Fattoria Le Pupille

Elisabetta Geppetti took the reins of her family's property in 1985 at just 20 years old. It was first her grandfather, and later her father-in-law Alfredo Geppetti, known to friends as Fredi, who passed on to a young Elisabetta their love for the vineyard, and to that bond she added an ambitious dream: to craft wines of excellence by elevating the terroir of Maremma, at the time still largely undiscovered. Inspired by the legendary Italian oenologist Giacomo Tachis, celebrated as the creator of Sassicaia, Tignanello and Solaia, Elisabetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Sangiovese, a decision that redefined what Maremma's vineyards could achieve. Working alongside the late Giacomo Tachis and her mentor Fredi, she created Saffredi, first released with the 1987 vintage as one of the pioneering Tuscan IGT 'Supertuscans.' The estate's winemaking story reaches back further still: its Morellino di Scansano Riserva began as 'Rosso di Pereta' and became the first Morellino di Scansano in the collection with the creation of that denomination in 1978, and the estate released its first official label in 1982.

• 1985: Elisabetta Geppetti takes over the family property at age 20, guided by her grandfather's and father-in-law Fredi's love for the vineyard
• Inspired by Giacomo Tachis, Elisabetta plants Cabernet Sauvignon alongside Sangiovese, a turning point for the estate
• 1987: first release of Saffredi, created with Tachis and dedicated to Fredi, among the pioneering Tuscan Super Tuscan IGT wines
• The estate's Morellino Riserva traces to 'Rosso di Pereta,' becoming the first Morellino di Scansano in the collection when the denomination was created in 1978

Elisabetta Geppetti, known as the 'Lady of Morellino,' remains the central figure at Fattoria Le Pupille, both as producer and as the first president of the Morellino di Scansano Consortium. In 1992 she became the first woman to chair an Italian wine consortium, leading the newly created Consorzio del Morellino di Scansano, a role she held again from 2011 to 2013. Today she leads the estate together with her children, Clara and Ettore. Ettore began studying enology and viticulture while still in high school, at a secondary program tied to the enology school in Conegliano and at his high school in Grosseto, before attending the University of Pisa, where he continued studying enology and viticulture. After several years at Pisa, he returned to Fattoria Le Pupille in 2019 to work a harvest alongside longtime consulting winemaker Luca D'Attoma, who had served the estate for nearly a decade; in spring 2020 Ettore and the family decided it was time for him to take over vineyard management and vinification. Clara oversees exports and acts as a global ambassador for the estate, while Ettore manages the vineyards and cellar; Clara also worked with her mother to create the Le Pupille Syrah, the estate's first wine made through the shared work of Elisabetta and her daughter, while Ettore oversaw the creation of Piemme, the estate's single-vineyard Petit Manseng.

• Elisabetta Geppetti: 'Lady of Morellino,' first president of the Morellino di Scansano Consortium from its creation in 1992, and again 2011-2013
• Ettore Geppetti studied enology and viticulture at Conegliano, in Grosseto, and at the University of Pisa; became the estate's winemaker in 2019-2020, succeeding consultant Luca D'Attoma
• Clara Geppetti oversees exports and acts as a global ambassador for the estate, and co-created the Le Pupille Syrah with her mother, the first wine made through their shared work
• Ettore oversaw the creation of Piemme, the estate's single-vineyard Petit Manseng, first released in 2014

The Le Pupille estate spans 420 hectares in the Maremma, on Tuscany's southern coast, with 85 hectares planted to vineyards, 20 hectares of olive groves, and additional land devoted to cereals, cork oaks and pastures. The vineyards unfold across named parcels including Poggio Alberi, Le Piagge, Bozzino, Poggio Valente, Pupille Vecchie, La Carla, Pian di Fiora and Castello Alto, at altitudes between 150 and 350 meters. The Saffredi vineyard sits in Pereta, about twenty minutes from the sea, across two vineyards and four parcels on two complementary soil types: a historic core of three parcels with sandy soils low in organic matter, and a second 12-hectare plot with Petit Verdot on tuff-rich soils streaked with red clay, reaching altitudes of up to 280 meters. The Poggio Valente vineyard, source of the estate's Sangiovese cru of the same name, was acquired by Elisabetta Geppetti in 1996. The Le Pupille Syrah draws on two further sites: the 1.5-hectare Vigna del Palo, planted in 2000, and a 0.5-hectare plot within the Pian di Fiora vineyard, planted in 2002.

