Terroir
A multiplicity to know and valorize
A natural predisposition can be a limitation or an opportunity: the final result depends on its interpretation, on the people who work the land with devotion and competence to extract its essence. The area of Suvereto is rich of winemaking traditions which go back to the time of the Greeks and the Etruscans, who made wine in amphoras, and who carried out a prosperous metal trade here. But the land’s pedigree is not enough, especially when it is so nuanced: Petra is a collection of landscapes and microclimates, a series of substrates.

Terroir map
-
Cantina
Terroir Geology Soils Cantina Calcareous turbidites (Cretaceous) and colluvial deposits Soils of an orange-brown colour, medium texture and gravelly, well-drained. The pH is subalkaline and the calcium carbonate is medium or high. Officina Clays and limestones and blue limestones (Cretaceous) Thin soils, rich with clay flakes, very poor, low in carbonates. La Villa Marine deposits (Pliocene) Brown soils, deep, medium texture, calcareous and rich in sodium and magnesium, with an alkaline pH. Valdamone Alluvial and colluvial deposits (Holocene) Reddish-brown soils, deep, medium texture, not very gravelly and with moderate stagnant water deep down. Carbonates are low or non-existent. Riferraino Ancient alluvial and colluvial deposits (Pliocene) Orange-brown soils, deep, clayey-silty, gravelly. They are very low in bases (Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium) and rich in iron oxides. Sub-acid pH. Latitude: 43.046314, Longitude: 10.706858 -
Montebamboli
Terroir Geology Soils Sant'Aurora Fluvial conglomerates of Montebamboli (Miocene) Ancient red soils, highly altered and poor, gravelly, medium texture and generally well-drained. They have a sub-acid pH, are rich in iron and low in bases, especially potassium. The “valley” variant indicates deeper and more fertile soils along watersheds, whilst “north” indicates less exposed slopes. Poggio Clays and limestones and blue limestones (Cretaceous) Brown soils, clayey and moderately stony, well-drained, subalkaline and slightly calcareous. Sant'Adele Clays and limestones and blue limestones (Cretaceous), Marine deposits (Pliocene) Very calcareous soils, with imperfect drainage, at a subalkaline pH, mild salinity and high sodium and magnesium content. The “vertisols” variant indicates soils with strong contraction and expansion of the clays, which cause. Latitude: 43.0776861, Longitude: 10.8084179 -
Riotorto
Terroir Geology Soils Poggio Avvoltoio Marine deposits (Pliocene) Ochrey soils, clayey-silty, gravelly, with moderate stagnant water deep down. They are very calcareous and sometimes rich in sodium and magnesium. La Quercia Clays and limestones and blue limestones (Cretaceous) Brown soils, clayey, but well-structured, with moderate stagnant water deep down. They are subalkaline, and not very calcareous. San Frediano Alluvial and colluvial deposits (Holocene) Brown soils, deep, medium texture and well-structured, with moderate stagnant water deep down. They neutral or subalkaline, not calcareous. Latitude: 42.988377, Longitude: 10.684559
A first zoning process carried out by Attilio Scienza highlighted the presence of a superficial stony and dry layer of tectonic origins, followed by a layer rich in manganese and other metals, of alluvial origins, and a basal muddy layer. This study was followed by a detailed cartographic classification of the property, in cooperation with CREA in Florence: a wealth of essential scientific data to understand how best to express the vineyards’ potential.