2016 Podere Sapaio Bolgheri Superiore Sapaio

Podere Sapaio was launched in 1999 when Massimo Piccini convinced his father to invest in land in the Bolgheri DOC, in Livorno. Piccini was able to acquire nearly 75 acres of vineyards, and built a modern winery. The estate grows primarily the Bordeaux grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and makes Bordeaux-inspired blends with an Italian flair. Gambero Rosso has awarded the estate’s wines numerous 3 Glass awards, the highest the journal gives. Gambero Rosso has called Podere Sapaio “a benchmark for the area, thanks to the genuine passion that drove (Piccini’s) absolute commitment to the enterprise.”

Bolgheri is a tiny village just inland from the western Tuscan coast with a storybook renaissance castle but no train station. To wine enthusiasts, however, Bolgheri DOC is perhaps Italy’s most exciting wine appellation. It is the cultural heart of the Maremma, the coastal stretch of Tuscany where some of the first Super Tuscans were produced commercially in the late 1960s. Various members of the legendary Antinori wine dynasty and other influential producers established estates in Bolgheri starting in the 1970s, creating such Super Tuscans as Guado Al Tasso and Ornellaia. Bolgheri was awarded DOC status in 1983. Red, white and dessert wines are made in this appellations, and many of the most renowned are the Super Tuscans made from blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and other red varietals. The white wines are blends of Vermentino and Trebbiano. The reds are notable for being blends that have a distinctive Tuscan terroir.