• 420 hectares total estate; 85 hectares of vineyards, 20 hectares of olive groves, plus cereals, cork oaks and pastures
• Saffredi vineyard: two vineyards, four parcels in Pereta, altitudes up to 280 meters; a 12-hectare plot on tuff-rich, red-clay soils carries the Petit Verdot
• Poggio Valente vineyard acquired by Elisabetta Geppetti in 1996
• Le Pupille Syrah sourced from Vigna del Palo (1.5 ha, planted 2000) and a 0.5-hectare plot within Pian di Fiora (planted 2002)

Fattoria Le Pupille's current range comprises ten wines. Saffredi, the icon wine, blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot; its earliest vintages (1987-1989) were 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the blend has since settled at roughly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, matured 18 months in French oak barriques and refined up to 6 months in bottle. Poggio Valente, from the vineyard Elisabetta Geppetti acquired in 1996, is a Sangiovese matured 15 months, 25% in large 20-hectoliter French oak casks and 75% in French oak tonneaux. The Morellino di Scansano Riserva, rooted in the estate's 'Rosso di Pereta' origins, matures 15 months in Slavonian oak casks of 10, 20 and 40 hectoliters, while the entry Morellino di Scansano has accompanied the estate since 1985. Pelofino blends Sangiovese with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for a smooth, fruity red. Among the whites, Poggio Argentato blends Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Semillon and Traminer; Piemme is a rare single-vineyard Petit Manseng from a 1.5-hectare plot rich in gypsum and clay, first released in 2014; and Solalto is a passito from naturally dried Traminer, Sauvignon and Semillon, its label featuring a childhood drawing by Clara Geppetti. Rosamati, a pure Syrah rose from a 2.5-hectare parcel near Magliano in Toscana, was created by Elisabetta in 2007 and is dedicated to Rosa Mati, Fredi's mother. Le Pupille, a 100% Syrah co-created by Elisabetta and Clara, is the estate's most recent addition to the red range.

• Saffredi: earliest vintages 100% Cabernet Sauvignon; current blend roughly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 18 months in French oak barriques
• Poggio Valente (Sangiovese, from the 1996 vineyard) and Morellino di Scansano Riserva (rooted in 'Rosso di Pereta') anchor the estate's Sangiovese-based range
• Poggio Argentato (Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, Semillon, Traminer), Piemme (single-vineyard Petit Manseng, first vintage 2014) and Solalto (passito) make up the whites
• Rosamati (Syrah rose, created 2007, dedicated to Rosa Mati) and Le Pupille (100% Syrah, co-created by Elisabetta and Clara) round out the range

Saffredi has drawn sustained critical attention in recent vintages. The 2019 was ranked No. 8 in Wine Spectator's Global Top 10, with Bruce Sanderson describing aromas of black currant, blackberry, plum and violet woven into a dense structure with extraordinary persistence. The 2021 was ranked No. 46 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 and received 100 points from Falstaff, and the 2023 was included in James Suckling's Top 100 of 2025. Across recent vintages Saffredi has also drawn strong scores from Robert Parker (98 for 2023 and 2022, 97 for 2021, 95 for 2020, 98 for 2019) and James Suckling (97 for 2023, 99 for 2022 and 2021, 98 for 2020, 99 for 2019).

• Saffredi 2019: No. 8, Wine Spectator's Global Top 10
• Saffredi 2021: No. 46, Wine Spectator's Top 100; 100 points, Falstaff
• Saffredi 2023: James Suckling's Top 100 of 2025
• Robert Parker and James Suckling scores for Saffredi have run 95-98 and 97-99 respectively across the 2019-2023 vintages

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.fattorialepupille.it/en, https://www.fattorialepupille.it/en/the-family, https://www.fattorialepupille.it/en/la-maremma, https://www.fattorialepupille.it/en/wines, https://www.fattorialepupille.it/en/wines/saffredi, and the individual pages for each of the estate's other nine wines. Secondary sources: Armit Wines, 'Women behind the Wine: Elisabetta Gepetti'; Berry Bros. & Rudd producer profile for Saffredi di Maremma Pupille; Apron and Sneakers, 'Fattoria Le Pupille: How Elisabetta Geppetti Redefined Maremma's Winemaking Tradition' (10 January 2025); Ethica Wines, 'Ettore Rizzi Shares Fattoria le Pupille New Viewpoint and Future Endeavors' (27 October 2022); Decanter, 'Fattoria Le Pupille's next-generation: Piemme & Le Pupille' by James Button (21 August 2021). Last verified 2026-09-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.