First, that ‘site specificity’ chestnut. Historically, it hasn’t been a major focus for Bolgheri, which is, like Bordeaux, mainly defined by its estate brands. Among Guado al Tasso, Tenuta San Guido, Le Macchiole, Ca’ Marcanda, Ornellaia and Masseto, I would bet that the only ones most collectors could consistently link to environmental features are Sassicaia (it’s in the name) and Masseto with its blue clay, which recalls Pétrus’ blue Crasse de Fer. Possibly, there is a general sense that Bolgheri’s soils resemble Bordeaux’s; the region is similarly flattish, at least for Italy (few vineyards rise above 200m asl); and, if you squint, the Med is a bit like the Gironde.

Many have argued – including the tireless Andrea Lonardi MW, whose new role as CEO of Marilisa Allegrini estates has plunged him into analysis of her Bolgheri property, Poggio al Tesoro – that Bolgheri is ripe for re-conception, starting with a solid understanding of its various macro-areas. I thoroughly agree, and the following attempt is pieced together from a long discussion and drive with Lonardi, as well as Alessandro Masnaghetti’s book on Bolgheri and Attilio Scienza’s Atlante Geologico Dei Vini d’Italia.

Lonardi places much emphasis on the surrounding hillsides, which are the western foothills of the Metallifere Hills, which sit further inland. They form something of an amphitheatre facing the coast, though the Bolgheri denomination only includes the lower curve, which extends roughly from the hamlet of Bolgheri itself, about 7km from the coast, southward through the hill town of Castagneto Carducci to the point on the coast just before the seaside town of San Vincenzo, where hills and sea nearly kiss. The Via Bolgherese runs along the base of the hills, roughly dividing foothill vineyards, where there is often more clay and conglomerate rock, from sandier plateaux or plains vineyards. The Via Vecchia Aurelia, built along the path of an ancient Roman coastal road, forms the western boundary.

Because much of the viticulturally interesting soil on both the hills and plateaux derives from colluvium from the hills and alluvium from the streams that run down the hills, the specific makeup of those hills plays a determining role in the mineral content, texture and colour of the soils. Hill height, Lonardi says, determined how far those sediments travelled before settling, with much wider colluvial/alluvial plateaus in front of the higher hills, such as those in the north of the denomination.

Lonardi divides the region into three bands: starting near the south, the key hill is Castagneto Carducci, predominantly sandstone. Its colluvium is sandy, orange in colour and rarely subject to hydric stress, producing fragrant, agile Bolgheri Rosso. In the middle, north of the Borro delle Macine and Bolgheri stream, the colluvium switches to Monteverdi flysch, friable calcareous material that forms clay-rich soils. These can be poorly drained but, with the right amount of scheletro (larger stones and pebbles), typically found near streams, can be ideal vineyard soils for long-ageing Bordeaux blends. North of the Viale dei Cipressi, also known as the Provinciale di San Guido because it runs from Bolgheri town to Tenuta San Guido, complex, mineral-rich colluvium extends further toward the sea. Coming from the Metallifere hills, these sediments are darker in colour, though the soils become sandier and even darker as you head toward the sea. This is a popular area for Vermentino – often grown on sandy soils – and the planting of red grapes other than the Bordeaux mainstays, like the Grenache Poggio al Tesoro, is growing.

As I always caution when discussing the confluence of geology and soils, these are generalisations. Scienza’s tome shows that the hills south of Castagneto Carducci, where Argentiera sits, feature complex outcroppings of calcareous and igneous material, as well as an extension of the flysch found further north. The sandy plains vary significantly, though at least some have evocative names, like Le Ferrugini with its red, iron-rich sands. Lonardi adds that in Bolgheri the vineyards themselves tend to be internally consistent but soils can change dramatically over distances of 1-1.5km, the opposite of regions like Chianti Classico.

However, a reason little of this territorial diversity has come to light thus far is the predominance of highly ‘interventionist’ winemaking. Almost all the wines are blends and utilise grapes less known for their site specificity, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Most wines are generously extracted and mature for long periods in French barriques and tonneaux, many new. To date, vanishingly few producers were experimenting with traditional Italian alternatives like botti (only Argentiera, Campo al Pero and Le Colonne), which would admittedly be an unorthodox choice for Bordeaux blends, though more were using amphorae.

Blends have shifted somewhat since Bolgheri’s original heyday, leaning away from Merlot and towards Cabernet Franc, which many believe has extraordinary potential here. I will confess I was not a believer when first introduced to the notion 5-10 years ago, having tasted only a smattering that – apart from outliers like the fantastic Matarocchio from Guado al Tasso and Paleo from Le Macchiole – were afflicted with a harsh capsicum greenness. However, I now believe that the grape is the most promising of the ‘minor’ varieties here, probably more so than Sangiovese or Syrah.

And what of the whites, some of which (in honesty, very few of which) have the ambition to live up to their red counterparts? The styles are split between varietal (or nearly varietal) Vermentino and blends that – like the Bordeaux whites they are loosely emulating – usually include some Sauvignon Blanc and sometimes more aromatic varieties like Viognier. Wanting to set itself apart from Sardegna’s Vermentino di Gallura, a perennial premium wine (but not quite a fine wine), Bolgheri Vermentino is typically made with a generous dose of winemaking: less new oak these days but certainly a fair amount of lees work. One clear division is between Vermentino grown on the sandy soils closer to the sea vs the more typical Bolgheri alluvial clays with scheletro (like Podere Roseto, Grattamacco and Poggio al Tesoro) which have more guts. The blended whites haven’t yet developed a clear identity – somewhat ironically, since Bolgheri was a white and rosé appellation long before it was approved for reds. Producers are still trying to figure out the ideal varietal composition and only one – Ornellaia Bianco – is truly exceptional at this point.

As it is my first year tasting this region in depth, I’ll refrain from commenting too boldly on its overall trajectory; it is encouraging to see a handful of new-generation producers like Dario di Vaira and Fabio Motta going head-to-head with the old guard, as well as a renewed burst of energy at mainstays like Ornellaia and Poggio al Tesoro. Bolgheri – once the most dynamic fine-wine region in Italy – is surely due another look.

Tasting notes and scores from Club Oenologique’s Bolgheri Report 2025 (featuring only those wines scoring 90 points and above) are available to all registered users of The Collection, the online home of our premium wine and spirits content. To register, click here.