Winemaker Notes
Blend: 100% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The nose is primarily savory, with notes of balsamic, cured meat and stone, while undertones of raspberries and roses provide a light, floral fruitiness. Berries shine on the palate, which is intense and dynamic from the first drop, as the meatiness also persists to create a confident, self-assured wine. On the finish, a wave of salt crashes over everything, like sunset by the sea.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Tenuta Sette Cieli 2018 Scipio is a pure expression of Cabernet Franc from a breezy high-elevation vineyard that is outside the appellation (that’s why this is an IGT Toscana wine). But elevation makes all the difference when making wine on the Tuscan coast, and this expression is focused and linear as a result. There is dark fruit and spice, thanks to 15 months in oak, and elegant tannins.
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Wine Spectator
A lean, intense style, this red delivers cherry, black currant, iron and tobacco flavors framed by toasty oak. Ends with a dusty feel from the tannins on the lingering finish. Best from 2025 through 2036.
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James Suckling
Some tomato leaf with plums and berries on the nose. Fresh herbs, too. Full and juicy, with tomato paste and berry in the aftertaste. A little reductive and needs decanting. Cabernet franc. Drink or hold.
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."
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.