Make sure to try this wine
Il Seggio, Poggio al Tesoro, 2017
3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP
Il Seggio, Poggio al Tesoro, 2017 (19 EUR/21 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (07-06-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
The last time I tasted such a good red wine in this price range from Italy as this was in December 2019 when I tasted Il Seggio Poggio al Tesoro 2016. This vintage is much closer to 4,0 NJP than the vintage 2016 thanks to a better tannin structure and a better balance. Unfortunately, nowadays, to be able to enjoy of a good so-called Super Tuscan-red wine from Italy like this one, one has to pay minimum 800 SEK. I take my hat off to both the Systembolaget and the wine importer (Iconic Wines).
The wine is austere and nuanced, and it has a really good balance between its fruitiness, tannins, sweetness and acidity. The aroma is big, complex, sweetish, fruity and nuanced. It is filled with sweet spices (cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla), Crème de Cassis, freshly brewed dark roasted coffee, dried fruits and tobacco. The flavour is big, complex, moderate sweet and moderate fruity. It is filled with dark cherries, freshly brewed dark roasted coffee, cocoa-rich dark chocolate, tobacco, sweet spices and Crème de Cassis.
Il Seggio Poggio al Tesoro 2017 consists of 40% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. This is a so-called Bordeaux blend. The wine, as this one, with such aroma and flavour richness will fit really well with Pasta Carbonara, made from fresh pasta, or with Lasagne, made from fresh lasagne plates, or with Pizza Capricciosa or with freshly baked baguettes stuffed with butter and garlic with air-dried ham (Jamon Iberico, Jamon Serrano, Prosciutto Crudo or Prosciutto di Parma) or with Camembert cheese or with (Swedish) meatballs with cream sauce and buttery mashed potatoes, without any berry jam. It should be served at 18 to 19°C in Bordeaux glass, if possible, from Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Spiegelau or Riedel. Another option is to serve it at 16°C (when room temperature is above 20°C or outdoor temperature is above 23°C) and then enjoy it as it begins to open/grow in the glass. Il Seggio Poggio al Tesoro 2017 has a really good aging potential, at least 8 years i.e. until at least 2028.
The grapes for the wine are harvested by hand. After very careful selection in both vineyards and wineries, careful destemming and pressing, the wine is fermented/macerated in stainless steel tanks at a temperature between 28 and 30°C for twelve days. After the fermentation and the maceration, the wine is aged in 70% second time filled 225 litres French oak barrels (barriques) and 30% new 225 litres French oak barrels for 70 months and finally in a bottle for a few weeks. The soil on which the grapes for this wine grow consists of gravelly, sandy, silty and clayey soil.
