fabio Motta bolgheri rosso superiore "le gonnare" 2022

Bolgheri elegance from a Michele Satta protégé — a single-plot Merlot-led red that Falstaff scored 95.

Fabio Motta founded his Bolgheri estate in 2009 after learning the ropes firsthand from his father-in-law, the legendary Michele Satta. "Le Gonnare" comes from a single plot in the northwestern corner of the appellation, on clay-rich soils that ripen the Merlot slowly — spontaneously fermented in bare concrete, then aged around 18 months in barrique (only a quarter new) and a further year in bottle before release.

This is a restrained, terroir-transparent Bolgheri that shows the region's finesse rather than its muscle. Falstaff scored the 2022 a 95 → marquee Bolgheri estates command several times the price → at $60.99 this is single-plot, low-oak Super Tuscan from a rising star.

• 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
• Single plot, northwestern Bolgheri, clay-rich soils
• Spontaneous fermentation in concrete; ~18 months barrique (25% new)
• Fabio Motta, trained under Michele Satta; estate founded 2009

Mediterranean warmth balanced by refreshing acidity — ripe fruit, spice and a light toast, already approachable but built to age. Translation: a precise, elegant Bolgheri that trades power for balance, drinking beautifully young yet with the backbone to cellar.

Restrained, single-plot Bolgheri from a protege of one of the region's greats, at a price the big names can't match. Exactly how you find the next Bolgheri star before everyone else does.