With a stone-vaulted winery within the castle walls, Castello di Bolgheri makes wines that appeal to those who look for classic and traditional lines. There is indeed a lot of important history behind the 2019 Bolgheri Superiore, a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with small elements of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Like the entry-level Varvàra, this wine boasts beautiful integration and soft lines that frame black fruit, spice and campfire ash. This wine holds back just a bit in terms of ripeness, and that explains the smooth elegance you get here. This is a special wine.

In 2019, harvest ran from the beginning of September for the Merlot, followed by the Cabernet Franc, to the end of September for the Cabernet Sauvignon, which claims the largest proportion of the blend. Extremely dense in colour with a restrained nose of violet, cassis and gracefully fresh kiwi peel and some yellow fruit hints. Soft on the palate, it seems to be light and more focused on elegance than power. It's very juicy and precise, with a whiff of Cabernet pyrazines. This is one of the best vintages of Castello di Bolgheri, its fierce acidity handling a warming but balanced finish ending with a graphite flavour.