Podere Sapaio was born in 1999, after Massimo Piccin convinced his family to help him invest in the prized terroir of Bolgheri, creating a wine estate in what is one of Italy’s most famed viticultural areas. A native of Veneto, Massimo always felt a deep passion for wine and wanted to direct this passion towards his own high quality wine project.
At that time it consisted of only 10 hectares of land adjoining an old farmhouse in Castagneto Carducci. The following year, he immediately began his adventure in planting vineyards. Podere Sapaio now covers an area of 40 hectares, 25 of which are vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, varieties that have made Bolgheri and its wines famous all over the world.
In 2004 they bought 9 hectares in Bibbona (a small area right outside the Bolgheri DOC), and during the last few years, realised the amazing potential of the grapes they were getting from here. Such was the quality of the fruit from the Bibbona vineyard that they decided to forego the Bolgheri DOC in order to blend this fruit into their flagship wine, Sapaio. So starting in 2015 Sapaio has been bottled as Toscana IGT in order to have the flexibility to use fruit from both parts of the property, while Volpolo retains the Bolgheri DOC designation.
Podere Sapaio’s two wines total about 100,000 bottles per year, of which Volpolo Bolgheri DOC is around 80% and Sapaio IGT is around 20% . The wines are aged 14 months in French oak, both barriques and tonneaux, before the final blends are assembled. Volpolo is generally a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (15%) and Petit Verdot (15%), while Sapaio is more flexible but still principally Cabernet Sauvignon based.
The sea, located less than 10 kilometers away, offers an exceptional climate for grape growing and is the defining feature of this area. All of the vineyards were planted between 2000 and 2005 under the supervision of Carlo Ferrini with a density of about 7500 plants per hectare and utilizing wooden trellising. The training is double cordon at 45-50 cm from the ground, allowing the vines to maintain a healthy balance between leaves and fruit. A superior quality olive oil is also produced from trees on the property.
Respect for the land and a sustainable approach are the two fundamental tenets of Podere Sapaio’s wine making philosophy. Vineyard work is an expression of uncompromising harmony between man and nature, and the estate has recently transitioned to organic farming practices. From the harvest to the selection of grape bunches, everything is done strictly by hand. In the cellar, quality of production combines with technical expertise. These techniques aim to emphasize the harmonious play between nature and human beings.
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