Tenuta Argentiera

Tenuta Argentiera was created in 1999 when the Florentine Fratini family, established Italian entrepreneurs, identified the gravelly hills of Donoratico at the southern edge of the Bolgheri DOC as ideal terroir for Bordeaux-variety viticulture. The first commercial vintage was released in 2004, quickly establishing the estate as a serious Bolgheri Bordeaux-blend producer. In 2016, ownership transferred to Austrian businessman Stanislaus Turnauer, who has continued and expanded the estate's quality program. The name Argentiera references the historic Podere Argentiera, recorded in the Grand Ducal cadastre, and pays tribute to the area's silver mining heritage from which the estate takes its identity.

• Founded in 1999 by the Florentine Fratini family as a new-investment Bolgheri estate at the southern edge of the appellation
• First commercial vintage released in 2004; estate quickly earned recognition as a serious Bolgheri Bordeaux-blend producer
• Stanislaus Turnauer (Austrian entrepreneur) acquired the estate in 2016 and has continued its quality-focused investment program
• Estate name pays tribute to Podere Argentiera and references the area's historic silver mining heritage

The Argentiera estate covers approximately 80 hectares on the hills of Donoratico in the southern part of the Bolgheri DOC, with around 75 hectares planted to vines. The vineyards sit on gravelly, well-drained soils with limestone and clay components, reminiscent of the geology that defines Bolgheri's overall reputation. Proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea provides cooling breezes during the warm Mediterranean summer, preserving acidity and aromatic precision in the late-ripening Bordeaux varieties. The estate practices certified organic viticulture and emphasizes meticulous canopy management to balance the warm coastal climate against the structural needs of Cabernet-led blends.

• Approximately 80 hectares of total property with around 75 hectares planted to vines
• Vineyards located on the hills of Donoratico at Bolgheri's southern edge, with gravelly, limestone-clay soils similar to Bolgheri's defining geology
• Tyrrhenian Sea proximity moderates summer heat and preserves freshness in late-ripening Bordeaux varieties
• Certified organic farming and detailed canopy management balance the warm climate against structural needs

Argentiera focuses on the classic Bolgheri Bordeaux palette: Cabernet Sauvignon dominates plantings, supported by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah. The flagship Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore is a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux blend that combines multiple parcels and varieties to achieve the structural depth and aging potential expected of the appellation's Superiore tier. Villa Donoratico Bolgheri Rosso, the second wine, offers an earlier-drinking expression of the estate style with brighter fruit and softer tannins. Winemaking emphasizes parcel-by-parcel vinification and extended aging in French oak barriques, with the Superiore bottlings spending up to 18 months in oak followed by significant time in bottle.

• Plantings dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, supported by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah; Vermentino covers the white production
• Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore = the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux blend with extended oak aging for structural depth
• Villa Donoratico Bolgheri Rosso = second wine offering brighter fruit and earlier drinking accessibility
• Winemaking emphasizes parcel-by-parcel vinification and extended aging in French oak barriques

The estate's range covers the full Bolgheri quality hierarchy. Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore is the headline wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc that consistently earns critical praise for combining warm Mediterranean ripeness with cool maritime freshness. Villa Donoratico Bolgheri Rosso offers a more approachable Bordeaux blend at a moderate price point, aged in larger format oak for a softer texture. The estate also produces a Bolgheri Rosso varietally focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet Franc bottling in limited release, and a Vermentino-based white. Production volumes are deliberately modest to maintain quality consistency across the range.

• Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore: flagship Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc; signature wine of the estate
• Villa Donoratico Bolgheri Rosso: second wine, more approachable Bordeaux blend with brighter fruit and softer tannins
• Estate also produces a varietally focused Cabernet Sauvignon Bolgheri Rosso, limited-release 100% Cabernet Franc, and a Vermentino-based white
• Production deliberately modest to maintain quality consistency across the portfolio

Tenuta Argentiera occupies a meaningful position in modern Bolgheri as a 'second generation' Bordeaux-blend specialist, founded after the appellation's pioneering era but before its mainstream global recognition. The estate's southern Donoratico location, slightly removed from the most famous Castagneto Carducci core, offers a distinct terroir signature of gravel and limestone influence with strong maritime cooling. Under the Fratini family's establishment and the Turnauer family's continued investment, Argentiera has built a track record of reliable quality across vintages, making it one of the appellation's most consistent moderately priced premium estates and a benchmark for the southern Bolgheri style.

• Second-generation Bolgheri Bordeaux-blend specialist, founded after the appellation's pioneering era but before its mainstream global recognition
• Southern Donoratico location offers distinct terroir signature of gravel, limestone, and pronounced maritime cooling
• Track record of reliable quality across vintages makes it one of the appellation's most consistent moderately priced premium estates
• Benchmark estate for the southern Bolgheri Bordeaux-blend style under continuous family-controlled ownership