Producer
Poggio al Tesoro is a 70 hectare property in Bolgheri acquired in 2002 by the Allegrini family. The first vineyard they bought, Le Sondraie, is next door to Ornellaia and was previously rented by them. It is 50 hectares in size and is planted with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and a small amount of Vermentino.
Vineyards
Most of the Cabernet Sauvignon fruit for this blend was sourced from the three hectare Via Bolgherese vineyard situated at 56 metres above sea level. Composed of coarse red sand, the soils are rich in gravel, well drained and have a clay layer at a depth of 120 centimetres. The planting density is 9,000 vines per hectare. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the 12 hectare Le Sondraie vineyard situated 35 metres above sea level. These soils are free draining, a mixture of clay and sandy silt, with high levels of magnesium and iron. With a density of 7,936 vines per hectare, the vines are cordon trained and spur pruned. The vines have an average age of 19 years
Vinification
After destemming and soft pressing to partially rupture the berries, fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks at 28-30°C for 12 days. The wine was transferred to French oak barriques (50% new, 50% second-use) for ageing, during which time malolactic fermentation occurred naturally. After 18 months in barrique and a further nine months in bottle, the wine was released.