IN BREVE
- Tenuta Casenuove celebrates its 10 years with a focus on Chianti Classico production.
- Various vintages were presented, highlighting the value of the work carried out and sustainability in grape cultivation.
- Chianti Classico DOCG is composed primarily of Sangiovese, with vinification in cement and aging in wood.
- Each vintage has unique characteristics, such as the 2015, very powerful, and the 2022, distinguished by great aromatic concentration.
- 2023 and 2024 were years of climatic challenges and innovation to improve wine quality.
In the heart of Chianti Classico to witness the first 10 years of Tenuta Casenuove. Ten intense, energetic years, full of expectations and work, vibrant and dense with choices. Years rich in commitment and important wines, expressed in the most rigorous forms. Under the guidance of director Alessandro Fonseca and winemakers Maria Sole Zoli and Cosimo Casini, together with a young and enterprising team, Tenuta Casenuove—owned since 2015 by healthcare magnate Philippe Austruy—has reached remarkable quality levels.
The experience of a wine journey through this decade, celebrated with an exciting vertical tasting, tells the story of the value of the work carried out: from the first vintages obtained from pre-existing vineyards to current production, with plantings established since 2016.
THE HISTORY OF TENUTA CASENUOVE IN THREE PHASES
The history of Tenuta Casenuove unfolds in three periods: 2015-2018, 2019-2021, and from 2022 to today. Three phases that have shaped production philosophy, results, and wine identity. A supply chain that starts from vineyard cultivation, guided by sustainability and grape care, through to harvest, fermentation, maceration, and aging, following the parameters of organic certification obtained in 2018.
The winemaking team has also optimized the cellar’s layout and functionality to support the entire process. Among soft lighting, tonneaux, cement, and 25-hectoliter barrels, wines are born that tell the story of the most authentic Chianti, a robust and profound Sangiovese, tied to soils rich in clay and galestro. Fonseca, Zoli, and Casini retraced the decade by presenting various vintages of their Chianti Classico DOCG.
CHIANTI CLASSICO ACCORDING TO TENUTA CASENUOVE
Tenuta Casenuove Chianti Classico DOCG is produced from 90% Sangiovese, 4% Canaiolo (absent in 2019), 6% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (10% in 2019). Vinification in raw cement, maceration up to 30 days, maturation of 18 months (50% in wood and 50% between raw cement and steel). Bottle aging of 6 months.
2015 VINTAGE
Top vintage in terms of climate and production. The wine, from already established vineyards, is strong and powerful. On the nose: cherry, violet, graphite, and fine spices. On the palate, red forest fruits and marasca cherry, chocolate and toffee, with balsamic spice and hints of leather. Perfect with roasts and peposo.
2016 VINTAGE
Rainy vintage, late spring, and harvest beginning September 26. The wine reflects the seasonal pattern. Dense garnet color. Broad nose, with ripe red and black fruit and balsamic notes. The palate confirms what is perceived on the nose, albeit with less intensity.
2017 VINTAGE
Vintage marked by climatic extremes, with intense heat alternating with heavy rains. The grapes suffered no damage and the wine remained at excellent levels. Intense garnet color. Nose and palate with elegant spices (pepper, cloves, licorice), Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, bay leaf), and red fruits. Present tannin, beginning of tertiary development, and long persistence.
2018 VINTAGE
Frequent rains initially reduced production, but the late summer saved maturation. The wine is surprising: impenetrable garnet, nose of Mediterranean herbs, small fruits, rose, and violet. In the mouth it is rich, balanced between fruit, balsamic, and tertiary aromas, with polished tannin.
THE SECOND PHASE (2019-2021)
2019 marks the arrival of fruit from vineyards planted in 2016 and the transition from cordon spur to guyot. Excellent vintage, with harvest from early September to mid-October. The same year also saw the birth of the first Charmat: Ziik Spumante Rosé Extra Brut Organic, pure Sangiovese, onion-skin pink, fine on the palate, with hints of currant and wild strawberry.
CHIANTI CLASSICO 2019
Impenetrable ruby-garnet. Complex nose with red fruit, violet, gladiolus, sweet tobacco, coffee, and toffee. On the palate elegant, balsamic, juicy, with great persistence.
2020 VINTAGE
Hot but regular summer. Perfect grapes yielded a balanced wine. Intense garnet, fruity and floral nose with notes of rose, violet, and dark chocolate. Elegant sip, with cherry and balsamic hints restrained by still-young tannin.
2021 VINTAGE
Vintage marked by an April frost, but good production in spared areas. Intense garnet color. Nose not very evident at first, with cherry and small fruits. The palate turns everything around: taut, fresh, and savory, with balsamic character and the elegance of canaiolo. Well-crafted tannins.
RISERVA AND GRAN SELEZIONE 2021
Riserva 2021
Temperature-controlled vinification in cement, gravity filling, oak aging for one year and one year in bottle. Intense ruby. Nose of underbrush, marasca cherry, black pepper, and cocoa. Enveloping and elegant palate.
Gran Selezione 2021
Pure Sangiovese from selected grapes, aging in Slavonian barrels 20 months and 36 months in glass. Bright ruby. Nose of marasca cherry in spirit, blueberry, and red currant. Intense, balsamic, elegant palate, with soft tannins.
TENUTA CASENUOVE: THE THIRD PHASE (2022-2025)
2022 was a dry and scorching year, with reduced yields but great aromatic concentration. 2023, by contrast, very rainy. Continuous rains and poor water penetration into the soil reduced yield. The wines tasted show an intense ruby red, still immature nose, explosive mouth but restrained by sharp tannin. Evolution and elegance grow thanks to the new clones.
2024 saw heavy rains in August and much work in the vineyard and cellar, with the goal of enhancing red fruits and achieving more “gentle” macerations. 2025, meteorologically excellent, is currently aging alongside 2024.
