Argiano is many people’s touchstone Brunello. Tucked away in the far south-western limits of Brunello production, away from the main clusters of estates, the late Renaissance hilltop villa of Argiano looks down on its vineyards. Monte Amiata hulks nearby. It’s a spectacular site, with a long history of winemaking – there have been vineyards on this hill for at least 500 years.
It’s a site well-suited to winemaking. High altitude brings cool summer evenings, so even in hot, dry vintages the vines enjoy cool summer evenings and an extended ripening cycle. And it`s not only a highly-regared Brunello they make here. In 1992 the then owner, the Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano, began working with the man known as the father of the SuperTuscans, Giacomo Tachis. This collaboration resulted in Solengo (`solitary wild boar`, in the local dialect), a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Sangiovese. It is a wine that perfectly epitomises the inspired marriage of French varietals and Tuscan terroir that is the definition of SuperTuscan. (NT 07/02/18)
