Poggio al Tesoro, Il Seggio, 2018, Bolgheri, Italy

Our View:

The region of Bolgheri in Italy is the home of the 'super tuscan' and the famed Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Poggio Al Tesoro is owned by the famous Allegrini family who purchased the estate in 2002.

With access to great vineyards combined with the wine producing skills and experience of the Allegrini family, the Il Seggio wine is a perfectly elegant award winning Bordeaux blend.

The Wine:

Poggio al Tesoro is a 70 hectare property in Bolgheri acquired in 2002 by the Allegrini family. The first vineyard they bought, Le Sondraie, is next door to Ornellaia and was previously rented by them. It is 50 hectares in size and is planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Vermentino.  

‘Seggio’ is the name of the creek that runs through Bolgheri - known as the home of the 'Super Tuscan' and the course of the creek from above is represented on the label. This wine is produced from different plots of vineyards in the Poggio al Tesoro estate - the Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the Via Bolgherese vineyards, at 56 metres above sea level. Here soils are deep, with coarse-grained red sand, that is gravelly and well-drained with a layer of clay four feet below the surface. The other varieties are grown in the Le Sondraie vineyard 35 metres above sea level where the soils are clayey with well-drained sandy silt and high concentrations of magnesium and iron. 

Following destemming and gentle pressing to partially rupture the berries, fermentation took place over 12 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 28-30°C. The wine was then aged for 15 months in 225 litre French oak barrique from Allier (30% new, 70% second fill) during which time malolactic fermentation occurred naturally.

Tasting Note:

This wine is intense ruby red in colour with aromas of fresh crunchy red berries and dark fruit nuances enriched with layers of tobacco and spice. The fruit follows onto the complex palate that combines elegant silky tannins and a lively clean finish.

The Facts:

What the critics say:

James Suckling 93 points

 “Attractive aromas of sweet tobacco, black olives and sage, as well as dark fruit. Medium-to full-bodied with medium, round tannins that are chewy and tense. Needs some time to soften. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Drink after 2023.”