Casa Emma

Casa Emma - Fiorella Lepri's dream

Casa Emma is a winery located in the heart of Chianti Classico, in San Donato in Poggio (Barberino Tavarnelle), at an altitude of 430 m. above sea level. The winery was founded in 1969, when Fiorella Lepri decided to buy it from the Florentine noblewoman Emma Bizzarri, keeping the name and the historical roots of the winery. She describes it this way:

I passed by there every day, even if I had to make another trip. The farm was surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and a huge field of broom. The wealthy old owners had decided to abandon the property and move to Florence. My life is a rural life, my parents were farmers and I spent my youth in the countryside. I still remember the day I made this decision. My desire was there, the farm was just waiting for a strong and faithful woman to take care of it. It was a Thursday morning on September 26, 1969, and I picked up the phone and called the old owners, offering to buy the farm. I bought it without telling my husband and family. "They will understand ... i said to myself!!!" Since that Thursday, my wines have been tasted and appreciated all over the world.

Today Casa Emma is owned by the Bucalossi family and is characterized by its original location, surrounded by 28 hectares of vineyards and 1000 olive trees. Sangiovese together with Merlot, Ciliegiolo and black Malvasia grapes dominate the valley, coloring it with a bright green in summer and a romantic red-yellow in autumn.

The terroir of Casa Emma

The area around the winery has unique climatic conditions due to its proximity to the sea and the absence of natural barriers. The valley in which the winery is located is shaped like an amphitheater and has a different microclimate than other parts of Chianti Classico. In this natural amphitheater, weather fronts coming from the north usually stop in San Donato and do not cross Colle di Pietracupa, while weather fronts coming from Siena remain trapped in the Poggibonsi area. Consequently, the estate is characterized by low rainfall compared to the surrounding area. Constant winds are a natural protection for the vines and allow Casa Emma not to work too much with copper, protecting the soil.

The management of the Casa Emma winery is in the hands of Marco Salvadori, who is responsible for the work in the vineyards and in the cellar. Although located on the same plot, the vineyards of the winery require different procedures and operations, constant visual and analytical controls and different harvests based on the chemical parameters analyzed to determine the proper ripeness of the grapes. A lot of work is done by hand in the vineyards of Casa Emma, the harvest is exclusively manual, so that the first selection also takes place on the vine.

Sustainable viticulture lived - Casa Emma

Sustainable viticulture is an important topic at Casa Emma, which characterizes the entire viticulture here. Starting with sustainable energy production through their own solar cells, to organic and partly even biodynamic farming, to the bottles, which are made of lightweight glass to make transport more energy efficient. Plastic is not used. In the vineyards, Casa Emma uses the "goose method": geese live in the vineyard and eat pests and fertilize the soil with their droppings. This has allowed Casa Emma to greatly reduce the use of various inputs such as nitrogen, potassium and magnesium. After winemaking, the remains of the grape skins are processed into a flour, which is characterized by a high nutrient content and is also sold by Casa Emma.

The wines of Casa Emma

The constant commitment, in addition to the natural characteristics of the soil and microclimate, allows Casa Emma to obtain wines with unique characteristics. Casa Emma wines are characterized by intense aromas ranging from red fruits to spices and delicate vanilla notes that do not dominate the primary aromas naturally expressed by the grapes. Complex and full-bodied wines with balanced and velvety tannins, perfect for young enjoyment and with high aging potential. The portfolio is dominated whether the region, of course, by Chianti, but in addition you can find some other interesting wines:

• Harenae: red wine made entirely in the amphora
• Sette Carati: a sweet wine made from Trebbiano and Malvasia
• Cortine: a white wine from 50-80 year old vines, aged in barriques