Michele Satta Piastraia Bolgheri Superiore 2023

Tobacco, Cooked Cherry, Blackberry, Fennel Seed

25% Cabernet Sauvignon | 25% Merlot | 25% Syrah | 25% Sangiovese

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"Unlike Jean Paul Daumen, who was lucky to inherit his unique vineyard, Michele Satta knew exactly what he was looking for when selecting the site which produced his 2017 Michele Satta Bolgheri Superiore Piastraia. Michele Satta first visited the Tuscan coast with this father, who was from Sardinia, in the late 1960’s. At the time this area was not famous for wine, or even really known for grapes. Most of the region was dedicated to growing wheat, the legacy of which remains today by the preponderance of estates with aia in their name. An aia is the structure on the farms where the wheat was threshed to separate the berries from the chaff. Often the famers kept a few barrels of wine in these buildings as well, but produced for personal consumption, not commerce. In 1974, when Michele Satta graduated from the University of Pisa with a degree in agriculture, his first job was working on a farm in this same area. While he was hired to work the wheat fields he also assisted the proprietor in producing some wine. He quickly fell in love with farming grapes and turned his attention to making wine. For several years he studied and observed, taking particular note of the growing conditions he considered most favorable for making world class wine. He produced his first wine in 1983, from a rented vineyard and cellar. Coincidentally the Bolgheri DOC was established in 1984. In 1991 he was able to buy his first piece of land, and plant his vineyard using all of the knowledge he gained from a decade of study. It is important to also point out that Satta is an outsider to the coast of Tuscany, a role he actually relishes, and finds himself constantly pushing against the establishment with regard to production methods and use of international varieties.

When selecting the vineyards from which he produces Piastraia, Satta looked for very specific attributes. All of his sites are located in the commune of hills of Castagneto Carducci, which face west and are close to the coast. This is so the vines benefit from the reflective sunlight from the water. In addition, the vineyards in this area are shielded from the drying winds from the west, as they are diverted by Monte Capanne on the nearby island of Elba. Nevertheless the winds are very dry, originating in north Africa, so the lack of moisture means they have little concern about fungal diseases. Satta also learned that this area has a unique soil to Bolgheri, which retains enough moisture at the root level to minimize the threat of drought. Yields are low and he is well known for coaxing an uncommon level of concentration from the grapes.

In his early days he started fermenting primarily in oak because it was all he could afford. Today he still ferments his reds in oak, in the case of this wine they are 3000L conical wood tanks. Piastraia is a blend of roughly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese. Each is fermented separately, using wild yeast and twice daily punch-downs. Each variety spends roughly 20 days on skins before being racked to small French barriques, with 20% being replaced each year. After 18-24 months in oak the wine is blended and bottled." - Tim Varan