2012 Campo alla Sughera Adeo Bolgheri Rosso 750 ml

A Stone’s Throw from Gaja

After earning a degree in enology, Angelo Gaja began working at the family winery in 1961. He would introduce French concepts to winemaking in Barbaresco, with the use of barrique, hybrid bottle formats, longer corks, and even clonal selection in the vineyard. These concepts would catapult Barbaresco to the heights of the Côte de Nuits, making it one of the top red wine appellations in the world.

After a successful 30-year run in Piedmont, Gaja turned to the potential he saw in southern Italy. In 1994, Gaja purchased the historic Pieve Santa Restituta estate in Montalcino, earning 13 scores of 94-97 points from Robert Parker and Wine Spectator. Two years later, Gaja purchased another property just 6 miles from where Piero Antinori had planted world-class Bordeaux varieties off the Tuscan coast, the prized Ornellaia and Sassicaia estates in Bolgheri.

Gaja, who also earned a degree in economics, is a fierce negotiator. After 18 trips to Bolgheri, Gaja finally closed on the 250-acre estate. He called it “Ca’ Marcanda,” Piedmontese dialect for “house of endless negotiations.” His vision was clear: Produce broad-shouldered, massively concentrated yet elegant Bordeaux blends, reminiscent of the warmer, more flamboyant years (like 1999 and 2011) in Barbaresco. It wouldn’t be long before Gaja had helped change the Italian wine landscape yet again, though this time on the Tuscan coast, earning 17 ratings of 93-96 points from Parker and Wine Spectator for his estate blends in Bolgheri.

Many followed in the footsteps of the two pioneers, Antinori and Gaja. But two years after Gaja’s purchase ended those “endless negotiations,” his neighbor began to make similar strides in quality. In 1998, the Knauf family of Germany invested in a Bolgheri estate adjacent to Ca’ Marcanda, taking a page out of Gaja’s playbook. The Knaufs reportedly needed only one visit to close on the 50-acre property. After all, the word was already out. The elite of Italian winemaking had already done the research and invested in the region. The Knauf family called their property “Campo alla Sughera.”

Applying resources and know-how honed over decades building one of the world’s leading building firms, the Knaufs instituted meticulous farming practices and non-interventionist winemaking in a state-of-the-art cellar. Despite a decade of high praise from Parker and Wine Spectator, the Knaufs opted not to hike prices in line with their neighbors on the coast. While Antinori’s Ornellaia and Sassicaia and Gaja’s Ca’ Marcanda estate Bordeaux blends will all run you north of $85/bottle, Campo alla Sughera’s “Adèo” Bolgheri Rosso is just a fraction of the price, without sacrificing density, lushness, and definition.

The Knaufs’ 40 acres of vines yield a fraction of the tens of thousands of cases Gaja and Antinori are able to produce under the Bolgherian sun each year. 4,200 cases of the Knauf family’s “Adèo” Bolgheri Rosso were made in the spectacular 2012 vintage — a warm, dry year that resulted in small, uber-concentrated berries with even-keeled acidity.

Opaque, dark purple to the edge, the 2012 Campo alla Sughera’s “Adèo” Bolgheri Rosso is a blend of 60% Cabernet and 40% Merlot. Loaded with blueberries, crushed herbs, and spices. Densely packed and juicy on the attack, accentuated by raspberry compote, blackberries, and round, silk-like tannins with fresh acidity suggesting immediate and longer-term drinking.

Gaja’s 2012 Ca’ Marcanda Bolgheri Magari (92 points from Wine Spectator) will set you back $85/bottle. Next door, at 93 points from Wine Spectator, Campo alla Sughera’s 2012 “Adèo” Bolgheri Rosso is the #1 Super Tuscan Bordeaux blend under $35. You make the call.

$45 SRP. Just $31/bottle today. Shipping included on 4.