Bolgheri ‘Stupore’ Campo alle Comete ‘Super Tuscan’

An intensely aromatic full bodied Italian blend with notes of fresh plum layered with sweet roasted cocoa and tobacco, silky and smooth. An outstanding Super Tuscan Bordeaux blend of Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Petit Verdot 10% The term Super Tuscan was first used in the early 1980s to describe a blend of wine grapes, typically the Bordeaux combination, that are not indigenous to Italy. The creation of Super Tuscan wines resulted from the frustration winemakers had towards the restrictions of Italy’s wine laws. Sassicaia was officially the first Super Tuscan when they planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on their estate in Bolgheri to test how the local Tuscan terroir would respond to Bordeaux varieties. The results were so amazing that the 1968 vintage of Sassicaia was released in 1971 yet could only be labelled as red table wine. Sassicaia now typically sells for up to £500 per bottle or even much more for rare old vintages. In 1978, Decanter magazine organised a blind Bordeaux tasting and slipped Sassicaia in, amongst the famous wines, beating much of the top Bordeaux competition. The Campo alle Comete winery is located at the foot of the Castagneto Carducci hill in Bolgheri. The oldest vines are planted around the cellar surrounded by the Mediterranean bushland. The proximity of the sea with its constant refreshing breezes plays an important role for the vine’s growth and for the maturation of the fruit, where the fresh breezes impart natural balancing acidity to the sun-ripened fruit. The vineyard is cultivated following organic principles, mostly involving only copper and sulphur preparations. The grapes are hand-harvested and brought immediately to the cellar for vinification. The wine was matured for nine months in new French tonneaux and second passage, French oak barriques. This Bolgheri Superiore displays a restrained character with earthiness, fresh plum layered with sweet roasted cocoa, tobacco and minty notes over a base of cassis aroma and flavour. The palate is quite warming but otherwise balanced, with extremely good extraction and firm yet ripe tannins.