Bolgheri only has 75 producers. Ruffino just became one of them. Garzaia Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2023 lands March 1, 2026, marking the historic Tuscan Maison's first wine from the prestigious coastal appellation. Winemaker Olga Fusari, who started her career in Bolgheri, crafted the blend from estate owned vineyards acquired in 2023.
"Bolgheri is where I began making wine, and every time I return, I feel at home," Fusari says. "Bringing a new project to life is a rare emotion in a winemaker's career." That emotion, she hopes, translates into the glass.
Garzaia joins Ruffino's lineup of Tuscan heavyweights: Riserva Ducale Oro Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Greppone Mazzi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Modus Primo, and Alauda. Nearly 150 years into its Tuscan journey, the Maison now claims territory on the Livorno coast.
A Heron Nesting Site Becomes a Wine
A garzaia is where herons build nests together, sometimes on the same shrubs just meters apart. Unspoiled. Balanced between land and water. Harmony through coexistence. The name captures Bolgheri's sense of place, rooted in landscape and history.
Ruffino's 15 hectares split across two plots, Le Sondraie and Le Bozze, along Via Bolgherese. Garzaia comes exclusively from Le Sondraie in northern Bolgheri, where deep sandy clay soils with low limestone give the wine its structure.
70% Cabernet Franc Drives the Blend
Cabernet Franc dominates at 70%, delivering structure and aromatic complexity. Merlot softens and rounds out the remaining 30%, creating balance and elegance. These are the varieties that made Bolgheri famous. Fusari leans into them.
The 2023 vintage brought sunshine and stable weather most of the season. Heavy rain at August's end replenished water reserves, letting vines handle high summer heat and ripen grapes slowly, completely. Aging runs 18 months in French oak barriques: 70% new, 30% second use. The barrels respect territory while lifting each variety's voice.
"Garzaia stands for elegance, finesse and clearly encapsulates Bolgheri," Fusari says.
The wine kicks off an international roadshow starting at Wine Paris February 9-11, then moving through London, Italian cities, Germany, Copenhagen, and eventually Asia, Canada, and the US.
