Tenuta Sette Cieli is an organic estate located between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Tuscany Italy, at 400 metres above sea level. The estate covers 80 hectares of which 10h are vineyards. It was established by Erika Ratti in 1998. The family came from Como, Lombardia (Lombardy). Their background was not wine, but silk. In 2001 the first vineyards were planted at 400 metres near Bolgheri.

Owner: Ambrogio Cremona Ratti (Erika’s son) and Acqua.

Staff: Winemaker: Elena Pozzolini. Studied entomology, the grape vine moth, sexual confusion, and became receptive to organics. She gained experience in Italy and abroad (California, Australia, Argentina).

Vineyards: 70 hectares of land of which 7ha are vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main variety planted in the vineyards in Bolgheri DOC. Also smaller plots of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec (does not like humidity, sow barley to reduce the risk)  . All are planted at high density. Dry stone wall terraces separate the different grape varieties grown on the estate. Mainly Bordeaux varieties, with one hectare of Sangiovese planted in 2016. Well ventilated. Wide day-night temperature ranges. Medium textured soil with of rock fragments, sand and clay. Moderate vigour. The vines are in two distinct areas:

– Monteverdi Marittimo vineyards: Can be found on top of the hills, looking out over terraced vineyards and the Tyrrhenian Sea, surrounded by the woods of Monteverdi Marittimo in Pisa Province. 10km from the sea. Breezes. Day-night temperature shifts. Acidity. Freshness. Isolated.

– Castagneto Carducci vineyards: In 2018 the owners bought property in Bolgheri in Castagneto Carducci near the Tuscan coast on lower land.

Viticulture: Less leaf plucking now, but when they do it the make sure they have a big team to get it done quickly. Cover crops such as mustard, clovers. Composted manure every so often.

Organic certification: 2015 Organic in conversion. | 2019 First vintage with full organic certification. | 2020 Certified organic.

Wine production: 80–85,000 bottles.

Winery, winemaking: In Monteverdi Marittimo, Italy. Each variety and plot is vinified separately. Fermentation is carried out with the use of ambient yeasts, which are also being studied by the University of Pisa. Elena told me she prefers wild ferments as they are longer compare to quick fire commercial yeasts.

Red wines

IGT Toscana Rosso, Yantra: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. 9,300 vines per ha (This occurred under the consultancy of Federico Curtaz). 400 metres. Not from specific sites, but the off-cuts.

IGT Toscana Rosso, Noi Quatro: From grapes grown in Bolgheri, at sea level, hence very different compared to the estate’s other wines. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot. 15 months in barrel. No more than 50% new oak. 

IGT Toscana Rosso Indaco Rosso: Named after the colour indigo which is how the white walled buildings here look like at sunset, whose shades are like ‘seven skies’ or Sette Cieli. From vines on the top of the hill in Monteverdi Marittimo. Malbec, Cabernet and Merlot. Roughly one third each. 9,300 vines per ha. 15-20 months in barriques. All lots kept apart until bottling.

IGT Toscana Rosso, Scipio: Named after Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus who features in the Italian national anthem or ‘canto’ (he was a military general who overcame Hannibal in the Second Punic War). 100% Cabernet Franc. 9,300 vines per hectares. 400 metres. ‘The Cabernet Franc needs helpful weather in the run up to ripening, need ripe skins to avoid herbaceousness’ Elena Pozzolini told me Ferments in stainless steel. MLF in barrel. 24m in oak. | 2016 14,5% alc. Some nice fruit overlaid by new oak, the tannins string to settle whilst the fruit shows attractive dark fruit flavours (Dec 2020). Regarding Scipio 2016 Elena Pozzolini said (perso) ‘the 2016 vintage started with a rainy winter, the wttest in the last 6 years. But then through spring and the summer until the harvest we didn’t get too much rain, so the weather was regular as a normal season in Tuscany. It was very similar to 2013. The differences between 2015 – 2017 – 2018 was the temperature in august, fresher and hot days no more than 2 consecutive days with still cool nights. End of september was warmer respect other years and that helped to get a better ripening of the skin. 2016 was picked on the 06th of October. We did 12 days of cool maceration and then the fermentation started well but with a very slow end. So at the end total days of maceration was 32 days. We aged the wine in barrels for 20 months not for a specific reason but just because was the time necessary to the wine to be balanced and complex.’

Bolgheri Rosso DOC, Noi 4: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc. 6,940 vines per ha. From grapes that are grown in Bolgheri, at sea level.

Contact

Office

Via Sandro Pertini snc

La California

57020 Bibbona, Italy

Tel+39 0586 677435 | Website: www.tenutasettecieli.com