2010 Saggi - 1.5L
Among Tuscany's oldest and most prestigious wine families, Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari teamed with Allen Shoup to produce a wine that showcases Washington state's terroir with plenty of Italian character. Saggi (meaning "wisdom") is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Cool spring temperatures delayed flowering and reduced fruit set, while the summer temperatures remained moderate. In response to these conditions, we opened up the leaf canopies and dropped clusters so that the vines were well positioned to finish ripening when the warm weather arrived in the fall. The 2010 vintage was a cooler than average growing season that produced bright, fresh wines with excellent acidity, color, flavor and varietal character.
Loaded with aromas of ripe Bing cherries, plum, hints of licorice and limestone complimented by an inviting floral element. The 2010 Saggi is bright and lively, yet seamlessly balanced with a silky texture, rich mid-palate and layers of sweet spice and minerality that combine to leave a lingering impression.
92 POINTS, WINE ADVOCATE
| Vintage | 2010 |
| Varietal | Sangiovese Red Blend |
| Varietal Composition | 53% Sangiovese
28% Cabernet Sauvignon
19% Syrah |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | .57 grams/100 ml |
| PH | 3.73 |
| Alcohol | 14.90% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
2010 SAGGI - 92+ POINTS
"Spending 18 months in 100% French oak, Saggi is Washington’s take on a Super Tuscan, and a good one at that. Loaded with ripe red and black fruits, forest floor, cedar, spice and a dry-aged beef-like gaminess, it stays relatively compact and focused on the palate and has a medium-bodied, firm feel, integrated acidity and notable tannin. As with all of this estate’s wines, their overall balance and texture ensures that they’re enjoyable now, however, this will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and impress for a decade after that."
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2010 SAGGI - 92 POINTS
"This is an excellent wine....bright and generous, with plenty of toasty barrel flavors, it's highlighted with cut tobacco, citrus, herb and floral hints. There is an underlying minerality as well, making this one of Washington's most complex "Super Tuscans". Editors' Choice."
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Like previous vintages, two outstanding Washington Sangiovese vineyards provide the foundation for this bright, flavorful wine. Candy Mountain Sangiovese gives Saggi cherry aromas, dark flavors and layers of complexity. Dick Boushey’s Yakima Valley Sangiovese, planted in 1993, brings a bright fruit impression that is both delicate and juicy. Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon contributes backbone and structure. Syrah from the The Benches Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills adds to the wine’s dark color and rich mid-palate.
Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari are among Italy’s oldest and most prestigious Tuscan wine families with a winemaking history dating back to the late 1700s.
Today, Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute, conceived by this father-son team as a collection of small, beautifully located vineyards producing primarily Tuscan “grand crus,” is recognized for its distinctive, small-production wines from the family’s numerous estates. The vineyards are managed using modern viticulture techniques including dense planting and careful clonal selection and research. Both Ambrogio and Giovanni, a University of California at Davis enology graduate, are directly involved in winemaking and are dedicated to high quality wines that reflect the vineyard’s terroir.
Prior to launching A. & G. Folonari Tenute, Ambrogio was the president of Ruffino, originally purchased in 1912 by Ambrogio’s grandfather. While at the helm of Ruffino, Ambrogio was an outspoken advocate for Italian wine quality and took Ruffino in a new and original direction. In the late 1960s, the company began focusing on high-quality wines and in 1971 purchased Nozzole, a famous estate located near Greve in the heart of Chianti Classico. In the 1980s, Ambrogio created Cabreo, a unique combination of tradition and innovation including Cabreo Il Borgo (red), a blend of traditional Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, while La Pietra is Chardonnay from Tuscany, fermented and aged in oak. These wines were among the first in a new group of top wines now widely known as “Super Tuscans.”
In 2000, Ambrogio and Giovanni left Ruffino to focus on small-lot, estate-grown wines, committing to reinvesting, developing and expanding vineyard holdings in the interest of producing high-quality wines. Their portfolio, distributed in the U.S. by Kobrand, includes:
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Nozzole Estate (Chianti Classico, Super Tuscan, Chardonnay)
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Cabreo Estate (Super Tuscans)
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TorCalvano di Gracciano Svetoni Estate (Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano)
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La Fuga, Montalcino Estate (Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino)
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Conti Spalletti Estate (Chianti Rufina, Chianti, Rosso Toscano)
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Campo al Mare Estate (Bolgheri DOC, Vermentino IGT)
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Vigne a Porrona Estate (Montecucco, Morellino, Maremma)
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Ronco dei Folo Estate (Colli Orientali del Friuli, Pinot Grigio, Tocai, Sauvignon)
Giovanni and his wife Eleonora live with their three children at the Cabreo Estate in Greve, 30 minutes from Florence.
