Casebianche
Cilento, Campania
- Certified Organic (2009) & Biodynamic practices
- Varieties planted: Aglianico and Fiano with some Malvasia, Barbera, Trebbiano, and Piedirosso, aged 10-60 years
- Fermentations are natural and spontaneous, sulfur use is minimal, there is no fining or filtering.
- Production is 2,500 cases
In 2000, Elisabetta Iuorio and Pasquale Mitrano left life in Naples to take charge of Elisabetta’s family farm about 1.5 hours down the coast in Torchiara, Cilento. As Elisabetta’s father was retiring, the pair and their family were drawn to a more rewarding life among the vines, olive groves, and citrus trees, devoid of the many stresses the metropolitan lifestyle brings with it. Elisabetta and Pasquale have joined a tradition first established by Greek colonizers in this area over 2,800 years ago.
The first few years were a learning process, but in 2006 they were introduced to oenologist Fortunato Sebastiano who led them to their first bottling that year. The couple has practiced organic viticulture since taking over the farm, certified since 2009, and incorporates many biodynamic farming practices resulting in healthy soils full of biodiversity. Vines cover 5.5ha of the 15ha property, planted on clay-limestone soils. The vineyards are dry-farmed and all harvests are manual.
In the cellar, the couple handles the unfermented must carefully, utilizing gravity in lieu of pumps when filling the fermentation tanks. Fermentations are natural and spontaneous, sulfur use is minimal, there is no fining or filtering. Aging takes place in stainless steel tanks or large neutral barrels. The sparkling wines are ancestral method, refermented in the bottle and aged sur-lie.
Available wines from Casebianche:
Fiano Cumalè DOP Cilento
Grape(s): 100% Fiano
Vine Age: average 10-20 years.
Vinification: stainless steel for a period of five months and then bottle for at least an additional two months
Iscadoro Bianco Paestum DOP
Grape(s): 40% Fiano, 40%Malvasia, 20% Trebbiano
Vine Age: average 10-20 years
Vinification: Grapes are pressed and then macerated on skins for six days. Eight months on lees in 70% stainless steel and 30% oak.
Dellemore DOP Rosso Cilento
Grape(s): 70% Aglianico, 20% Barbera, and 10% Piedirosso
Vine Age: up to 60 years of age
Vinification: Macerated for five days before being elevated in mostly stainless steel, a small part of this cuvée sees wood tonneau for a period of ten months.
Cupersito Cilento Aglianico
Grape(s): 100% Aglianico
Vine Age: 20 years
Vinification: 15 days maceration in stainless steel vats. One year in oak (half in tonneau and half in botti)
“Il Fric” Aglianico Rosato Paestum
Grape(s): 100% Aglianico
Vine Age: 10-20 years
Vinification: Brief, six hour maceration before being separated from the skins to undergo its alcoholic fermentation. The wine is bottled and re-fermented in the bottle by adding grape must to create its sparkling quality. No sugars, yeasts, or sulfites are added and Il Fric is purposefully not disgorged.
Spumante “La Matta” (“the crazy one”)
Grape(s): 100% Fiano
Vine Age: 10-20 years
Vinification: Biodynamic, no sulfur added, unfiltered, sparkling, pet nat. Re-fermented in the bottle and neither disgorged nor filtered.
Frizzante Secco “Pashkà”
Grape(s): Aglianico and Barbera
Vine Age: 10-20 years
Vinification: Unfermented must is added to the base wine before bottling inducing re-fermentation in the bottle (Pashkà is Pasquale in Neapolitan dialect)
