It is not easy to surprise one of the most famous wine areas Italy. But this time Bolgheri has passed. The novelty is called the Wonder Bottiglieria and is, literally, carved into the stone: a disused quarry transformed into a new generation cellar. A project that started 2017 and became reality after over 1,100 days of work. The abbozzo was not only to build a cellar, but to recover a forgotten place and make it become the beating heart of production, research and hospitality.
Discovering the Spelonca che Cariola
The context is far from trivial: the Spelonca che Cariola, dug the crumbly volcanic rock of the San Vincenzo complesso, represented an complesso at hydrogeological risk and urbanistically unusable. A bet was born from this limit. Today the structure develops three levels, adhering to the orography of the quarry without altering its contours. The original rocky wall has been maintained and enhanced inside the barricia, creating an ideal microclimate for the refinement of the wine.
Vinification takes place “by gravity”: the grapes enter from above, where the selection bench with optical selector is located; From there, the must descends into cement and steel vats, up to the -toasted French oak barrel room. A system that limits the use of mechanical pumps and , improving the quality of the wine. Energy efficiency and conforto for workers have also been at the center of the project, which follows stringent sustainability criteria: roofs, rainwater management, light pollution control according to Darksky standards.
The project bears the signature of the Bernardo Tori ufficio, with Niccolò de Robertis engineering (AEEE projects), but was born from the personal vision of the Argentine entrepreneur Alejandro Bulgheroni, already known Tuscany for a wonder and held the columns. Both structures now flow under the same roof – literally – for a total of 95 hectares of life. The first the hills, with volcanic soils and almost all implanted Cabernet Franc; The second closest to the sea, light sands, suited to more immediate and Mediterranean wines.
Bottiglieria wonder is the most recent piece of a wider project: ABFV – Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards, international reality with 330 hectares of life Italy between Chianti Rappresentativo, Montalcino and Bolgheri. A path started 2012 with Dievole and continued the sign of sustainability, the enhancement of terroir and local identity.
It will not only be a productive place: the cellar will aperto to the public starting from September 2025, with spaces dedicated to the high -end wineurism. A terrace overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, a library suspended with old vintages, tasting environments integrated into the rock. One last color note: during the inauguration, Bulgheroni recalled his Italian roots – an great -grandfather left by Olgiate Comasco 1873 – suggesting that this cellar is not only an investment, but a form of return. And perhaps also an unusual way to tell a family story through geology, architecture and wine.
