Bolgheri: a volcanic plateau above the coast
East to west, from the wooded hills behind Castagneto Carducci across the southern Bolgheri plateau to the Tyrrhenian. Tap a layer to read it.
Swipe the plate sideways to see the whole section.
Schematic. The rhyolite body is drawn to show that Meraviglia's plateau sits on volcanic rock, as the estate and its importer describe; its real outline and depth are not surveyed here. Meraviglia's position is approximate (southern Bolgheri, plateau at about 150 m). The coastal red sands follow the Consorzio's soil description. Check against the Regione Toscana geological map and the Consorzio zoning study. The rhyolite age is the published figure for the San Vincenzo rhyolite nearby.
5 layers, youngest at the top
Why Meraviglia is not like the rest of Bolgheri
- Most of Bolgheri sits on gravel fans and clay-sand alluvium; Meraviglia sits on volcanic rock.
- Rhyolite soil is stony and lean, so vigour is low and tannins are firm.
- The plateau faces south-west, open to the sea breeze, which slows ripening in August and September.
- At 150 m it sits between the hot plain and the cooler hills.
Did you knowSassicaia takes its name from sasso, stone: the round river pebbles of Bolgheri's alluvial fans.
Pas Mal wines on this ground
Tenuta Meraviglia
- Bolgheri RossoTenuta Meraviglia
- Maestro di Cava, Bolgheri SuperioreTenuta Meraviglia
Sources: Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Bolgheri, terroir pages; Club Oenologique, Bolgheri report 2025; Liberty Wines and Decanter on Tenuta Meraviglia; Gambero Rosso on the Cariola quarry cellar; AWS Terrain Tiles.