Review: Wines of Argentiera, 2026 Releases
The name may confuse, but Tenuta Argentiera is not an Argentinian winery. Rather, it’s based in Bolgheri, Italy, one of the bluest of blue chip growing locations in the country.
Some basics:
Argentiera is located in the southern tip of the Bolgheri DOC, on the hills of Donoratico, whose splendid vineyards overlook the Tuscan archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The property’s vineyards extend for 85 hectares in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci, the pretty Tuscan hilltop town that Nobel Prize winner for literature Giosue Carducci called home. Here Argentiera expresses the contemporary oenological vision of one of Europe’s most award-winning wine-growing areas. The goal is to create wines that are made mainly in the vineyard, while in the cellar we simply try to maintain the expression of the terroir, keeping the varieties separate to create a perfect blend.
We tasted four wines from Argentiera’s slate of 2026 releases over Zoom with winemaker Nicolo Carrara, dialing in from Italy. Thoughts on all wines tasted follow.
2024 Argentiera Scenario Bolgheri Blanco DOC – 100% vermentino. Very crisp, very dry, and very refreshing. Grassy and floral up top, white flowers make way in time for a hearty minerality, crisp lemon peel (and some lime), and eventually a healthy honeydew character to wrap things up. As the wine warms a bit, it takes on a slightly creamier body, with a soothing richness. A gorgeous wine for the upcoming summer. A / $30
2024 Argentiera Poggio ai Ginepri – 40% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 20% cabernet franc, 10% petit verdot. A Bordeaux-style blend but aged briefly in stainless steel and used French oak barrels. Light on its feet and effusive with fruit, this is an exploration of cherry, with lighter elements of raspberry and rhubarb lingering. Hints of mint and chocolate perk up the finish, which is otherwise crisp and quite refreshing, with a gentle bitterness offering a cleansing edge. I liked this better as an aperitif more than drinking it alongside dinner. B+ / $30
2024 Argentiera Villa Donoratico Bolgheri Rosso DOC – 45% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 15% cabernet franc, 10% petit verdot. This is another Bordeaux-styled wine with an intensity not seen elsewhere in the Argentiera lineup, aged in more traditional French and Austrian tonneaux, showcasing layers of brambly blackberry dusted with graphite, tar, and crushed shale. The fruit — dense as it is — manages to push through all of that and endure, though it gives the finish a distinct pruniness, eventually meandering into dark chocolate. While brooding and intense, it’s never particularly tannic and should pair well with heartier pasta dishes. A- / $50
2023 Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore DOC – 48% merlot, 42% cabernet sauvignon, and 10% cabernet franc. A deep and soulful Super Tuscan, bursting with a mix of red and black berries, right from the jump. Layers of florals lift the wine out of what might otherwise be a purer exploration of fruit, and as it develops on the palate, it reveals some barrel-driven elements, including light notes of vanilla, milk chocolate, and some gritty, almost gravelly slate notes on the finish. Smoldering and gently tannic, with lingering flavors of brambly blackberry. A- / $105
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