Campo alla Sughera: 25 years interpreting the vintages of Bolgheri

Twenty-five harvests, a succession of contrasting growing seasons and one constant ambition: to seek the most faithful expression of Bolgheri. In 2026, Campo alla Sughera celebrates 25 years since its first harvest in 2001, the vintage that gave birth to Arnione, its Bolgheri DOC Superiore. The anniversary offers an opportunity to look back at the estate’s journey and at the evolution of its understanding of the vineyard.

The story began in 2001, an especially favourable vintage in Tuscany. Perfectly healthy grapes, a fine balance between sugar and acidity, together with considerable polyphenolic richness, provided Campo alla Sughera with ideal conditions for its inaugural harvest. Since then, no two vintages have been quite alike. It is precisely this diversity that has progressively shaped the estate’s knowledge of its vineyards and its approach to winemaking. Campo alla Sughera is owned by the German Knauf family.

“Over these 25 years, we have seen very different conditions unfold before us. Hot vintages, cooler ones, regular seasons and others that were far more challenging. It is precisely this variability that has taught us to understand our vineyards better with each passing vintage,” (Francesco Gagliardi, Head Winemaker at Campo alla Sughera)

Several years now stand as milestones in this evolution. In 2006, high temperatures combined with marked day-to-night temperature variations produced particularly full and structured wines. The 2009 vintage was distinguished by its regularity and harmony, while 2013 benefited from slow, gradual ripening. This was followed by the heat and lack of rainfall of 2016, the cooler start to the 2019 season and, finally, 2021, regarded by the estate as a particularly classic expression of Bolgheri. This succession of markedly different years has led Campo alla Sughera to focus on interpreting each vintage rather than attempting to reproduce the same wine year after year. “Making a perfect wine is virtually impossible, but constantly striving for perfection is what drives us towards excellence,” says estate director Tommaso Alessandri.

Arnione 2022, a contemporary expression of the estate

Twenty-five years after the first harvest, Arnione remains one of Campo alla Sughera’s emblematic wines. Now available on the market, the 2022 Bolgheri DOC Superiore is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc sourced from the estate’s finest parcels. The different lots are harvested and vinified separately before blending. The wine is then aged in French oak barriques and tonneaux, followed by a further period of maturation in bottle.

Through the 2022 vintage and the experience accumulated over a quarter of a century, Campo alla Sughera continues along the path begun in 2001: deepening its understanding of its individual parcels and adapting its work to each vintage in order to express the identity of Bolgheri with ever greater precision.

To explore Campo alla Sughera further, Vertdevin has tasted and rated numerous wines and vintages from the estate. Their scores and tasting notes are available on vertdevin.com.