88 Act III / Poggio al Tesoro, the Men and the Women 89 Act III / Poggio al Tesoro, the Men and the Women A seductive fascination, clearly, that of Bolgheri for the Allegrini family, something which shines forth from the words of Caterina, the young daughter of Marilisa who, little more than a child accompanied her mother and her uncle Walter in one of the many sallies from Verona to the Tuscan Maremma. «We left at dawn, and when we arrived in Bolgheri I saw the eyes of my mother and my uncle widen in the emotion felt for that vast and lovely terrain. Uncle Walter was spellbound, observing every passing thing and, seemingly, thinking: ‘look, my dream has come true’. We wandered for a few hours around the Bolgheri countryside, fascinated by those imposing hillside, by the scent of the nearby sea, by the vineyards stretching far off into the distance. We went as far as Le Sondraie, one of the first parcels purchased by my family, acres and acres of land still without their first vines. ‘What do they wish to accomplish’ I thought to myself. I realized what was happening only a few hours later in the office of the notary where the acquisition of yet more land became official. From that moment I began to feel myself an integral part of the project, I had contracted the same fever as my mother and uncle. Ten years have gone by since that time, and by now Poggio al Tesoro is a splendid reality. I hope with all my heart that uncle Walter can admire his little treasure from up above and toast with us to this very important accomplishment». Franco, however, the third of the Allegrini brothers and sisters, a man who lives in his cellars, permanently surrounded by his casks and his beloved Valpolicella wines, was perhaps the one family member with a few doubts about the project and, in the beginning, was anything but reluctant to express them, openly and firmly. Then the first harvests, the first fermentations of the grapes arrived, a field in which Franco, one who cannot be fooled but who, in the face of important results, does not remain indifferent either, and Franco, in fact, was forced to become a believer, to the point that, today, to hear him speak, he seems virtually as ardent as a suitor: «From a viticultural point of view, Bolgheri has an incredible potential. The zone is considered by everyone an area for important red wines and for this reason, when Marilisa and Walter decided to plant Vermentino in our vineyards, I thought they were mad. In truth, however, the quality of a territory can be measured as well in its simpler wines, and today, when I taste the Vermentino of Poggio al Tesoro, which in the context of the estate should be the wine of its least important grape variety, the one which gives the more modest and simplest results, I am surprised by its ability to give wines which are not in any way obvious and banal but rather with a real personality, of much interest. I believe that Vermentino is the true litmus test of the quality of Bolgheri: if even this variety is capable of giving us much satisfaction, it’s superfluous to point out what can be achieved with grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc».. Glow of the grapes in the happy blood, and our rapid joy does not languish. Which gives comfort to our fleeting lives, puts off our pains, and encourages our loves. The Poggio al Tesoro project, was ambitious from the very start and with one sole objective: True Excellence. To achieve it, above all in a situation in which the ownership is, necessarily, “physically” distant (the core business of Allegrini Above: Caterina Allegrini Above: Franco Allegrini
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