Two new stars are shining in the oenological firmament of Tenuta Casadei, a winery in Suvareto, located in the Alta Maremma of Tuscany. Filare 23 and Le Petit are the latest creations of Stefano Casadei and the Biontegrale® approach, at the heart of his production style, a philosophy of life marked by nature preservation.
Filare 23 and Le Petit, a Viognier and a Petit Manseng in purity, are surprising and original wines because they are at once both innovative and traditional.
Tenuta Casadei’s Biontegrale® Approach
The wines are the result of a complex and fruitful project of the pursuit of excellence sublimated by Tenuta Casadei’s Biointegrale® philosophy: an ethical and highly conscious approach of precision viticulture, combining the work of man with nature and the surrounding ecosystem to make wines endowed with profound authenticity and personality.
Two signature wines, two oenologically highly refined interpretations free from pre-established schemes, but capable of retaining and enhancing the most authentic expressions of the vine and terroir’s interaction within the specific context of Tenuta Casadei, a true garden-holding set between the hills and the sea, operating with respect for nature and biodiversity.
An area with an ideal climate, the lands of Tenuta Casadei, rich in minerals and of alluvial origin, are found on hillsides that slope down to the sea, only 13 kilometers away. It is here that from the terrace of the estate one can admire a landscape that is fruitful in all seasons thanks to the perfect geometries created by the vineyards, fruit trees, vegetable garden and medicinal plants that mark the boundaries of the estate.
Viogner and Le Petit in Suvereto
“Filare 23 and Le Petit were born from the study of the interactions of Viognier and Petit Manseng with the terroir of our Tenuta,” says Stefano Casadei, soul of the Tenuta Casadei production project. “The knowledge gained over the years of the peculiarities of this area, which has ideal pedoclimatic characteristics to make a contribution of great originality, guided us in the specific choice of exposure and soil type with the aim of giving freshness, minerality and depth to these wines.”
Once again, the starting point is the enhancement of a terroir such as that of Suvereto through the very personal interpretation of international varieties: the sense of the challenge is precisely to shape, here where the territory of the upper Maremma becomes home to two grapes of great character, exclusive and different wines.
And it is precisely here that Stefano Casadei and Fred Cline, in the early 2000s, found the ideal place able to enhance the varietal characteristics of these and other international varieties, which, thanks to the Biointegrale® approach, are enriched with incisive territorial nuances capable of showcasing their varietal profile.
Filare 23
Filare 23 is obtained from the pure vinification of Viognier, a grape variety widespread in the southern Rhone that here manages to combine its natural olfactory exuberance with an almost saline flavor texture, as a direct derivation of the terroir of Suvereto.
After manual harvesting, fermentation is carried out in new oak tonneaux, whose toasting gives complexity to the wine, without veiling the varietal peculiarities of Viognier. During this stage of vinification, whole berries (about 15 percent of the total weight) are added to the must. The result is a wine with great personality, rich and structured, with great freshness and dynamism on the palate, ideal for pairing with elaborate preparations, such as fish or oriental cuisine.
Le Petit
Le Petit is a small fine production made from Petit Manseng, a grape variety typical of the Pyrenean region of Jurancon. This wine comes from a natural drying of the grapes on the vine, and the element that characterizes its vinification is the use of the amphora.
A production method that has its roots in archaic history, which Stefano Casadei rediscovered on a trip to Azerbaijan in 2007, deciding to use it in the Biointegrale® culture to give greater territorial expressiveness to the wines. In fact, the amphora, thanks to its porosity, allows good oxygenation and ensures ideal wine preservation/refinement, which promotes the expression of varietal aromatic characters.
After the manual harvest of Petit Manseng, which takes place by the end of October, vinification is carried out in terracotta amphorae from Impruneta, produced in the Chianti Fiorentino area to ideally mark the territorial essence of this new label. After fermentation, the wine still rests in amphorae and partly in barriques. Refinement is completed by further aging in bottle for six months.
Rich in nuances reminiscent of dates, dehydrated apricots and citrus marmalade, this late harvest manages to keep the sip in perfect balance between sweet hints and fresh sensations. It is ideal paired with good-aged blue-veined cheeses that are not too sharp. It ideally lends itself to drinking in good company as a meditation wine.