Fattoria Le Pupille - Poggio Valente 2023

James Suckling

A solid and beautiful red with aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, sage, rosemary and thyme. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and firm tannins that give this length and deliciousness. Pure sangiovese. You can drink it now, but it will be better in three or four years. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast

Vinum Wine Magazine

Raffaele Vecchione - WinesCritic.com

Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Made with 100% Sangiovese, the Fattoria Le Pupille 2023 Poggio Valente was bottled in June 2025 and is scheduled for release soon. The 2023 vintage was challenging across much of Tuscany due to persistent spring rain and widespread mildew pressure that severely affected Merlot and other early-ripening grapes, but conditions in southern Maremma were more balanced thanks to the area’s naturally ventilated setting. Poggio Valente benefits from its position between two hills with the sea directly in front, creating constant airflow and a luminous quality to the wines. The Sangiovese is planted on heavier soils rich in clay and limestone, lending structure and depth, and the estate is in the process of refining its élevage by moving away from smaller oak toward larger vessels, with more than 50% of the wine now aged in botti grandi to achieve a crunchier and more transparent expression. The plan for this wine is working out beautifully.

I joined Elisabetta Geppetti for a tasting of her latest vintages at Fattoria Le Pupille at the end of 2025 and was struck by the completion of a beautiful new reception area with tasting rooms and offices. The modern glass-and-concrete structure is built in a square form around a graceful central tree, approached by a winding walkway lined with rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and other garden herbs whose fragrances on the day of my visit drifted naturally into the tasting room. Those aromas felt like a living extension of the wines themselves and perfectly illustrated what Elisabetta Geppetti calls “Mediterranean tension,” the interplay of generosity, freshness and saline clarity that defines the estate’s style in coastal Maremma. Alongside the current releases, we tasted a 1996 Morellino di Scansano from the cellar, a joyful reminder of the estate’s history and longevity.