Batzella Bolgheri Tam 2009
Located in Bolgheri, on central coast Tuscany, the Batzella Winery Estate was founded in 2000 by Khanh Nguyen and Franco Batzella. The commitment of this husband-wife team is to make elegant and genuine wines, with a personality that expresses the best of their terroir. The Bolgheri area is enchanting, surrounded by soft rolling hills and by the Tyrrhenian sea. Its soils and micro climate are perfect for the Cabernet varietals, by now considered local to Bolgheri, to reach full maturation, resulting in wines that can be distinctively elegant. In this land, the Batzellas are pursuing their passion: to find that elusive harmony between elegance and power for their wines.
I recently went to a private wine tasting where one of the Founders of Batzella Winery, Franco Batzella (on the left above) opened three of his wines and provided some in depth commentary on his winery. I will review his best wine today Batzella Bolgheri Tam. The name Tâm is Vietnamese for passion, indeed the passion that moves us the producers in our search of that elusive balance between elegance and power for our wines. The label design is taken from the Chinese calligraphy which also means heart, passion. Franco, thanks for sharing your insights.
The wine was decanted for about an hour before we tasted Franco Batzella’s wines. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Cabernet Franc and aged for 24 months in French Oak and a further 12 months before release. The wine is Deep Ruby red with aromas of red/black fruits and sweet spices. The palate shows black cherries, blackberries and cranberries with some cacao, leather and vanilla spice. The wine had soft structured tannins, medium length and ended with earthy notes. Drinkable now but a few years would enhance the experience. Very nice!
Cheers!