A Bolgheri Dinner in a Sushi Restaurant
An unconventional wine dinner with the Orlando Alliance of Sommeliers
Lineup for the Bolgheri dinner, including a Franciacorta sparkling greet wine. Alliance of Sommeliers X Sushi Pop.
The Orlando Alliance of Sommeliers is one of the oldest tasting groups in the nation. Started in the early 70’s as an offshoot of The Sommelier Guild Inc. (Florida) by Pipi Diamond and friends, the group gathers monthly for educational wine dinners and presentations. With a good mix of industry pros and consumers, the dinners rarely disappoint and more often than not, challenge members to “taste outside the box”.
Chef Chau Trinh’s Sushi Pop in Oviedo, Florida is a higher-end sushi joint done the right way. The kitchen air-ships in fresh fish from Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market weekly, offers true Omakase, and is backed by a bar known for inventive cocktails that pair with their dishes. Not exactly the place you’d expect for an evening of big, tannic Bolgheri reds.
Bolgheri to the sea. Bolgheri e Bolgheri Sassicaia Consorzio di Tutela (bolgheridoc.com)
🗺️ Bolgheri DOC
Found in coastal Maremma: a subregion of Tuscany that was once marshland the Etruscans converted to fertile farmland by building elaborate drainage and irrigation systems. While lighter, Sangiovese-based wines can be grown in the rich clay and loam of the regions lowlands, the Bordeaux varieties used in Bolgheri require well-draining soils, bigger diurnal temperature shifts, and higher altitude to thrive under the Tuscan sun.
The Etruscans had gone into the hills to plant their vines to ensure drainage, with evidence of winemaking dating back to the 7th Century BC. This is one of the first areas in Europe where grape vines were cultivated, predating the arrival of the Greeks in Southern Italy.
The area is a natural theater, with gradual slopes towards the coastline, that creates a unique microclimate. Sea breezes keep the area cool year-round, imparting freshness and elegance to the wines. 250+ windy days each year aerates the vineyards and negates the threat of fungal diseases. Intense sunlight is reflected off the sea, doubling down on the amount of light on the terraced vineyards, promoting photosynthesis.
The geology of the region has both maritime and alluvial origins. There are 27 different known soil units, some of which are only found in very small areas. This is why there is no dominant grape in the region, and producers are known to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, and others.
Image generated using Wine Maps Pro. Copywright © Jon Lord (© OpenStreetMap contributors).
🌟 The Stars of Bolgheri
The Bolgheri DOC was established in 1983 for whites (Bolgheri Bianco DOC) and rosé (Bolgheri Rosato DOC). Reds were IGT Toscana until 1994 with the creation of the Bolgheri Rosso DOC.
Tenuta San Guido shaped the region in 1968 when their Sassicaia stunned the world as a Cabernet-based wine grown in Tuscany (a true scandal in the Sangiovese-dominant region) and led to international wine writers to talk of this new, “super Tuscan style”. Today, Super Tuscans are practically a category of their own, but Bolgheri is where it started.
Key producers include Tenuta San Guido, Ornellaia, the Antinori family’s Tenuta Guado al Tasso, Le Macchiole, Grattamacco, and Campo alla Sughera. At the top, pricepoints can be unapproachable, so look for a winery’s “second” or “third” releases for value.
Batzella Peàn Bolgheri Rosso
🍷 2021 Batzella “Peàn” Bolgheri Rosso DOC ~ 👎
I really wanted to like this wine, as Franco Batzella’s Vietnamese-born wife, Khanh Nguyen, is the winemaker and I’m always trying to tip the scales in favor of women and POC in my wine buying choices. This was a new wine for me, and as soon as I tasted it, I correctly guessed the importer as a pass-through for Total Wine (Saranty). The wine seemed overly oxidized, had a dusty-dry cardboard note to it, and took too long for the fruit to come in. I retasted the glass an hour later, and even with the extra air-time, the fruit was still late to the party. James Suckling (aka Jimmy High Scores) called the wine “a little rustic” which is the death knell from the jam-loving critic.
