Located in the Bolgheri district on Tuscany’s coastline, the estate of Tenuta Argentiera has vineyards positioned on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean toward Corsica. It is neighbored by some of Italy’s most famous wineries: Guado al Tasso, Ornellaia and Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia). The prime location is complemented by a world-class team led by Federico Zileri, CEO, as well as the owner of the estate, Stanislaus Turnauer, winemaker Nicolo Carrara and General Manager Leonardo Raspini. In 2018, their Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore 2015 took the second spot on our list of top 100 Italian wines.

On July 13, James did a Zoom tasting with the group to taste the Ventaglio 2015 and 2016 wines. These two new single-vineyard reds, based on cabernet franc, represent the best of Tenuta Argentiera’s production in terms of location, pedoclimatic conditions and grape quality. The grapes come from the most beautiful and best of the estate’s vineyards, where the sun’s rays reach unhindered throughout the days, leading to perfect ripening conditions.

Both wines had good balance and precision, and James commented that the wines had “superb” tannin quality which was beautifully integrated into the wines. Watch highlights of the Zoom tasting session below to hear more from the tasting.