Arnione: A new Bolgheri superstar?
Remember the name 'Arnione', says Aldo Fiordelli, who wonders whether the time has come for a new star in Bolgheri to join established names such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Tignanello and Masseto.
Founded 20 years ago this June, Campo alla Sughera is a boutique winery in Bolgheri exuding Italian grace underscored by a German sense of consistency. The owner is the Iphofen-based Knauf family, one of the world’s leading producers of ‘drywall’ building material.
Bolgheri is a quintessential Tuscan hamlet found at the end of a three mile long avenue lined with 2,400 cypress trees, those celebrated in the verses of Nobel prize-winning poet Giosuè Carducci.
For centuries, alabaster has been quarried in this part of Tuscany, and in 1998 the Knauf family were looking for a production plant for their plasterboard when Isabel Knauf discovered what she termed ‘a Mediterranean Bordeaux’.
Scroll down to see Aldo’s tasting notes and scores for seven vintages of Arnione
‘Ending up in this beautiful piece of land, close to the most famous Bolgheri wineries, is thanks to the geological studies that we conducted for the construction of our plant in Tuscany. A true stroke of luck!’After two decades, Arnione is now emerging as a top Bolgheri Superiore for at least two reasons:
- Firstly, it is never too extracted, yet is almost always concentrated enough to age for 20 years in the best vintages.
- Secondly, this area of Bolgheri has given birth to three out of the five most renowned Tuscan wines – Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Masseto – which are followed by less recognised wines such as Arnione, whose only sin in outstanding vintages like 2006 or 2015 is that of being lesser known.
The vineyard
Campo alla Sughera have 16.5ha of vines, two-thirds of which lie above the Bolgherese, the road considered the boundary line for producing top quality wines. The soil is predominantly alluvial, with marine deposits in sandy layers over deep-lying gravel and clay.
Knauf and her winemaker, Francesco Gagliardi, selected 15 microsites and 38 different plots, an act both as rare as it is essential in Bolgheri, given that the terroir is less homogeneous in comparison to Bordeaux, for example.
What they do share with the Médoc is the principle of high density planting – here they have planted 9,500 vines per hectare, higher than Bolgheri’s average, and it could almost be criticised as too high for the Mediterranean climate.
‘We don’t need to green harvest our Cabernet Sauvignon at this density,’ says Gagliardi, ‘but it’s crucial for us to contain the yields at a naturally low level, with open clusters and thicker grapes’.
In the winery
The definition of fruit in the wine is the ‘German’ signature of this Bordeaux blend, which is also full of spices due to the 20% Petit Verdot.
Compared to the wines of the right bank, the proportion of this grape variety is dramatically higher, but it shows an outstanding level of phenolic ripeness under the Tuscan sun.
In its first years, Arnione was proposed as 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, but from 2006 they introduced 20% of the increasingly trendy Cabernet Franc.
The extraction is as gentle as possible in order to minimise seed tannins, and fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures of 28-30°C in stainless steel tanks.
Arnione is then racked to 50% new French barriques for malolactic fermentation to increase complexity and texture.
Thus, if power is built in the vineyards, diplomacy is underlined in the cellar, leading to the outstanding grace of this ‘Mediterranean Bordeaux’.
Aldo’s tasting notes and scores for Arnione:
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Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2001
The first vintage of this wine was from a very good year in Tuscany. Naturally balanced yields allowed for ripe grapes without any green harvest. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon along with 30% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, emerging in the form of prune and dark tobacco aromas followed by a creamy palate with a milk chocolate finish. The fully evolved tannins are supported by moderate, refreshing acidity. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2001
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Following two vintages at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, 2004 was an almost perfect year, with high yields which required grape thinning. 'With this vintage we started to compete with the most important Bolgheri wines,' says winemaker Francesco Gagliardi. This Arnione shows incredibly fresh fruit ranging from cherries to plums, yet it's restrained; the depth of tanned leather melting to velvety tannins. A meaty, savoury finish is pushed along by crisp acidity. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2004
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2006
Cabernet Franc debuts in the blend this year (20%), reducing the percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: a lucky charm for one of the most powerful vintages on record. Remarkable diurnal temperature ranges and a long growing season led to dramatically concentrated grapes. This Arnione is full of deep, dense cassis, with graphite minerality and a cedar finish. It has firm acidity and grippy yet velvety mid-palate tannins – which suggests it will have amazing longevity. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2006
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2009
The first hot vintage in this flight. Summer required a lot of intervention to reduce yields enough to achieve phenolic ripeness. The fruit profile is more red than dark, without losing its signature definition, with flavours of cherry and chocolate over powdered vanilla. The palate, despite being more ripe than supple, is balanced with refreshing acidity and chalkier tannins on the finish. Also has 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2009
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2011
2011 was a very hot vintage with little rain during the summer months, stressing the vines and leading the grapes to the peak of ripeness. Dark, restrained notes of cassis are in evidence, along with a meaty, almost rustic character on the nose and a long, savoury finish with a slight warmth that the crisp acidity doesn’t fully compensate for. The gentle extraction in the winery gives the tannins the nervy yet velvety character to preserve the power of the wine without compromising its grace. Also has 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2011
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2012
Another warm vintage, celebrated in Tuscany due to an almost completely dry growing season without any disease pressure, though it was not an easy road to phenolic ripeness. Campo alla Sughera was no exception, and the harvest was called earlier than usual. This Arnione is almost new world in style, with overt blueberry fruit and creamy tannins, yet chalky and drier on the finish. Despite the concentration of the grapes, the acidity is still refreshing. Also has 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2012
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
Campo Alla Sughera, Arnione, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2015
Following a relatively dry spring, the summer was hot and the end of the growing season classic and regular, with a high diurnal temperature range. The wine is remarkably perfumed and doesn’t lack in definition, with an almost estery fruit character accompanied by complex notes of dried eucalyptus leaves, rose and violets - the signature of Tuscany - and completed by a hint of clove and some meaty flavours. It's a full-bodied, spicy wine with crisp acidity and ripe, crunchy, velvety tannins. This is tempting now, but will also age well. Also has 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend. Aged in French oak, 50% new.
2015
Campo Alla SugheraBolgheri
