History
Ancient estate
Caseo occupies a historic aristocratic property in the northeastern sector of Oltrepò Pavese. The estate’s origins are described as ancient and noble, and winemaking has had a presence there since 1200. Its landscape now comprises 120 hectares of rolling hills and woodland in Valle Versa.
2013 — acquisition by the Tommasi family
The Tommasi family acquired Caseo in 2013 as part of its fourth-generation expansion into selected Italian wine territories. The decision was driven by the estate’s position in Oltrepò Pavese, its high, sunny vineyards, south to south-southwest exposures, and clay-rich soils containing active limestone. Pinot Nero became the central focus, accompanied by Chardonnay and Moscato.
The property was organized as a 120-hectare estate, with 90 hectares under vine and 30 hectares of woodland. The woods form a natural frame around the vineyards and are also maintained as a hunting reserve.
Development of the sparkling-wine project
Caseo developed two approaches to sparkling wine. Its tank-method range encompasses Pinot Nero Brut, Pinot Nero Brut Rosé and Moscato Vino Spumante Dolce. A separate Metodo Classico project was created around vineyards at three elevations: 410 metres for Chardonnay, 470 metres for Pinot Nero and 530 metres for Pinot Nero Rosé.
2021 — the first Metodo Classico line
On 25 June 2021, the family presented its first Metodo Classico collection under the campaign name #thefirstbubble. The inaugural line consisted of three 2017-vintage Brut sparkling wines: 410 Chardonnay, 470 Pinot Nero and 530 Pinot Nero Rosé. The numbers on the labels correspond to the elevations of their vineyards in Colli Verdi.
The wines were produced in limited quantities: 6,500 bottles of 410 Chardonnay and 8,000 bottles each of 470 Pinot Nero and 530 Pinot Nero Rosé. All three spent 36 months on their lees; the documented disgorgement took place in May 2021. The launch represented Caseo’s transition from an estate already producing still and tank-method sparkling wines into the Tommasi family’s first dedicated Metodo Classico project.
Terroir
Caseo lies in Alta Valle Versa, in the commune of Colli Verdi, within the northeastern sector of Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardia. The 120-hectare property is a landscape of rolling hills, 90 hectares of vineyards and 30 hectares of woodland.
The vineyards occupy sunny hillside positions with south to south-southwest exposures. Their soils are predominantly clay, with a substantial presence of active limestone. The limestone seams are associated with the mineral character and ageing potential sought in the estate’s sparkling wines.
The Metodo Classico project identifies three high-elevation vineyard positions at 410, 470 and 530 metres above sea level. These elevations define the names of the three wines made from them. The 530-metre Pinot Nero site is the highest of the three, while Chardonnay is grown at 410 metres and a second Pinot Nero selection at 470 metres.
The surrounding woodland forms a natural frame and reserve around the cultivated land. Caseo’s combination of high elevations, sunny exposures and clay-limestone soils underpins its focus on Pinot Nero, including both still and sparkling expressions, alongside Chardonnay and Moscato Giallo.
Winemaking
Caseo follows low-impact viticultural guidelines within an integrated production system intended to provide environmentally responsible management of agricultural work.
The estate’s vines are trained to classic Guyot. Strict agronomic practices are used to keep yields low and direct production toward higher-quality fruit. In the elevation-designated Metodo Classico vineyards, planting density is 5,500 vines per hectare and the documented yield for the inaugural 2017 wines was 9,000 kg per hectare. Those Chardonnay and Pinot Nero parcels were harvested in the second half of August.
Environmental measures extend beyond cultivation. The 30 hectares of woodland surrounding the 90 hectares of vines are retained as a natural frame and hunting reserve. Winery procedures emphasize efficient resource use, waste avoidance and recycling. Packaging measures include organic corks with FSC certification, FSC-certified label paper and recycled-paper cartons.
Caseo works with still Pinot Nero and several sparkling-wine methods, including tank fermentation and Metodo Classico.
Metodo Classico base wines
For the white vinification of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero, grapes are softly pressed and the free-run juice is separated from the second-press fraction. Chardonnay free-run juice is clarified before fermentation. Fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks at 16.5°C: ten days for Chardonnay and ten to twelve days for Pinot Nero. The wines mature for four months in steel before preparation of the sparkling base.
The Pinot Nero Rosé base receives a short period of cold skin contact in the press under inert conditions to extract colour. Soft pressing follows, with the free-run and second-press juices kept separate. The free-run juice ferments in stainless steel for ten to twelve days at 16.5°C, followed by four months in steel.
After eight months, the base wines are bottled in Champagne-style bottles with a liqueur de tirage composed of wine, sugar and selected yeasts. Secondary fermentation takes place in the cellar at a constant 14–15°C. The inaugural wines matured for 36 months on their lees. At disgorgement in May 2021, the secondary-fermentation sediment was removed, liqueur d’expédition was added, and the wines were recorked and rested in the cellar.
Tank-method sparkling wines
Pinot Nero Brut ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel for 15 days. Prise de mousse lasts 10 days at 17°C, followed by 30 days on the lees in pressurized tanks. Pinot Nero Brut Rosé receives a soft pressing designed to extract a small amount of colour, followed by the same 15-day stainless-steel fermentation, ten-day prise de mousse at 17°C and 30-day lees maturation in pressurized tanks.
For Moscato Vino Spumante Dolce, softly pressed must remains in stainless steel for several months at a controlled temperature of −3°C before sparkling-wine production in a pressurized tank.
Still Pinot Nero
The still Pinot Nero undergoes maceration in stainless steel at a controlled 24°C. Fermentation and maturation continue in 35-hl, second-use oak casks for approximately 12 months.
No animal-derived products or products containing allergens are used in the stated wine-production process. Cellar procedures prioritize efficient use of resources, reduced waste and recycling wherever possible.
Philosophy
Caseo’s project is built around the relationship between site selection and varietal identity. The Tommasi family chose the estate for its high, sunny vineyards, south to south-southwest exposures and clay-limestone soils, with Pinot Nero as the principal interpreter of the property.
The family presents the Metodo Classico project as a meeting of accumulated knowledge, care and dedication to Oltrepò Pavese. Its declared approach combines modern initiative with respect for tradition and skills passed through four generations. The elevation-designated wines were conceived to make the distinctions among the estate’s high vineyards immediately legible.
Giancarlo Tommasi’s broader production philosophy is to study each territory independently rather than impose a Valpolicella model upon it. Vineyard management, planting choices and winemaking style are adapted to the soil, climate and intended wine. Sustainability is understood as sensitivity to both place and people, with ecological, social and economic considerations forming part of long-term growth.
The cellar’s restrained architecture follows the same principle: it is intended to support precise production while expressing Pinot Nero’s personality, preserving Moscato’s aromatic character and developing the potential of the varieties grown at Caseo.