Tenuta Sette Cieli is located between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci, on the Tuscan coast 1,300 above sea level. The 173-acre estate overlooks terraced vineyards and the Tyrrhenian Sea, and is surrounded by the lush woods of Monteverdi Marittimo. Seventeen acres of high-density vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Because of Tenuta Sette Cieli’s respect for nature, the winery has chosen organic practices to safeguard the environment. Everything is done by hand in the vineyards, with careful attention to each detail. The journey continues in the cellar where the winery employs single-variety vinification. Fermentation starts with wild yeasts, and the final selection of the wines is done only after a period of barrel aging in French oak barrels.

Tenuta Sette Cieli's Elena Pozzolini gained winemaking experience in Argentina, Australia, and California before returning to Italy and joining Tenuta Sette Cieli as Winemaker and CEO in 2013. Since then, Elena has had her hands in every aspect of the winery, from making the wine to managing the business to handling export sales. "The idea that led me to pursue this career and this profession was the fascinating part of producing wine, the transformation of a fruit into a drink so complex and varied dependent on the grapes, the climate, the terroir," she says highlighting her passion behind the variability of the work. Elena says that her experience around the world taught her to approach the wine industry with open-mindedness and experimentation. "I think that women have a different approach, perhaps you could even say they are more attuned to the details," she says. "But everyone has their own style that allows them to make great and unique wines. Personally, my goal is to protect and respect the environment where our vines grow, trying to find the right balance in the vineyard to get the perfect fruit."