#69 in Top 100 Wines of Italy, 2024. Very pure and balanced. Whilst showing a lot of power and depth, there’s something delicate and pristine to its character. Blackberries and blackcurrants, together with mint, iodine, crushed-seashell, graphite and umami notes. Full, wide-berthed and very dynamic on the palate, with seamless, compact tannins that have a very fine texture and last for minutes. Beautiful, fine and chiseled texture. Really long. Pure cabernet franc. April 2025 release. Try from 2028.
While many monovarietal Cabernet Francs are produced in Bolgheri today, this wine was among the earliest and helped pave the way for those that followed. The Poggio al Tesoro 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Dedicato A Walter delivers rich, creamy intensity with layers of dark fruit, blackberry and baked pie crust, wrapped in a distinctly sweet, enveloping mouthfeel. The fruit comes from the Chiesina di San Giuseppe area near sea level at 56 meters in elevation, characterized by sandy soils with abundant stones, contributing to the wine's ripeness and structure. Fermented in steel and conical Slavonian oak casks before aging for 24 months in French barriques, the wine is produced in a limited run of 8,000 bottles.
The 2021 Dedicato a Walter is made entirely from Cabernet Franc and aged for 24 months in new 225-liter French oak barriques followed by nine months in bottle. It pours a deep, saturated red hue and is highly expressive, with layered aromatics of graphite, black cherry, cassis, lavender, sweet herbs, and a touch of blood orange. Full-bodied, it offers a fleshy yet structured core, balanced acidity, and a long, focused finish. It’s mouthwatering with sanguine earth and saline minerality, while its gravelly, well-defined tannins give the wine shape and persistence. Tasted on two occasions for this report, it’s a powerful yet refined wine that gains clarity with air and stands out as one of the strongest vintages in the range. Drink 2026-2046.
The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Dedicato a Walter, 100% Cabernet Franc, is another winner in this range from Poggio al Tesoro. Blood orange, pomegranate, mocha, espresso and rose petal convey all the textural and flavor intensity that is so typical of Francs from the Tuscan Coast. The 2021 offers a captivating mix of intensity and energy, with less of the bombastic power that was common in the early days here.
Massive, but has a meaning, everything is over-sized; blackcurrant, mint, black pepper; but the purity is impeccable, tannins firm and the length enduring. Spectacular varietal character. (Gold) - DWWA 2026
Well-marked by new oak, this sinewy red displays vanilla, resin, smoke and tobacco flavors. Plum and black currant peek through as this adds a licorice accent on the finish. Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2039. 600 cases made.
Winery Notes
It is one of the rare Cabernet Franc in purity of Bolgheri and Italy, dedicated by Marilisa Allegrini to her brother Walter and who has become the spearhead of Poggio al Tesoro. Here, this grape variety finds the ideal conditions to express itself independently and absolutely original.
Pre-arrival
Case Only
