I Greppi Winery sits in the heart of the Bolgheri DOC between the villages of Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci. It has more than 80 acres of vines. A relatively young winery, it began in 2001 by two well-known winemaking Tuscan families, the Cancellieris and Landinis. They injected passion and vision into its development. Here is a journey through I Greppi Winery and Bolgheri.

The estate, within the province of Livorno, sits just a short distance from Tuscany’s beautiful coastline. The farm’s proximity to the ocean creates the best conditions for a long ripening time. The sea’s breezes help provide a cool barrier for the fruit during the hot, Tuscan summer months, keeping. This keep the grapes protected from mildew and rot. Two man-made lakes on the property surround the property and this also aids in cooling the vineyards. Each of the vineyards’ soil types – gravel, sand and clay-limestone – are representative of the needs of each of the grapes. They are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Just 16 years after I Greppi’s development, the Cancellieri and Landini families turned over the estate to a collective group of scientists, wine connoisseurs, geologists, and economists to further the families visions that they had first created. This passionate collective group has a key focal point – research to best enhance the vineyards and winemaking techniques.

I Greppi has a long-term partnership with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) that allows them to combine cutting edge scientific techniques while still maintaining traditional Italian winemaking methods. With their efforts they planted more than 1,000 species of flora into the vineyard to enhance its entire ecosystem. This fosters a balance of both plants and wildlife. Enjoy the journey through I Greppi Winery and Bolgheri.

The Bolgheri Appellation

The Bolgheri DOC, where I Greppi is situated, is young, compared to other Italian regions that date back centuries. While its land dates to Etruscan times, the region only received its recognized DOC status with specific regulations in 1983. This was however for white and rosè wines only. Its red wines didn’t bear the established DOC label with their own set of regulations until 1994 for Bolgheri Rosso DOC and Bolgheri Superiore DOC.

Later the association awarded Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC its own appellation. Bolgheri DOC has more than 3,200 acres of land. The three prominent grapes grown in the DOC are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. However small amounts of other international varietals like Petit Verdot, Syrah and Vermentino also grow there. The area is famous for its picturesque three-mile long, Cypress tree-lined street. It leads into the main medieval Bolgheri village, where the Castle dominates the entrance. Surely you do not want to miss this sight.

The I Greppi Selections

I Greppi focuses solely on two wines to perfect and bring to the international market. They are I Greppi Greppicante DOC Bolgheri Rosso and I Greppi Greppicaia DOC Bolgheri Rosso Superiore.

I Greppi Greppicante DOC Bolgheri Rosso is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. They are some of the same grapes used to make the most famous Bordeaux wines. This beautiful blend is aged for 12 months in 2 to 3-year-old French oak barrels. It then ages an additional 6 months in bottle to create a complex Tuscan blend. Its marriage of grapes presents us with a wine of great body and structure. It has flavors of currants, blackberries that meld nicely into a kiss of herbal and floral notes. It is opulent and balanced with smooth, velvety tannins. The 30-day maceration on the skins gives us its deep red color.

I Greppi Greppicaia DOC Bolgheri Rosso Superiore with its inky purple color is a blend of Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon takes precedence, and then the winemaker blends in different proportions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot to create a wine meant for aging. Full bodied, luscious and chewy, this wine represents power with great balance. Greppicaia spends 18 months in French oak barrels, and then a minimum of 6 months in bottle. And to ensure the correct tannin levels, approximately half of the oak barrels are new. The wine’s notes are a marriage of black fruits – black berries, currants and plums – with a hint of vanilla bean. It speaks of elegance and greatness and will age well for 20+ years.

Both Greppicante and Greppicaia are great partners for meat dishes especially the famous Tuscan Bistecca Fiorentina. Its protein content melds and binds beautifully with the wine’s tannin content. A culinary experience at its best!

To learn further about I Greppi, visit here.

Learn more about another Tuscan producer Villa Cafaggio.