Aldrovandi
The Land
The Bolgheri region is a wine zone in the Maremma that runs parallel to the Tuscan coast in the province of Livorno, named after the town of Bolgheri.
Maremma was swampland in living memory, and only completely drained in the 1930s.
What a surprise it was that the fertile, alluvial soils would be so conducive to grapevine cultivation – and not just any, but French varieties.
In early 40’s aristocrat Mario Incisa della Rocchetta inherited an estate in Castiglioncello di Bolgheri and decided he wanted a more full-bodied wine – compared to the light, unimpressive red made at the time from predominantly Sangiovese grapes.
So on the advice of his friend Baron Philippe of famed châteaux Mouton Rothschild he decided to cast aside strong Tuscan traditions and in 1944 planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on his rocky land (hence “Sassicaia” – stony field as the wine’s name) – nevermind if by law it was classed as a humble table wine.
He and his family drank the wine as their personal vino da tavola for the following 20 years, refining the processes by enlisting the help of Giacomo Tachis, a renowned oenologist.
It would only go on the market as the first Bolgheri wine, sold by Tenuta San Guido as Sassicaia, in 1968.
Critics loved it, with Gino Veronelli becoming a staunch supporter all the way to Robert Parker awarding it 100 points in 1985 – first time for an Italian wine.
The SuperTuscan revolution had begun
The People
Federico Aldrovandi, a wine producer from the Bolognese Hills, has been fond of Bolgheri wines for over 20 years and one of his dream was to become a Bolgheri producer.
In 2014 his dream comes true, when by a serendipitous coincidence (in Bolgheri there hasn’t been a vineyard for sale in over 30 years!) he manages to acquire a small estate above the Via Bolgherese, in the Lippini area (just below Grattamacco, and above Gaia’s Ca’Marcanda).
There Federico has a few secular olive trees (used to make an oustanding oil for exclusive personal use) and a hectare of vineyard.
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot are planted with ‘alberello’ method: the only vineyard in Bolgheri to adopt this growing technique.
The Wine
Bolgheri Superiore DOC Aldrovandi
Federico’s estate, the tiniest of all Bolgheri, produces only 3000 bottles of Bolgheri Superiore (the highest level for the appellation) only in great vintages.
All the vines are harvested together strictly by hand and vinified together in a neighbour structure (the size of the estate and the cost of construction make it impossible to build a small winery there)
This a vineyard-blend of about 60% of Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot fermented for 22 days before been transferred to Burgundy barriques (30% of which new) for 24 months. It’s then bottled without fining and bottle-aged for 18 months before release. Outstanding
Awards: James Suckling 93; Wine Advocate 91
