Petra

This 300 hectare estate, created by the Moretti family of Bellavista, is situated in Suvereto in the Val di Cornia. When Vittorio Moretti, together with his daughter Francesca, set out in search of a property in the Maremma in 1997, they asked Attilio Scienza, Italy's most celebrated viticultural professor and consultant, to help them find the best spot.

Scienza came up with Petra (the name is derived from the Latin for stone, or 'pietra' in Italian), which is to the south east of Bolgheri and inland from, although facing, the sea. The estate now has 97 hectares of vineyard across three separate plots, which surround a splendid modernist winery built by the Swiss architect Mario Botta. Francesca Moretti, CEO of Bellavista and Petra, and newly appointed winemakes Giuseppe Caviola are working to ensure that the quality of fruit arriving in the winery is being captured in the finished wines. The estate is in the process of organic conversion and the winery has been designed to use the force of gravity during vinification, reducing stress on the skins and saving energy.