Tuscany
- Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri - 2026 by ombiasy Wine
Tours, led by Annette Schiller, took place from June 8 to 18, 2026. The
tour started in Florence. There were 14 participants, including Annette
and myself,
After
spending the first 4 nights of the tour at Fattoria di Rignana in
Greve, focussing on Chianti Classico, we moved to Montalcino and the second 4
nights there at Foresteria Podere Brizio in Montalcino, focussing on Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, we spent the last 2 nights at the beach in the Bolgheri area, focussing on Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri. We stayed at the Tombolo Talasso Resort, a five-star seaside spa hotel located in
Marina di Castagneto Carducci on the Etruscan Coast of Tuscany, Italy.
It is famous for its underground cave thalassotherapy spa:
Tour
and Tasting, including the Redigaffi, the First Italian Wine ever
Awarded 100 Points by Robert Parker, at Tua Rita, Maremma, Suvereto,
with Next-generation Owner Giovanni Frascolla - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Shopping
and Lunch in Bolgheri - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Cellar Tour
and Tasting at Castello di Bolgheri, Bolgheri DOC, Bolgheri, with
Next-generation Owner Clementi Zileri Dal Verne and Winemaker
Allessandro Dondi - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino,
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by
ombiasy Wine Tours
Cellar Tour
and Tasting at Podere Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Castagneto
Carducci - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino
Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by
ombiasy Wine Tours
Dinner
at Beach Restaurant Il Poeta in Castagneto Carducci - Tuscany (Chianti
Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super
Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Shopping and Lunch in Bolgheri
Following:
we went to the village of Bolgheri for lunch. This was not a group lunch and some of us had no lunch at all but used the time for shopping.
Bolgheri (wine-searcher)
Bolgheri is a relatively young yet prestigious Italian appellation located in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast just to the south of Livorno, and named after a town in the north of the region. It is known mainly for deeply coloured, supple yet ageworthy red wines, usually based on the Bordeaux grape varieties.
As recently as the 1970s, the area had little reputation for wine production, regarded elsewhere in Tuscany as something of a swampy zone producing fairly nondescript white wines and rosés, and better suited to other farming, in contrast to the prime Tuscan vineyards further up in the hills.
Sassicaia and the 1978 Decanter tasting
Then, in 1978, in an infamous blind tasting arranged by Decanter Magazine, the 1972 vintage of a largely unknown wine called Sassicaia, made at Tenuta San Guido estate of the Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, beat a number of top Bordeaux wines. Wine had been been made at Tenuta San Guido in a rather rustic fashion for personal consumption for some years previously, and only commercialized from the 1968 vintage. However, this early example of a more polished version made by legendary winemaking consultant Giacomo Tachis led to an awakening of interest in the region.
Vineyard zone, terroir and Bordeaux grape varieties
The winemaking zone is based on the commune of Bolgheri e Casraneto Carducci. The Suvereto region borders its southeast corner, while separate pockets of the Val di Cornia appellation lie to the south and east. It features sloping coastal vineyards close to the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Sassicaia's name ("stony field") alludes to the banks of gravel in the area, reminiscent of vineyards in the Graves and the Haut-Médoc, which inspired the French wine loving Marchese to plant Bordeaux varieties – particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – rather than Sangiovese.
In the 1980s, Lodovico Antinori began planting on his neighboring Ornellaia estate. An area of clay within this estate was planted with Merlot and became the separate Masseto property.
The climate and soil have attracted further vineyard expansion. These have continued to mostly focus on red Bordeaux varieties.
Bolgheri Rosso
Until the current DOC regulations were laid down in 1994, Sassicaia and the other Super Tuscan wines produced here were usually sold as Vino da Tavola or Toscana IGT. Today a Bolgheri Rosso, Rosso Superiore or Rosé may be made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or a blend combining one or more of these, and/or up to 50 percent of Syrah or Sangiovese. Other red grapes such as Petit Verdot may account for up to 30 percent. Wines made from other grape varieties or nonconforming blend percentages are classified as IGTs. Earlier DOC regulations prevented monovarietal wines from being produced as Bolgheri Rosso, and some examples such as Masseto are also still labeled as Toscana IGT.
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
Since 2013 Sassicaia has its own subzone DOC, running in a band of about five kilometers (3 miles) in length, just to the south of Bolgheri town. This is expected to become a DOCG in due course. Its rules reflect the wine’' typical 85-15 composition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Bolgheri Bianco
The white wine grape most often used in Bolgheri Bianco is Vermentino, which may account for up to 70 percent of the wine. Sauvignon Blanc and Trebbiano Toscano may contribute up to 40 percent, and others no more than 30 percent. There are separate Bolgheri Sauvignon and Bolgheri Vermentino DOCs that must contain 85 percent of the headline grape variety. Many white wine examples are relatively light, crisp and refreshing, though there are some examples of barrel-matured whites.
Tuscany
- Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri - 2026 by ombiasy Wine
Tours, led by Annette Schiller (Summery, June 8-18)
Schiller-wine:
Tuscany - Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri - 2026 by ombiasy Wine
Tours, led by Annette Schiller (Summery, June 8-18): Already Released
and Forthcoming Postings
36 Hours in Medieval Florence
- Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di
Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine
Tours
Dinner at Cantinetta di Rignana - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Guided City Tour of San Gimignano - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Guided City Tour of Siena - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino,
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by
ombiasy Wine Tours
Tour
and Tasting, including the Redigaffi, the First Italian Wine ever
Awarded 100 Points by Robert Parker, at Tua Rita, Maremma, Suvereto,
with Next-generation Owner Giovanni Frascolla - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Shopping
and Lunch in Bolgheri - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di
Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma,
Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
Tour
and Tasting at Castello di Bolgheri, Bolgheri DOC, Bolgheri, with
Next-generation Owner Clementi Zileri Dal Verne and Winemaker
Allessandro Dondi - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino,
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by
ombiasy Wine Tours
Tour
and Tasting at Podere Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore DOC, Castagneto
Carducci - Tuscany (Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino
Nobile di Montepulciano, Super Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by
ombiasy Wine Tours
Dinner
at Beach Restaurant Il Poeta in Castagneto Carducci - Tuscany (Chianti
Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Super
Tuscans, Maremma, Bolgheri) 2026 by ombiasy Wine Tours
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