Tenuta Belguardo was purchased in the 1990s after the Mazzei family identified the potential for producing quality wines on the estate. In line with their philosophy of innovation, the family implemented an intense re-planting programme, carefully selecting grape varieties and clones. The estate is situated in the Maremma between the hills of Grosseto and Montiano, and within the official Morellino di Scansano viticultural zone. The estate is only 10km from the coast which plays an important role in the microclimate of the vineyards which cover 60 hectares and are planted with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, Vermentino, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and other indigenous varieties.
Vineyards location: 70-130 m (230-426 ft) a.s.l.; S-SW exp.
Soil: Sandy, with some pebbles derivating mainly from sandstone disintegration
Vineyards age: 14 – 19 years
Training system: Spur cordon-training
Nr. of vines per hectare: 6,600
Harvest: Hand picked from September 3rd
Fermentation temperature: 28 – 30° C
Period of maceration: 16 days
Ageing: 12 months in small french oak barrels (225 lt)
Finissage: 4 months in concrete tanks
Bottling: September 2021
Available on the market: May 2022
Production: 27,500 bottles
The winter was very anomalous, with rainfall well beyond the average and abundant snowfall in February; later, spring was characterised by temperatures above the seasonal average: April was dry with the maximum temperatures that reached their highest peaks in recent decades. However, budding, flowering and fruit setting were regular. In the following months, the weather was unstable with abundant rainfall (especially in April and May) and temperatures above the average of the period, which globally did not affect the health of the grapes. During the harvest period, the days were warm and bright, often windy, with good temperature range between day and night, which ensured a regular harvest and the optimal ripeness of the grapes, with unique aromatic and polyphenolic features.
Beginning of the harvest: September 3rd
End of the harvest: October 5th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 331 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3991 °C
Evaluation: Very good
Intense, elegant and vibrant, the wine shows blackcurrant notes and a herbal character, with a fresh and savory finish.
Pasta with game sauce, white meat stews, baked vegetables.
James Suckling 92 pts
Falstaff 91 pts
Maremma Toscana DOC
65% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Alicante
10% Cabernet Franc
5% Petit Verdot
Natural Cork
13.67%
5.65 g/l
