By Michele Shah
Marilisa Allegrini and her brother Walter Allegrini, owners of Allegrini, one of Valpolicella's leading wine estates, have bought 50 hectares (ha) in Bolgheri. We only signed the contract a couple of weeks ago,' said Marilisa. The estate includes 15ha of land bordering Ornellaia, of which seven are planted to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Another 28ha are near San Guido, just down the road from Bolgheri, and a further seven are in Bibbnona, a few kilometres away. Allegrini will start planting early next year and plans to develop a total of 50ha over the next three years. Stefano Chioccioli, Allegrini's consultant winemaker, and Walter Allegrini will be selecting a combination of Bordeaux varieties with the aim of producing two SuperTuscan wines. An initial 25,000 bottles produced from the planted 7ha will be released later this year. According to Marilisa, the reason for expanding into Tuscany is to create an estate for her and her brother's children.