Batzella
バッツェラ
A boutique Bolgheri estate now guided by San Felice's Tuscan expertise.
Batzella is a Bolgheri estate founded in 1999 by Franco Batzella and Khanh Nguyen, a husband-and-wife team who left careers of nearly 30 years in international finance to make wine on the Tuscan coast. Guided from the outset by viticulturist Professor Attilio Scienza, they planted vineyards at La Badia in Castagneto Carducci focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, later adding Syrah, Viognier and Vermentino, alongside a separate Sangiovese-based vineyard at Montòsoli near Montalcino. Flagship wines include Tâm (Bolgheri Superiore), Peàn (Bolgheri Rosso) and Mezzodì (Bolgheri Bianco). In 2021 the founders retired and sold the estate to the San Felice group (owned by the Allianz Group and already established in Bolgheri through its Bell'Aja label), which has committed to preserving Batzella's production philosophy while investing in new vineyards and a modernized winery.
batzella.com/en/ ↗Cuvées
No cuvées registered yet.
Who Is This For?
For fans of elegant, maritime-influenced Bordeaux-style Bolgheri blends who enjoy discovering boutique estates now backed by serious Tuscan winemaking pedigree.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Batzella still an independently owned winery?
- No. Founders Franco Batzella and Khanh Nguyen retired and sold the estate in 2021 to the San Felice group, an Allianz Group-owned Tuscan wine company already present in Bolgheri through its Bell'Aja estate.
- When was Batzella founded and by whom?
- Batzella was founded in 1999 by Franco Batzella and Khanh Nguyen, a couple who left roughly 30-year careers in international finance to establish a vineyard at La Badia in Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri, guided by Professor Attilio Scienza.
- What grape varieties does Batzella grow?
- The Bolgheri vineyards are planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with smaller plots of Syrah, Viognier and Vermentino, plus a Sangiovese-based vineyard at Montòsoli near Montalcino.
- What is Batzella's flagship wine?
- Tâm, a Bolgheri Superiore blend of roughly 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Cabernet Franc aged in French oak, is the estate's flagship, alongside the Bolgheri Rosso Peàn and the white Mezzodì.
- What does Batzella wine pair well with?
- Batzella's structured Cabernet-based reds pair well with grilled or roasted red meats, game such as venison and wild boar, and aged cheeses; their balanced acidity also works with umami-rich, soy-based Japanese dishes.