Casanova della Spinetta

The Rivetti family background

Casanova della Spinetta grew out of the agricultural traditions of the Rivetti family. In the early 1960s, Giuseppe Rivetti, known as Pin, and his wife Lidia were experienced farmers whose work combined respect for inherited practices with curiosity about the future. Their children Carlo, Bruno, Giorgio and Giovanna later took over the family business, carrying forward principles of humility, respect for the land and preference for indigenous grape varieties.

2001: the move into Tuscany

In 2001, Carlo, Bruno and Giorgio Rivetti turned their attention to Tuscany and created Casanova della Spinetta. They wanted to test themselves in a different territory and with different grape varieties. At a time when international varieties were a prominent focus in Tuscany, they chose instead to preserve the relationship between a native grape and its place of origin, making Sangiovese the foundation of the project.

The Sezzana vineyard at Casciana Terme marked the formal beginning of the Rivettis’ Tuscan venture. Its first estate wine was produced from the 2001 vintage.

Development of the estate range

Sassontino, from one of Casanova’s historic vineyards in Terricciola, followed with its first vintage in 2003. That same year marked the first production of Casanova Extra Virgin Olive Oil Toscano IGP from olive groves in Terricciola.

Il Nero di Casanova debuted with the 2004 vintage. It became the estate’s representative Sangiovese and took its name from the traditional Tuscan expression vino nero for red wine.

In 2005, the family introduced two monovarietal reds: Il Gentile di Casanova from Prugnolo Gentile and Il Colorino di Casanova from Colorino. The latter followed the family’s Piedmontese tradition of vinifying individual varieties separately, while the former was intended to express the particular character of Prugnolo Gentile, an old variety generally regarded as a Sangiovese biotype.

Chianti Riserva Casanova followed in 2007, made entirely from Sangiovese grown in a single Terricciola vineyard. Toscana Vermentino entered production with the 2009 vintage. In 2012, the Rivetti family added its first rosé, inspired by the rosés of Provence and based equally on Sangiovese and Prugnolo Gentile.

Casanova’s vineyards are farmed organically. The guiding principle is that vineyards pre-date their present custodians and should be cultivated in a way that allows them to continue beyond the current generation.

Viticultural work is treated as the principal foundation of wine quality. Particular value is placed on older vines: although they bear less fruit, their grapes are considered capable of conveying greater concentration, consistency and complexity, together with the character of their soil and microclimate.

Low yields are deliberate. Between July and August, unripe bunches are removed in a green harvest so the vine can concentrate the identity and characteristics of the site in fewer clusters. Yields do not exceed 30 hectolitres of wine per hectare.

Harvest dates are determined through sensory judgment and accumulated experience rather than a single fixed calendar. This approach is intended to adapt vineyard work to changing climatic conditions and to preserve balance and site identity in the resulting wines.

Winemaking varies according to grape variety and intended style while retaining a strong focus on site and varietal identity.

The estate’s red wines undergo maceration and alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled vats, commonly for 14–15 days. Malolactic fermentation and maturation take place in oak. Depending on the selection, this may involve second- or third-passage French oak for approximately 12 months, or longer maturation of about 24 months. The two single-vineyard Sangiovese crus use French oak with 20% new wood and the remainder in second-passage barrels, followed by 24 months in oak and at least 100 months of bottle maturation. Other reds receive further bottle maturation of approximately three to six months after their time in wood.

Vermentino is fermented with natural yeasts and remains on its lees in stainless-steel tanks for approximately three months.

For the rosé, Sangiovese and Prugnolo Gentile are destemmed and softly pressed without excessive pressure on the berries. Brief skin contact produces balanced free-run juice. Alcoholic fermentation lasts about ten days, followed by approximately three months on the lees in stainless steel.