This advertising content was produced in collaboration with our sponsor, Campo alla Sughera.
Nestled between the coast and the famed hills of the Tuscan interior, Campo alla Sughera lies in the Goldilocks-zone of Bolgheri: A protected natural enclave where sea breezes and diverse soils come together across the estate’s high-density vineyards, delivering endless permutations on terroir.
The estate lies along the Fossa di Bolgheri, where sandy coastal soils meet the alluvial soils and clay of greater Tuscany. Equidistant from the region’s Metalliferous Hills and the coast, the estate is surrounded by hills reaching up to 400 meters, which creates a natural amphitheater that protects the site from harsh weather. This terroir is naturally suited to producing complex, dynamic wines—the inspiration the Knauf family sought when establishing the estate in 1998.
“Creating perfect wines is an unattainable feat—it’s simply impossible,” says Tommaso Alessandri, the winery director at Campo alla Sughera. “However, aspiring for perfection is a different story.”
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Under Alessandri’s guidance, the estate’s 20 hectares of vineyards have been meticulously studied and evaluated, leading to the establishment of 18 microclimates, which are further subdivided into 42 specific vineyard blocks across the property. Planted at high densities under the Médocaine Model, each micro-block is farmed individually, with adjustments for variances in soil chemistry, drainage, exposure, and even sunlight. The analysis of micro-terroirs and the use of the finest clones and rootstocks make it possible to craft wines that convey the complexity and identity of Bolgheri with precision and depth. The emblem of this production philosophy is Arnione Bolgheri DOC Superiore, the estate’s iconic wine.
Within the cellar, Alessandri and Campo alla Sughera winemaker Francesco Gagliardi focus on gently shepherding the estate’s international grape varieties into wines, showcasing the singular nature of Campo alla Sughera. Since 2017, an important collaboration with world-renowned winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt has taken their winemaking to the next level. With nothing left to chance, the team triple-sorts the grapes—in the field, on the sorting table, and after destemming—ensuring only the most pristine berries enter the winery. Vinified without pumps or mechanical stress, the estate’s fully gravity-fed winery delicately transfers the must and eventual wine into barriques and tonneaux selected specifically for the elevage of each grape variety.
Campo alla Sughera’s combination of rational zoning and careful maturation has enabled the estate to thrive, with Petit Verdot emerging as the estate’s signature variety. Within the warmer and more protected climate of Bolgheri, the sea breezes and the composite soil texture have unleashed the potential of the variety, delivering wines of extreme finesse. Campo alla Sughera’s Petit Verdot consistently ripens to deliver top-quality, elegant Super Tuscans—including the estate’s flagship bottling, where Petit Verdot is accented by Cabernet Franc in a silken, terroir-forward wine aged 18 months in barriques and 24 months in bottle before release.
With an unwavering dedication to achieving enological perfection, Campo alla Sughera’s meticulous process of research, analysis, and care delivers the complexity of Bolgheri’s natural terroir in precise, elegant, and contemporary Super Tuscans.
