Le Colonne Bolgheri Rosso 2019

Big, bold, and beautiful, the 2019 Le Colonne Bolgheri Rosso (93 Points – Wine Spectator) exhibits a wealth of deep-down flavors as well as laser-like precision. Black cherry, cassis, and currant flavors with hints of dark chocolate and forest floor emerge from the depths of this dark potion. Intense, yet superbly balanced, this young Super Tuscan is all in and all there. A rich blend of 70% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, it drinks beautifully now as a young Bolgheri Rosso, though it will surely continue to improve with additional time in the bottle. For optimum enjoyment now, afford the 2019 Le Colonne Bolgheri Rosso Super Tuscan an hour in a decanter before consuming around 58°-62° F, and then delight in how it works its magic. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2028. Enjoy!

The 2019 Tenuta Le Colonne provides ideal companionship to traditional Tuscan specialties as well as a host of international fare which pair nicely with Bordeaux varietals. However, our first choice to accompany Le Colonne’s 2019 Bolgheri Rosso is Tuscany’s signature dish: Florentine Steak, an oversized T-bone rubbed with garlic and rosemary and basted with olive oil. A marinated grilled sirloin steak, served with a mushroom, chestnut, shallot, and green peppercorn sauce makes another fine companion. Add a warm goat cheese potato salad and fresh haricots verts to the steak and enjoy this food and wine pairing work its magic. Seared Flank Steak prepared with honey lavender demi-glace and accompanied by sautéed kale and butternut squash au gratin gets two thumbs up as well. Lamb and wild boar also provide outstanding accompaniments to this wine. A delicious Mushroom and Wild Boar Sausage Ravioli with red wine, braised figs, and Ricotta cheese provides yet another tasty pairing, while rabbit stuffed with truffle-infused wild rice provides an excellent complement, too. However, if meat is not in the offering, why not consider pairing Le Colonne’s 2019 Bolgheri Rosso with a plate of soft and semi-hard rindless cheeses from around the world. Gouda, Munster, and Port Salut are just a few superb cheeses worthy to pair with the 2019 Le Colonne Bolgheri Rosso, though many other carefully crafted cheeses will provide equal pleasure. Buon Appetito!

Tenuta Le Colonne has quickly become one of the stars of Tuscany’s premier DOC. Under the shiny Tuscan sun and nestled closest to the cobalt-blue Tyrrhenian Sea in Tuscany’s prized Bolgheri DOC appellation, this superb property consists of 64 hectares of vineyards in Bolgheri’s most strategic location. Moreover, Le Colonne fashions one of Bolgheri’s finest and most affordable red wines from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon – the Bordeaux grape varietals for which Bolgheri and the appellation’s Super Tuscan reds are world-renowned.

Le Colonne’s Bolgheri Rossos have earned this estate an international reputation, but Le Colonne is equally adept at crafting exceptional white wine, Vermentino di Toscana IGT, and a delicious rosé, Rosato Toscana IGT. In the words of Alejandro Bulgheroni, Le Colonne’s dedicated jet-setting proprietor, “the elegant Bolgheri Rosso alongside the fresh White and Rosé represent the epitome of wine-making in this corner of heaven, a place in Tuscany (Bolgheri) where beauty actually has a specific taste and passion becomes a recognizable fragrance.” We couldn’t agree more, but we invite you to taste and see for yourself.

Bolgheri has emerged as Tuscany’s premier DOC, and its red wines known as Super Tuscans are universally lauded and ranked among the planet’s finest. Wines such as Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia and Ornellaia’s Bolgheri Superiore are world-renowned, receive great critical acclaim year in and year out, and fetch prices on par with the finest classified Bordeaux.

Located in southern Tuscany beside the cobalt blue Tyrrhenian Sea, Bolgheri has for centuries cultivated Cabernet Sauvignon and other French varietals along with Sangiovese, Tuscany’s premier indigenous grape variety. Yet, on account of its reliance on Cabernet Sauvignon and other non-autochthonous grape varieties, Bolgheri attained DOC status for red wine only in 1994, making it one of Tuscany’s youngest appellations. Red wine serves as Bolgheri’s ambassador to the world, accounting for much of the region’s international acclaim. Bolgheri DOC regulations stipulate that Bolgheri Rosso can only be made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah with at least 50% of the blend consisting of Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot). Small amounts of Petit Verdot, another Bordeaux varietal, also finds its way into some Bolgheri Rossos, but in reality, most of Bolgheri’s Super Tuscans rely more heavily on Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot with increasingly less Sangiovese and Syrah appearing in the finest examples.