Tenuta Sette Cieli

Tenuta Sette Cieli transcribes as “Seven Skies Estate”, fittingly named due to the amazing panoramic views and huge skies surrounding the 16 hectares of vineyards and picturesque cantina. This trailblazing producer sits apart from the other producers of Bolgheri, both stylistically and geographically. The estate looks over towards the original Sassicaia vineyard, above Bolgheri’s fertile plains and Tyrrhenian Sea beyond. The penthouse of the region, sitting at 400 metres altitude, their organic vineyards are envied by every winemaker in the region. The site benefits from much cooler temperatures, up to 10 degrees Celsius cooler during the summer months, which results in longer, later harvests – up to one month after the fertile plains below. This gives a very different character of wine to what is expected of Bolgheri; fresh, finessed, energetic and crunchy, further enhanced by the ancient soils of the hills, which are filled with calcareous boulders and crystallised minerals giving vibrant salinity to the wines.

Wolves and wild boar roam free up in these hills, as all the vineyards are enclosed by untouched wilderness, and the deep wooded hills of the Monteverdi landscape. Originally bought as a retreat for the Ratti family, it was only planted with vines in 2001. Today, it’s under the control of superstar winemaker Elena Pozzolini, who has taken this estate to new heights. She crafts the wines with immense skill, fierce passion and sensitivity. These are not rich, blockbuster Bolgheri wines; they are nimble, detailed and elegant, standing out against the richer styles of the region. Although many of their vineyards are technically outside the Bolgheri DOCG, due to the altitude, these are some of the most exciting wines in the area. For Elena and Tenuta Sette Cieli, only the sky is the limit.