Poggio al Tesoro Il Seggio 2023 Review: A Serious Bolgheri Red Without the Luxury Price
Bolgheri has become remarkably skilled at turning Cabernet and Merlot into expensive objects of desire. Fortunately, not every producer expects you to take out a second mortgage to enjoy a decent bottle. Poggio al Tesoro’s Il Seggio 2023, from the estate founded by Marilisa Allegrini, offers a generous, beautifully textured interpretation of coastal Tuscany for around €25.
Merlot dominates the blend, giving the wine its ripe, fleshy character, while the two Cabernets introduce firmer tannins and a savoury, occasionally herbal edge. The oak is noticeable but never oppressive, and the 2023 vintage has preserved enough freshness to prevent the wine from becoming another overfed Bordeaux-style red.
Il Seggio has substance and ambition, but its real appeal is the way it carries considerable weight without becoming exhausting.
The Basics
- Producer: Poggio al Tesoro – Marilisa Allegrini
- Wine: Il Seggio
- Vintage: 2023
- Appellation: Bolgheri Rosso DOC
- Region: Tuscany, Italy
- Production area: Bolgheri, Castagneto Carducci
- Grapes: 50% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot
- Vineyards: Le Sondraie and Via Bolgherese
- Soils: Clay, sand and alluvial gravel
- Fermentation: Temperature-controlled stainless steel
- Malolactic fermentation: In oak barrels
- Ageing: 15 months in 225-litre French oak barriques, 30% new and 70% second-use
- Alcohol: 14% ABV
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Serving temperature: 16–18°C
Poggio al Tesoro: Marilisa Allegrini’s Tuscan Venture
Marilisa Allegrini built her reputation in Valpolicella, but Bolgheri offered her the opportunity to explore a completely different style of Italian red wine. Poggio al Tesoro was established in 2001, when the Allegrini family began assembling vineyards along the Tuscan coast.
The estate now occupies several sites with markedly different soils. Some parcels are sandy and gravelly, while others contain substantial quantities of clay. The proximity of the Tyrrhenian Sea moderates temperatures, and the maritime breezes help the grapes ripen without losing all their acidity.
Il Seggio takes its name from the watercourse that crosses the Castagneto Carducci area. Originating in the hills around Sassetta, the Seggio has helped shape the alluvial deposits found in parts of Bolgheri.
The wine draws on two vineyard areas. Cabernet Sauvignon comes partly from Via Bolgherese, while Le Sondraie supplies the four varieties used in the blend. These parcels provide different soil conditions and ripening patterns, giving the winemaking team considerable flexibility.
Bolgheri’s international reputation rests on Bordeaux varieties, but the region is more than a warmer imitation of Bordeaux. Its Mediterranean climate produces a different balance of fruit, tannins and aromatic maturity, often with a distinctive herbal character.
Il Seggio belongs to this tradition, without adopting the excessive extraction and lavish oak that can make some coastal Tuscan reds rather tiring.
The 2023 Vintage and Winemaking
The 2023 growing season demanded patience. A mild beginning to the year was followed by persistent rain from late April into early June. Summer arrived slowly, then brought sustained heat until the second half of August.
The decisive change came with rainfall towards the end of the month. The vines recovered from the hottest conditions, and the four grape varieties completed ripening at different times. Harvesting extended over more than forty days, allowing each component of the blend to be picked at an appropriate stage of maturity.
After destemming, the grapes are gently crushed and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place naturally in barriques, followed by fifteen months of maturation in French oak.
Thirty per cent of the barrels are new, with the remainder used for a second time. That proportion gives the wine a clear oak signature without letting vanilla and toast dominate the fruit.
Merlot provides the largest share of the blend, but Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are especially important in maintaining its firmer, more savoury character. Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure and the capacity to develop further in bottle.
The result is unmistakably Bolgheri: ripe and substantial, but with enough tannic definition to avoid becoming merely soft.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep ruby red, intense at the centre, with vivid purple reflections. Concentrated but still youthful in appearance.
Bouquet: Blackberry and dark plum introduce a generous, expressive nose, followed by blackcurrant, cedar and a restrained touch of mocha. The oak brings warm spice, while a faint suggestion of Mediterranean herbs gives the perfume a welcome savoury dimension.
There is plenty of aromatic richness, but the fruit never becomes excessively sweet or jammy. A delicate graphite-like note adds definition as the wine opens.
Palate: Broad, silky and confidently structured. Merlot gives the opening a generous texture, but the Cabernets quickly introduce a firmer backbone. The tannins are ripe and finely grained, with enough grip to support the wine’s substantial fruit.
The acidity is particularly important. Without it, this much ripe fruit and fifteen months in barrique could produce a rather cumbersome red. Instead, Il Seggio retains an attractive sense of movement, with dark fruit giving way to cedar, spice and a dry, savoury finish.
The oak is well integrated, although its toasted character remains perceptible. The wine has considerable polish, perhaps at the expense of a little spontaneity, but its structure is more convincing than the extravagant fruitiness of some similarly priced Bolgheri reds.
Finish: Persistent and dry, with lingering blackcurrant, fine tannins and a restrained woody bitterness. The closing impression is savoury rather than sweet.
Our Verdict
Il Seggio 2023 is an impressive Bolgheri Rosso for the money. It has the richness expected from coastal Tuscany, but the tannins are carefully managed and the freshness of the vintage keeps the wine from becoming ponderous.
Its principal limitation is a certain stylistic predictability. The ripe fruit, smooth texture and measured oak treatment are very accomplished, but there is little here that challenges the familiar Bolgheri formula.
Price
€25.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
