Castello di Bolgheri

The estate of Castello di Bolgheri has belonged to the Counts della Gherardesca for centuries, handed down from generation to generation, and its historic cellar was built in 1796 by the della Gherardesca family. Federico Zileri Dal Verme is the owner of Azienda Agricola Castello di Bolgheri and has led the project since the mid-1990s, and in 2005, winemaker Alessandro Dondi joined the property.

The estate spans the final kilometer before Bolgheri on either side of Viale dei Cipressi, and all of its vineyards belong to the Bolgheri DOC. Vineyard exposure is south-west, with sand-clay and limestone soils at pH 8, as well as soils primarily of clay and sand, rich in pebbles with a sub-alkaline pH level. In addition, vine rows run perpendicular to the sea to capture mitigating breezes and temperatures. In 1996, grape varieties were substituted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and Petit Verdot, and its wines include Castello di Bolgheri, Varvàra, and Flocco.