La Spinetta Il Rose Di Casanova
The La Spinetta estate was founded in 1977 by the Rivetti family. The label is has a picture of a hand drawn rhinoceros. Why a rhinoceros you ask? Giorgio Rivetti greatly admired the works of German artist Albrecht Durer. He originally carved his depiction of a rhinoceros in 1515 on a piece of wood without ever having seen one! The producer has a diverse array of wines including those from grapes Nebbiolo, Colorino, Barbera, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Vermentino (Rolle), Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. In 2001 the family wanted a new challenge in a new region of Italy and a new varietal. They turned their attention to Tuscany and created a new winery, Casanova della Spinetta. The soils are sandy containing ocean sediments. The vineyard is at an altitude of 300m. They do extensive green harvesting in order to keep the yields low and maximizes grape quality. The do not use any chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides as well as 75% of vineyards are biodynamicly farmed.
FACT: IGT (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) inidcated on the back of the wine bottle is a category is used only in Italy. It’s equivalent in France is IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée). IGT labelling laws state the producer has to indicate the vintage, the producer name, they must be made from at least 85% of the grape variety, and the region of origin must be stated on the label.
Sangiovese is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Synonyms for Sangiovese are Nielluccio, Sangioveto, Sangiovese Grosso, Sangiovese Piccolo, Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile and Morellino. This wine is a blend of 50% Sangiovese 50% and 50% Prugnolo Gentile (a Sangiovese clone native to the area). The vines are 15 year old. The grape must spends 1 hour on skin contact, then is drained and undergoes a cool fermentation at 18ºC with natural yeast for 15 days. The wine is naturally clarified and aged in stainless steel tanks for 3 months on natural yeast.
It’s no wonder with such a short maceration that the wine is the palest of pale orange-pink color. The wine has aromas of tart cherry, yeast, grapefruit and peach. The body has a round texture with a crisp acidity. Flavors of tart cherry, strawberry, meat, raspberry, grapefruit, lemon, white peach, floral mineral, pepper, pear, and grass.
Pair with Chinese food, Thai Curries, caprese salad, prosciutto, slow-roasted pork with white bean mash, pappardelle pasta with a rabbit and porcini mushroom ragù.
