Elizabeth Geppetti

«The Lady of Morellino»… who has changed the history of Maremma Wine…

Fattoria Le Pupille It was an estate belonging to the Gentili family of Pisa, known for having founded the famous «Gentili Galenic Institute» in the city, in 1917, which played an important role in the development of pharmaceutical products in Italy.

The name derives from the presence of 2 farms on the top of 2 hills facing the Argentario Promontory, located opposite each other, near the historic center of Pereta, which on old 19th century maps are marked as "pupil up" and "pupil down".

Fattoria Le Pupille – Canteen

For long years, there will not be vineyards around us, but cork oaks, dense forests and Mediterranean scrub, the most classic of the Maremma landscapes of the past. Like many other typical realities of Tuscany, Le Pupille It was initially a real farm full of cattle, large wheat fields and a small oil production. The ancient custom of cultivating the vine was limited to a few rows of Sangiovese, in the 60s it was decided to plant a couple of hectares of vineyard to drink wine with the family and give it to the closest friends. At that time, the dignity of the Maremma as a territory with great winemaking potential was not recognized. Morellino di Scansano It was a local wine, simple and pleasant, intended for daily consumption, but certainly not aspiring to deal with the great Italian appellations. This corner of Tuscany was mostly talked about for its unspoilt and wild natural beauty, a land of proud farmers and enormous estates.

The first bottled wines of Le Pupille They date back to the 1970s, when Alfredo Gentili did «Bianco di Pereta» and «Rosso di Pereta», bottles that were also partly used as gifts from the family pharmaceutical industry. Then, in 1978, the document of Morellino di Scansano and Alfredo Gentili Not only did he immediately enter his vineyard, now of almost 5 hectares, of Sangiovese and Alicante, but also, as a true pioneer, already in that year's harvest he came out with the first official label of the new appellation. But Gentili had a great friendship with a well-known winemaker, Giacomo Tachis, who firmly believed in a quality oenological future for the Maremma, where, according to him, all the natural and cultural factors are present, to be able to create great wines: maritime perfumes, brightness, sun, sea and mountain winds. The doctor" He began to give his advice to Le Pupille in 1982 and, from the first harvest, he was joined by the young and passionate Elizabeth Geppetti, Fredi's daughter-in-law. Elisabetta, a woman of great charm, says that since she was a child, she had a great love for the land, which later became a passion for wine.

The Fattoria Le Pupille, owned by my husband's family, whose grandmother was originally from Scansano, was the favorite place where we spent the summer holidays and here, when I was still a student, I was lucky, at the age of 18, to meet Giacomo Tachis, an incredible man who held my hand for almost 3 years. I was young and full of enthusiasm, but I knew almost nothing about grapes, except that my grandfather harvested them from his one and a half hectare vineyard for home consumption and to give a few bottles to friends. But I was in the winery and little by little I began to work in the vineyard with the rest of the workers. In 1983 we decided to graft the Sangiovese di Pereta vineyard with Cabernet: the idea was to combine Cabernet and Sangiovese to raise the quality of Morellino.

With the splendid harvest of 1985, the first encouraging results came from Cabernet and I wanted to bet on it, also out of respect for the winemaking passion of my father-in-law Fredi, who had died prematurely that year. And again in 1985, to expand the vineyard estate, next to the old vineyard, we planted a new one of 4 hectares with Giacomo with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante.”

Giacomo Tachis

Elisabetta, with the support of Tachis, decided at first to concentrate many of his efforts on Morellino. An ancient Tuscan grape already cultivated by the Etruscans, it is none other than Sangiovese, called Morellino in reference to the horse of Maremma farmers. Proud and indomitable, like Maremma wine. The objective of Elisabetta It was to bring Morellino to its maximum expression, having the clear feeling that this little wine had something worth telling outside the borders of the Maremma.

After some harvests dedicated to small productions, everything accelerates when Elisabetta, after the loss of fredi, takes complete charge of the winery. Upon leaving the university classrooms, he dedicated himself full time to vineyards, wine and the creation of new wines with the technical support of Giacomo Tachis, inaugurating an important season of delicious, refined, excellent, and extremely pleasant wines. Therefore, along with passion, the family winery begins to grow, which gradually becomes a high-level winery. But Elisabetta, strengthened by her innate intuition, harbored a strong desire to discover, in the field of quality viticulture, all the unexpressed potential of that much loved field, creating a great Maremma wine that would demonstrate the full vocation of this wonderful terroir.

Elisabetta and Clara

Meanwhile, Tachis increasingly appreciated the quality of this Maremma Cabernet Sauvignon and strongly advised Elisabetta to look for it, so with the 1987 harvest the first three thousand bottles of Saffredi, which will become the iconic wine of Le Pupille. A complex Cabernet Sauvignon in purity that Elisabetta He immediately decides to dedicate himself to fredi, his mentor in the world of wine and grandfather of 2 of his 5 children. The grapes come from the old vineyard grafted on Cabernet with rocky soils, rich in minerals, predominantly stony and silty, with a lot of sandstone, but poorly calcareous, poor in organic matter and scarce in clay, therefore, draining soils, perfect for expressing Everything. the potential of noble French Medoc grapes.

