Tenuta Argentiera "Poggio ai Ginepri" Super Tuscan ~ Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Shiraz 2018 ~ Bolgheri, Italy

92/100 Falstaff
91/100 James Suckling
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson
93/100 Wine Spectator (2017 Vintage)

Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2009 Vintage)
Commended - International Wine Challenge (2008 Vintage)
Bronze - International Wine Challenge (2007 Vintage)
Silver - International Wine & Spirit Competition (2006 Vintage)

The Winemaker "Attractive bouquet with the typical aromas of a Cabernet-Syrah-Merlot blend such as cedarwood, leather and dark fruit. Powerful and densely woven body, perfectly balanced in acidity and tannin structure with a beautiful finish."

Falstaff "Shining garnet. The fragrant nose is underlain by fine spice, rich cherry, ripe plum, white pepper. Shows itself on the palate with crisp, ripe fruit, wonderfully balanced, juicy, noble spice accompanies the drink, makes a lot of fun and stays with considerable length."

Jancis Robinson "Deep crimson. Red bell peppers over blackcurrant and with chalky hints. Pretty cassis and cherry fruit on the palate with clayey tannins. Very good length and focus. Internationally moulded, but with a Tuscan flair."

James Suckling "Aromas of currants and hints of fresh herbs, such as basil, following through to a medium body, round tannins and currant and light dried -sage undertones in the aftertaste."

Wine Spectator "...There is good grip, with fine overall balance and a long aftertaste of black currant, mineral and tobacco. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2024. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.....A deep well of black currant, blackberry, licorice, cedar and graphite flavours draws you in for the ripe fruit on the palate." (2016 Vintage)

Wine.com "A nice wine, good structure and higher concentration. Has a broad and deep olfactory landscape that opens in a very frank and immediate. Structure intense, but also beautiful softness and good housekeeping executive." (2016 Vintage)

The Winemaker "This wine offers complexity, with notes of cherry, plum and currant that blend gradually with hints of white flowers and spicy sensations of black pepper, typical of Syrah. In the mouth, it shows an excellent structure and good persistence, with a very pleasant aftertaste harmonized by fruity aromas and spicy notes." (2016 Vintage)

Tenuta Argentiera stands in a magnificent area of land in the Maremma region of Italy that blends countryside and sea; suspended between woods and Mediterranean scrub. The vineyard is at the heart of the small but prestigious Doc Bolgheri, a terroir dedicated to great red wines and synonymous with the celebrated “Super Tuscan.”

The Estate is the closest winery to the Tyrrhenian coast and at the same time, the highest in altitude of the entire Bolgheri territory, reaching 200 meters above sea level. The resulting microclimate is acknowledged as being part of the reasons for the exceptional wines produced by this Estate.

Bolgheri is a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation located in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast just to the south of Livorno and named after a town in the north of the region. It is known mainly for deeply coloured, supple yet age-worthy red wines, usually based on the Bordeaux grape varieties. The winemaking zone features sloping coastal vineyards close to the Tyrrhenian Sea.

As recently as the 1970s, the area in Tuscany had a little reputation for wine production, in contrast to the prime Tuscan vineyards further up in the hills. Then, in 1978, in an infamous blind tasting arranged by Decanter Magazine, the 1972 vintage of a largely unknown wine called Sassicaia, made at Tenuta San Guido estate of the Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, beat a number of top Bordeaux wines. The wine had been made at Tenuta San Guido in a rather rustic fashion for personal consumption for some years previously, and only commercialized from the 1968 vintage, but this early example of a more polished version made by legendary winemaking consultant Giacomo Tachis led to an awakening of interest in the region.

Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah blend incorporates some of the world's most popular red wine grape varieties, each of which is grown in almost every wine-producing country on earth. The Cabernet grapes (both Cabernet Sauvignon and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Franc) are both classic blending partners for Merlot, whether individually or together. They are the core ingredients of the traditional Bordeaux Blend. Less traditional, but increasingly common, particularly in the New World, is to add a component of Syrah, or Shiraz, to the mix.

The blend of cabernet, merlot and shiraz food pairs with grilled red meat.