The vine of Podere Il Casino

Geographic location and climate

In accordance with the Tuscan tradition, in addition to olives, grapes are also produced on the Podere Il Casino. The vineyards at an altitude of roughly 400 meters are just a stone’s throw away from the renowned vineyards of Montalcino and are part of the Montecucco – DOC area, which was founded in 1998.

The proximity to the now extinct volcano Monte Amiata is fundamental for the quality of our wines. The massif serves as water a reservoir and provides cool nights during the ripening phase of the grapes in August and September. This is essential particularly regarding the aromatic compounds of the grapes, as flavour development is enhanced by temperature alterations between night and day.

Apart from the climate, the soils too are determined by the Monte Amiata. Although very heterogenic, they are basically limestone-based. There is even a relict fireplace, where limestone was overburn until the last century. The most widespread soil formations are marley, silty and loamy limestone. In some spots one finds the sought after limestone schist renowned in Tuscany as "Galestro".

The vineyards

Altogether roughly 4 hectares are planted with vines, divided into 4 plots with a density of  5500 plants per hectare. Sangiovese occupies the largest space and is our principal variety while certain particularly adapted spots are planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

From the beginning we have worked along the guidelines of organic farming and since 2006 we are certified organic growers. Because we work with the natural yeasts of the vineyard we are dependent on an intact microflora and - fauna. If we would use pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, this all would be devastated.

To avoid monoculture and to enhance the biodiversity of the vineyard the rows are crop covered. A mixture of many varieties (leguminosa, grasses, cereals, and medicinal plants) is chosen for crop cover, which allegedly improves the crumbling and water-retaining capacity of the soil thanks to deep root penetration and the resulting accumulation of organic substances.

A restrictive yield control is applied during the ripening phase to ensure that the remaining grapes hang loosely and are perfectly aerated. This way, plant protection can be optimized and the number of phytosanitary treatments reduced. Furthermore, ripeness is achieved even in cooler summers with increased precipitations. Of course, applying such a restrictive hand leads to reduced yields of roughly 25-30 hl per hectare.

The winemaking

We put a lot of effort in growing ripe and healthy grapes. On the other hand, we try to keep interventions as low as possible during the winemaking to allow the quality of the grapes and the characteristics of the vintage and the soils to appear undistorted in the finished wine.

Fermentation occurs spontaneous without the use of artificial yeasts. Apart from small doses of sulphur which helps avoiding the development of undesired bacteria and stabilises the wine before bottling no artificial substances are added.

The varieties are fermented separately in stainless steeltanks and wooden barrels for roughly 15 to 25 days. The wine is then aged on the lees in steel and in 500 l – Tonneaux for a period of 12 – 18 month.

The stocking of the barrels and the bottled wine occurs in temperature controlled storage facilities.