Saffredi

The vineyard with south-west and southeast exposure, with an altitude of 350 meters above sea level, is worked with a stimulated cordon with a planting density of 4,000 vines per hectare that provides a decidedly low yield. Thanks to Saffredi, which immediately draws the attention of experts, the excellence of the Tuscan Maremma begins to be known far beyond its borders. This great supertuscan It was pure Cabernet Sauvignon for the first four vintages (1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990), then starting in 1991, grapes from the new vineyard planted in 1985 were also added and today it has become a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, which has also allowed the quantities produced to gradually increase, up to the current level of 40 thousand bottles.

The vineyards Saffredi remain the historical Pereta, 15 hectares of which 14 are of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and a small part of Syrah, in addition to a beautiful hectare of Sangiovese in a total area of the property of approximately 100 hectares, which also includes olive groves or forests.

A skillful Bordeaux blend, rich, fresh and mineral, with a clear Mediterranean vocation, the Saffredi It is aged in barrels both for the first step (75%) and for its 18-month aging: impenetrable, dense, but bright bluish color. Very concentrated nose with broad and intense sensations of crunchy wild red fruits, which integrate spicy aromas of cloves, cinnamon and herbs, finally nuances of dark chocolate. In the mouth a velvety texture emerges with round tannins and an overwhelming return of fruit for a very long finish of great balance and persistence.

Expression of the international soul of the Winery, Saffredi was not only among the first super Tuscans of Maremma, but also one of the great wines that, strengthened by the 95 points by Robert Parker with the 1990 harvest and Gambero Rosso's Tre Biccheri, managed to give visibility to the territory of Scansano, when it was still difficult to make Morellino understood abroad.

Meanwhile, after years of hard work to improve the terroir and its viticultural vocation, Elizabeth Geppetti She will be the first woman president of a Consortium. In 1992 he took the reins of the newly established Morellino di Scansano Consortium at a delicate time. Having to identify the guidelines of the local wine policy, as well as guarantee the quality of the products and their visibility in the market.

But Elisabetta is volcanic, so Tachis, although he considered it a difficult challenge, he had to fulfill another strong wish of the beautiful girl who, thanks to the tenacity of her character, also wanted to create a great mold in Maremma. With the 1994 harvest, it was born «SunHigh», obtained from the late harvest of Traminer, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon and a row of Moscato Rosa, grown in clay soils with an important contribution of fossils in the form of sandstone that is harvested when they reach a concentration of sugars greater than 35% and in the presence of botrytis, generally in the first half of November. A small Sauternes, which is not produced every year and only a few, thousands of 500ml bottles. With an intense straw yellow color with golden reflections. On the nose, aromas of candied fruit, peach, apricot, pineapples that evolve into tones of warm resin. On the palate, the softness is well supported by the acidity and makes the wine balanced and elegant, for a persistent finish that allows you to clearly perceive the sweet aroma of ripe figs. Perfect both to accompany a tasting of aged cheeses with honey and confectionery and for a "meditation" wine, as it immediately warms the soul.

Giacomo Tachis, author of the high caliber red wines that have established themselves as benchmarks on the Italian and international wine scene, will continue to collaborate with Elisabetta until 1996, when at this point this passionate producer would be absolutely capable of continuing the path alone. Then Le Pupille, a composite reality that has grown in size, absolutely needed a resident winemaker who was always present. At this moment is when the name of Luca D'atoma arises, a winemaker who is strong in the Tuscany region and from now on he would also advise Elisabetta from the vineyard to the making of the wines.

Luca D'atoma and Elisabetta

Also in 1996, Elisabetta relaunched, purchasing another beautiful 15 hectare Sangiovese vineyard planted in 1970, located just behind the historic body of the Pupils at 280 MSNM, on sandy soils with a rocky skeleton, exposed to the southeast towards the breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

With the legendary 1997 harvest, the Cru was born "Poggio Valente", a Sangiovese Blend with a contribution of Merlot that, starting with the 2012 harvest, with the desire to express the deeply Tuscan soul of the winery, becomes Sangiovese 100%, with 15 months of aging in 500 and 600 liter barrels , of which around 35 thousand bottles are produced. Dense ruby color, hints of red fruit on the nose with particular persistence of cherry, plum, violet, tobacco, nutmeg, cocoa, wood spices, finally balsamic touches. Powerful, round and fresh palate with a tasty note, a silky tannin texture and beautiful minerality. Poggio Valente is the example of the intelligent and precise work that the winery Le Pupille has been able to perform over time, managing to create a dense, enveloping, warm and intriguing red. It goes well with large cuts of meat.

