Bolgheri, Beaucastel & Bubbles

Wednesday's episode covers the wines that didn't fit neatly into Monday's Tuscany deep-dive, two outstanding Bolgheri Super Tuscans from the coast, plus the one French wine that cracked the top 30 (Château de Beaucastel's stunning Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023), and a California sparkling from Schramsberg that proved North Coast bubbles belong in any serious conversation about prestige wine.

WINES REFERENCED THIS EPISODE

▸   96 pts  Tenuta Meraviglia  ·  Bolgheri Vigna Pianali 2020

▸   95 pts  Argentiera  ·  Bolgheri Superiore 2020

▸   95 pts  Château de Beaucastel  ·  Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023

▸   95 pts  Schramsberg  ·  J. Schram Blancs North Coast 2016

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Daily Decant, your five-minute briefing on the world of wine. Each episode delivers practical insights to help you choose, order, and talk about wine with more confidence in everyday social settings. Let's get into today's decant. Day three of our grand tour coverage. And today's episode is what I'd call the wild card. Four wines from three very different regions that each made a strong individual argument for why they belong in any top 30 list. Let's get into it. We started on the Tuscan coasts in Bulgaria. If you know Sasakaya and Ornelaya, you already know this application. It's the region that produced those wines back in the 1970s and essentially proved that Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot could thrive in Italy. Today, Bulgaria is producing consistently excellent Bordeaux-style blends, and two estates made our top 30. Tenuta Meraviglia, Bulgari, Vigna Pinali, 2020 scored 96 points. This was personally one of the most exciting discoveries of the afternoon. Meraviglia isn't one of the most famous names in Bulgaria, but the Pinali is extraordinary. Cabernet Sauvignon lead with a richness and structure that immediately grabs your attention. What makes it distinctly Italian though is the herbal character on the finish. A kind of dried sage and wild herbs quality that grounds it in place. It doesn't taste like Napa and it doesn't taste like Bordeaux. It tastes exactly like where it's from, and that's exactly what you want. Argentiera Bulgari Superiore 2020 came in at 95 points. Argentiera is more of an established name, a joint venture with deep roots in the area. And their superiore is a classic expression of what Bulgari does best. Black currant, plum, dark chocolate, cedar, smooth, polished tannins, long finish. And if you're new to Bulgaria, you want a reliable, excellent entry point. Argentiria is the bottle to find. Now France. Only one French wine cracked our top 30, and it was a worthy representation. Chateau des Beaucastel, Chateau Neuf des Popes, 2023, 95 points. Beaucastel is a landmark estate in the southern Rhone, one of the few producers who actually grows and blends all 13 grape varieties permitted on the Appalachian. Their style leans towards complexity and savory depth rather than sheer fruit weight, and the 2023 was a gorgeous example of that approach. What made this wine stand out in a room full of powerful Italian reds and California cabs was its completely different personality. Less dark fruit, blackberry, fig, dried plum, but layered with Garig, lavender, a little leather, signature olive, and more of a draw, earthness that you don't find anywhere else. Silky palette, long finish, incredibly harmonious. And here's the practical note. Beaucastel is widely available at most good wine shops. For a 95-point wine from one of France's greatest estates, it's an exceptional value. And then there's the sparkling Schraomsburg's J. Schramm Blanc's North Coast, 2016 95 points. If the name Schramsburg is new to you, here's a quick contact. They're California's original Method Traditionnelle sparkling winehouse, founded in 1965 in Napa. The J. Schramm is their prestige cuvet, their version of a tete cuvey, made from the top Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, and aged for extended time on the lease before disgorgement. The 2016, now 10 years from vintage, was genuinely profound. Deep gold in the glass, the nose alone, toasted brioche, roasted hazelnuts, lemon curd, dried apricot, a little dried flour. The mousse was fine and persistent on the palate, rich layered with all the wonderful atolic complexity that long aged sparkling wine developed. And unmistakably Californian underneath it all. Warmer fruit, more generous. The wine stops a conversation in its tracks. If you have a celebration coming up and you want something unexpected and extraordinary, this is your bottle. Today's wines, 96 points, Tenuda Meravilla, Bulgari, Vigne Piani, Pianali, 2020, 95 points. Argentiera, Bulgari, Superior, 2020, 95 points. Chateau des Beaucastel Chateanufda Pope 2023, 95 points. Schramsburg, J. Schramm, Blanc's North Coast 2016. Tomorrow we land in California for the biggest episode of the week. Seven wines spanning Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Don't miss it. That's today's Daily Decant. If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends so you can continue building your wine knowledge in just a few minutes a day. See you tomorrow for next decant.