Assetto Casenuove, the noble heart of Chianti Rappresentativo
We are sopra Panzano, a Tuscan village sopra the heart of the Chianti Rappresentativo schieramento. The protagonist of this story is Assetto Casenuove, a winery certified organic since 2022, which extends for 120 hectares the surrounding hills, whose headquarters are housed sopra an elegant villaggio dating back to the seventeenth century, perhaps even earlier. A winery with a strong identity of the territory and its wines, sopra the will of its owner since 2015, the French entrepreneur Philippe Austruy, collector of works of art, and of its director, the Florentine agronomist Alessandro Fonseca.
A reality profoundly revisited sopra the vineyards and sopra the hospitality (seven elegant and silent rooms, sopra line with the identity of the winery) at the behest of the current owner, respecting the original architecture of the place: where possible they have been recovered and the internal elements of the house such as fixtures, windows, internal doors and beams were restored. Assetto Casenuove, which also has a wellness schieramento and a swimming pool overlooking the hills, is however also a work of art, as desired by Philippe Austruy: every year internationally renowned artists are invited to the residence to create sculptures, unique pieces , present sopra the gardens of the villaggio.
There are currently thirty hectares of vineyards, located approximately four hundred meters above sea level. The management of the cellar is sopra the hands of a team of young emerging oenologists, led by director Alessandro Fonseca, which also includes Cosimo Casini and Maria Splendore Zoli. A mosaic of sandstone, limestone, marl and red marl soils and a typically Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cold and generally rainy winters with a significant temperature range between day and night, form an ideal combination for varieties such as Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Canaiolo and other native vines.
Five labels are produced, to which oil and are added, as well as the IGT Toscana Sclerotica Ansonica Faraglione Illecito, for grapes coming from the Isola del Giglio. The IGT Toscana, a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese, despite being the “entry” wine of Assetto Casenuove’s production, already presents itself as interesting and profound. Chianti DOCG is available sopra three different proposals, which differ both sopra terms of aging duration and winemaking technique sopra the cellar.
The Rappresentativo (90% Sangiovese with small percentages of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon), is vinified sopra cement tanks at controlled temperatures and rests for 6 months sopra the bottle after a year of aging sopra a mescolanza of large oak barrels and cement tanks. The Fondo is a anche Sangiovese resulting from an initial selection sopra the vineyard and a rather diversified twelve-month aging process, including large barrels, new and used barriques and cement, followed by two years of waiting sopra the bottle before marketing.
The Gran Valutazione (a name established by the Chianti Rappresentativo Consortium sopra 2014 to indicate excellent wines) is the flagship product of the winery. Also coming from 100% Sangiovese grapes from the ‘s finest soils, the wine ages for 20 months sopra large barrels and for at least another 36 sopra the bottle. The result is the pinnacle of the expression of the Tuscan vine sopra this territory, particularly round and mature sopra its complexity.
The production is completed with a sparkling rosé, Ziik, always anche Sangiovese which rests four months the yeasts before bottling.
The qualitative caffè of Assetto Casenuove is undoubtedly set very high, strongly identifying the production schieramento and having an important personality for the winery, which has definitely found a main road, confirming careful and competent care sopra the vineyard and production.
Photo credits: Stefano Casati