Poggio Valente

In 1998, Elisabetta bought another property, Vignacci, of 85 hectares facing southwest with the sea to the right, open to all winds, where there are about 20 hectares of vineyards in production and 5 recently planted in ferrous clay soils with a good fossil component. In addition to Sangiovese, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Merlot, white berry grapes dedicated to Poggio Argentato, a blend with a French accent of 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Petit Manseng, 10% Traminer and 5% Semillon, which encompasses the entire solar vocation of the Maremma. Bright yellow in color with basically green reflections, the nose expresses a suggestive richness of wild flowers, white peach, green apple and notes of cut grass that evolve into mineral tones. In the mouth it is fresh, clean and long, supported by a pleasant acidity. About 50 thousand bottles of this white are produced with a very feminine style, whose important structure is balanced with the elegance of the northern vineyards. Perfect as an aperitif, it perfectly accompanies seafood, crustaceans, raw fish, white meats, fresh cheeses and vegetable-based first courses.

Poggio Argentato

In the early 2000s, the bulk of the winery moved near Istia d'Ombrone, a few kilometers from the capital Grosseto, in an old and imposing farm from the late 18th century that Elizabeth Geppetti, with extensive restoration works, has been expertly transformed into a well-kept and suggestive manor house, whose profile returns to some of the Winery's best-known labels. In a succession of living rooms that the landlady wanted warm and welcoming, her touch combines Tuscany and the world in an intimate atmosphere, refined art and local craftsmanship, all surrounded by a large lawn and flowers everywhere. An estate that tastes like a castle: if the tub is futuristic in its functionality, in the basement you can breathe an almost sacred atmosphere with low lights and barrels arranged as far as the eye can see with skillful geometric criteria.

But let's not forget that Le Pupille was the first winery to present to fans the potential of the Scansano hills, when these were considered little more than wild lands, in fact, Elisabetta is called "the Lady of Morellino", of which a Riserva version is also produced.

The wines have always accompanied the winery as a full and constant expression of the territory. Of the Morellino di Scansano About 180 thousand bottles are produced, a cuvée where an 85% from Sangiovese predominates, to which is added a 10% from Alicante and a 5% from Ciliegiolo, only from local vineyards. After a few months of aging in steel tanks, the result is a young, fruity, juicy and drinkable red. At first glance it is bright with ruby reflections, on the nose the fruity notes of cherry predominate and then give way to red fruits with small berries, enhanced by a balsamic return. When tasted, the body is lean and reflects great freshness with taut tannins, while its natural acidity is well balanced by a round tannic texture. Excellent with first courses based on sauces and second courses with meat typical of Maremma cuisine.

Morellino di Scansano

During decades, Morellino di Scansano Riserva It has been the complete territorial expression of Sangiovese and the wild power of the Maremma, a truly special terroir with very ancient soils of seabed origin, in fact, wonderful fossils are still found today. About 50 thousand bottles of a 90% of Sangiovese and a 10% of Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 15 months in 10-20-40 hectoliter barrels to obtain a concentrated and full-bodied red that emits hints of clove, licorice and Mediterranean scrub, backed by a texture of refined tannins.

Morelino di Scansano Riserva

More than thirty years have passed since the dream came true and, in terms of the tenacity of Elisabetta, nothing has changed, what made the difference in these years has been the business capacity that today sees her running a winery that, due to size and turnover, stands out in Maremma. In fact, Le Pupille have become one of the most important productive realities of the appellation, a winery capable of expressing, year after year, wines with a strong territorial attachment, relaxed and elegant. And over the years, the original nucleus has been enriched with new plots of vines, distributed like mosaics in the most suitable areas, up to a vineyard park of 85 hectares for a total production of 550 thousand bottles and a presence in markets. on 4 continents.

In addition to the vineyards, the estate includes 20 hectares of olive trees, fields for growing cereals, pastures and cork oaks for a total of 420 hectares of property.. «I understood that I wanted to take care of the wine, whose love I inherited from my grandfather, who was not even twenty years old», comments Elisabetta, now supported in the management by the dynamic and sunny daughter Clara and the French winemaker Christian Le-Sommer, Consultant Chateau Latour.

I wanted to produce excellent wines and I wanted to do it here, over time I understood that wine is and must be linked to the history of men, it must dialogue with them and grow with them. This land is my life choice, how to make wine has always been my job.” After a few decades, we can say that the challenge of creating great wines in the land of Maremma has, in fact, earned the fame of Le Pupille goes far beyond the area of Grosseto, representing absolute excellence in the panorama of great Italian reds. The enclave of Bordeaux in the sunny Maremma, where the most sincere Tuscan is perfectly integrated with French wine culture, this is the kingdom of Elisabetta, with her beautiful eyes of an intense and delicate blue, which has rightly become «Ambassador of the Maremma» having brought its values, perfumes and intensity to the world.