Fattoria il Casalone is located along the costal area of Maremma in Tuscany, upstream from the Laguna di Levante of Orbetello. On this land the cultivation of the grapevine started at the beginning of the 19th century as indicated in the “Catasto Leopoldino” the land register office of the time, which contains a record of the Colombi vineyard which gave its name to the Poggio Colombi and Leopoldino wines. Nowadays the vineyards are included in the Capalbio D.O.C. appellation and IGT Maremma Toscana.

The farm covers approx. 300 hectares. At the beginning of the 60’s the farm owned 12 hectares of vineyards and it was among the first to introduce, besides the typical Sangiovese, Trebbiano and Ansonica varieties, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Vermentino whose plantation showed very interesting results in this territory whose climate is highly influenced by the proximity to the sea.

In order to improve quality and on the basis of the acquired experiences, the farm has recently replanted 11 hectares of vineyards. The farm’s philosophy is vocated to the production of high quality wine under the direction of the agronomists Federico Curtaz and Stefano Bartolomei in collaboration with the oenologist Paolo Caciorgna. The farm also avails itself of the advice of Agriconsulting.

The proximity to the sea and the presence of hills which protect the north-eastern side of the territory ensure mild winter temperatures and dry summers mitigated by the sea breeze. During the final grape ripening period, nights are cool and the significant temperature range guarantees optimum conditions for build-up processes, particularly of aromatic substances.

The Cucchetto and Poggio Colombi vineyards are located on higher ground that slopes down towards the sea. The soil is made up of silt and sand, with a clay loam rich in skeleton, a good depth and excellent drainage. It is particularly suited to grow the Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot clones, planted to obtain soft, fragranced wines with a good structure. The soil of the vineyards nearest to the sea is made up of sand and gravel which imparts greater fragrance to the wine. Rich in magnesium, this soil is perfect for growing Vermentino and Viognier wines that produce wine with a good structure.

Vines are planted at a distance of 2,20 x 0,80 meters, a high density panting of 5.680 stocks per hectare. The selective yield is equal to almost 60 quintals of grapes per hectare. The training system is spurred cordon with few buds per plant. The limited number of buds on each plant, the high density planting and limited fertilization leads to a perfect balance between leaves and the fruit which produces a higher concentration and intensity of fragrances polyphenols and sugars. Grapes are exclusively hand-harvested and grape selection takes place in the vineyard.