About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The 8 ha of vineyards are in Tuscany. They have a southern exposure and mixed clay and sandy soils, with vines averaging 10 years of age.
Vinification
The grapes are generally harvested in early September and selected before fermentation with natural yeasts.
Ageing
The wine rests for four months in stainless-steel tanks and is bottled in March.
Label / history
First released in 2009, the wine has had an annual production of approximately 32,000 bottles since then.
The rhinoceros on the label reproduces a drawing and woodcut by German artist Albrecht Dürer. Giorgio Rivetti chose the image for its historical story rather than for any connection between La Spinetta and a real rhinoceros. In 1515, the governor of India gave a rhinoceros to the King of Portugal. A fight was reportedly staged between the rhinoceros and an elephant, possibly as entertainment; the elephant apparently fled, and the rhinoceros was declared the winner. A description of the animal subsequently reached Germany, and Dürer is believed to have based his works on sketches without seeing the rhinoceros himself. European illustrators borrowed elements from his imaginative depiction for the following 300 years, even after living rhinoceroses could be observed.
