2019 Podere Sapaio Volpolo Bolgheri 750 ml

Ask every Italian-wine expert and somm you know about the finest value-priced Super Tuscans, and we’d bet the house that one name will come up consistently. 

Podere Sapaio’s Volpolo. Over and over again, Volpolo.

Grown on Tuscany’s stunning coast—not even 10 minutes from iconic estates like Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia) and Ornellaia—and crafted under the watchful eye of 100-point master winemaker Carlo Ferrini, Podere Sapaio’s Volpolo bursts with all the class and character that has made Bolgheri Italy’s ground zero for Bordeaux-style reds.

Podere Sapaio specializes in Bordeaux varieties. Owner Massimo Piccin has been making stellar wines from vines occupying 60 windswept acres of Bolgheri’s clay-loam soils since 1999. In what is perhaps the toniest corner of Tuscany, Volpolo is the organically farmed overachiever that stands out for its simply ridiculous price-to-quality ratio.

The way we secured this wine speaks to its quality: For our Wine Folly club, we collaborate with  Folly’s James Beard Award–winning founder, sommelier Madeline Puckette. She’d be right at home on our judging panel—she’s a tough critic, and she absolutely nailed this recommendation. 

Pour a glass and you’ll see why The Wine Advocate said Sapaio’s wines “almost always hit that enviable sweet spot that sees good winemaking happily married to territory-driven personality.” That spot-on style is why they’ve won 10 Tre Bicchieri awards (Italy’s top wine honor) in the last 11 years. 

The 2019 Volpolo is gorgeously complex and aromatic, with floral notes layered on fresh blue fruit and herbs—the perfect accompaniment to a generous plate of Prosciutto di Parma or burrata lightly drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. When dinner comes around, slice up a grilled porterhouse and pour yourself a second glass. Bellissima.