2022 Ornellaia “Le Volte dell’Ornellaia” Toscana IGT
🍷 2022 Ornellaia “Le Volte dell’Ornellaia” Toscana IGT ~ 👌
If there are “Baby Barolos” and “Baby Brunellos”, maybe this is the Baby Bolgheri. Designed for instant enjoyment, this is the DNA of the flagship wine Ornellaia ($260-280) in an approachable package. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot fermented in stainless and aged in Ornellaia’s used barriques. Dark plum fruit, cherry, and mocha with silky smooth tannins. Decent, if pedestrian.
Antinori’s Guado al Tasso bottles “il Bruciato” and it might be the most consistent over-performer in the region.
🍷 2023 Antinori “Il Bruciato” Bolgheri DOC from Tenuta Guado al Tasso ~ 👏
Around 15 years ago, my Winebow rep at the time blind tasted the buying team where I worked on Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Il Bruciato, and Poggio al Tesoro in an attempt to highlight the value in his Poggio al Tesoro. While there was indeed value in the al Tesoro, and we bought plenty, the real star of the show was Il Bruciato.
The vineyard name means “burnt” after the fire-scorched plot that produces one of Bolgheri’s most consistent and balanced wines. Every vintage since that blind tasting has been a masterclass in balance, with soft tannins and good acidity. Ageworthy but approachable, with notes of black cherry, blueberry, vanilla, and grilled herbs. This wine may as well have been a Premier Cru Bordeaux. Easily my favorite wine of the night.
“Varvara” Bolgheri Rosso by Castello di Bolgheri
🍷 2021 Castello di Bolgheri “Varvàra” Bolgheri Rosso 👎
From the oldest estate in the region (officially 1796) with ties to Italian nobility, Castello di Bolgheri dates back to the 1200s. I expected more given their history, but the wine lacked balance and came off as hot and high alcohol. 60% Cabernet, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot showed some cherry fruit and baker’s chocolate.
Michele Satta’s Piastraia Bolgheri
🍷 2021 Michele Satta “Piastraia” Bolgheri Superiore ~ 👌
Michele Satta is responsible for much of the agronomy of Bolgheri. For much of Satta’s time in the region he worked in vineyard management and soil science. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that he started his own winery, but with his knowledge of the landscape was able to work with one of the best plots in the area. The Piastraia was a bit unbalanced, with pronounced alcohol, but it blew off quicker than on Varvara. For a brief time the wine was quite pleasant, but after an hour open lost most of its fruit and tasted slightly oxidized. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese.
Bolgheri Superiore requires two years of aging, with at least one in barrel. Piastraia sees 18 months in barriques before an additional 24 months in bottle prior to release.
Guidalberto from Tenuta San Guido
🍷 2022 Tenuta San Guido “Guidalberto” Toscana IGT 👍
60/40 Cabernet and Merlot, with 12 months in French and American oak, Guidalberto is the second label of Sassicaia (which is the only winery with its own DOC, Bolgheri Sassicaia). Black currant, ripe raspberries, mint, mocha, and cedar with fine tannins. This wine carries with it a legacy status among wine collectors and is a very consistent wine vintage to vintage.
🍣 Sushi Pop Oviedo, FL Wine Dinner with the Alliance of Sommeliers
Wines of Bolgheri presented by Rod Henry | Food Pairings by Chef Chau
Greet: Contadi Castaldi Brut Franciacorta (Lombardy) with sour dough bruschetta
Course 1: Batzella “Peàn” v. Le Volte dell’Ornellaia with Prosciutto di Parma PDO
Course 2: Guado al Tasso “il Bruciato” v. Castelo di Bolgheri “Varvàra” with Ribollita and cannellini bean
Course 3: Michele Satta “Piastraia” v. Tenuta San Guido “Guidalberto” with conchiglioni ripieni of ricotta, beef and sausage ragu
I’d love to introduce you to the Alliance of Sommeliers. If you’re in the Orlando, FL area, let me know, and I’ll get you on their list.
