estate

The Argentiera wine estate is located in the southern area of the Bolgheri delineated official wine zone, the area known for the legendary “Super Tuscan” wines. It’s located in an amphitheater overlooking the nearby sea, giving the wines a distinctive salinity with high acidity while still enjoying the benefits of ideal ripeness levels from the Tuscan sun. Big, ancient oak trees guard over these vineyards as if they are cognizant of the remarkable qualities of this estate.

Niccolò Carrara is the winemaker at the Argentiera and he has worked at top wine estates around Italy, Australia and Bordeaux and has settled in Bolgheri as that is where he was raised – returning to one of the best wine regions in the world after earning enough experience to work at an outstanding estate, and being born there may give some opportunity within the wine world but only a globally tested winemaker can handle the highest levels of quality winemaking in Bolgheri. Niccolò is a devotee of the terroir, the sense of place of the vineyards, and so he respects the unpredictability of nature and he does not dare to think that he can beat Mother Earth; if anything, he is humble before her. So, he makes sure that he knows every section of their plots which are key to their wines, as there are varying soil composites, such as majority clay with limestone giving wines more depth, the sandy sections adding a light, fruit purity and other plots with a multitude of minerals and rocks that provide that multifaceted minerality to the wines. And that intense minerality with the salty quality coming from their proximity to the sea is an awe-inspiring combination that makes the Argentiera wines stand out.

A Place For Both

There is a place for both types of friends, as a person has different facets to her personality that need to be fulfilled, so it doesn’t have to be an either/or. But eventually, there is a tendency to lean towards one rather than the other as that friend who parties, especially past a certain age, starts to become a heavy burden where one has to come up with good excuses of why she can’t go out; skipping the long nights out to spend more time with that other friend who nourishes and uplifts and makes everyone feel more energized and better about themselves. It can be that way with wines, and ultimately, the wines that always leave the drinker wanting more are the ones that become a favorite.

But there is no regret of having all those long, crazy nights out, as one has to experience such things to an intense degree to truly be able to appreciate what waits for them on the other side: refreshing elegance.

2023 Argentiera, Scenario, Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: 100% Vermentino. Nose filled with honeysuckle, lemon tart and salinity with lemon confit and juicy nectarine on the palate with a strong backbone of minerality with crisp acidity balanced by a good amount of texture and body.

2022 Argentiera, Poggio ai Ginepri, Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. Seductive aromas make this wine irresistible on the first sniff, featuring notes of cocoa powder, crushed blueberries and baking spices, complemented by delectable dark cherry flavors and stony minerality, all supported by round tannins.

2022 Argentiera, Villa Donoratico, Bolgheri DOC, Tuscany, Italy: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. More linear and focused-driven than the Poggio ai Ginepri on the nose with delineated aromas of graphite, fresh tobacco and sandalwood that has a deep concentration of blackberry fruit in the core of the palate with hints of smoky black tea adding to the complexity of this powerfully precise beauty that has a long finish with artfully structured tannins.

2022 Argentiera, Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Tuscany, Italy: 46% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc. Marked acidity and intense minerality elevate the richness of this wine, which is a bit lush due to the hot 2022 vintage. Yet, Argentiera proves that they can make refreshing wines even in hot vintages that has pristine black fruit interwoven with raspberry coulis and a touch of rose oil in the background that is enhanced by Mediterranean scrub and hints of rosemary that has elegantly etched tannins that give a regal structure and lift to this impressive bottling.

2021 Argentiera, Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Tuscany, Italy: 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. Violets and warm raspberries dance around in one’s head when first tasting this 2021 Bolgheri Superiore, and it gives a vibrant youthfulness that is wonderful, yet it becomes complex and intriguing with tar and wild mushrooms, with blackcurrant and a big, bold body and broad tannins that indicate a wine that will cellar for decades.