18.2 - 18.5 - Marche, Abruzzo, Umbria and Lazio Flashcards
Outline the styles of wine produced in Marche.
- Sangiovese and Montepulciano
- Verdicchio
- inexp to mid-priced
Name the top six grape varieties grown in Marche.
Describe the growing environment of Marche.
- Med, some continentality further inland → summer temps, rainfall
- low hills near the coast
- limestone and clay → drainage vs water retention
Describe the characteristics of Verdicchio including planting densities, ripening, vulnerabilities, colour, aromas and structure.
- Density low→ first four buds sterile→ pruned long
- Ripening late → risk of late rain
- Vulnerable mildew, botrytis bunch rot
- Colour pale
- Aromas med(-) intensity blossom, apple, lemon, fennel, almond
- Structure high acid, med body
Describe the two main winemaking styles of Verdicchio.
- Fruity, inexp no malo, 4-6mnths in SST
- Riserva with late ripened grapes, on lees in old oak, bottle ageing for up to 10yrs
Compare and contrast the rules and style of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC and Verdicchio di Matelica DOC.
- Growing environment CdJ from low hills, VdM from Apennines foothills
- Soils VdM on faster draining sandstone
- Yields VdM slightly lower 91 hL/ha for basic CdJ
- Style CdJ is light, fruity and floral, VdM is higher acid, fuller-bodied, less fruity
How are Riserva rules applied within Verdicchio DOCs.
18mnths ageing and higher min ABV but no oak stipulated
Describe the characteristics of Marche’s other white grapes?
Pecorino
- disease resistant
- early rip
- sterile buds so must be trained long
- apple, pear, herbal
- high acid + alcohol, medium body
- released early or 12-18mnths in old oak with some labelled Offida Pecorino DOCG
Passerina
- disease resistant
- high productivity
- later ripening than Pecorino
- lose acid quick when mature→ must be picked promptly
- lemon, yellow apple; high acid
Biancame and Trebbiano Toscano fresh and crips, local consumption
How are most non-Verdicchio whites labelled? What alternatives are there?
Marche IGT
Offida Pecorino/Passerina DOCG if within Offida area
Describe the characteristics of Montepulciano including ripening, resistances, and vulnerabilities.
Describe the two contrasting styles than can be produced.
- Ripening uneven and needs long season –> quality/cost implications
- Resistance to BBR and downy
- Vulnerable to powdery mildew
- Colour deep ruby
- Style - Short Maceration (4-5 days) med intensity red cherry, no oak, med tannin and body
- Style - Long Maceration (~20 days) med(+)-pronounced red cherry, black plum, oak, large oak vessels
Describe some of the challenges of growing Montepulciano and vinifying it.
Ripens unvenely so either acceptable lower quality or hand-harvest/sort –> cost
Prone to reduction so aerate frequently –> cost
Describe the typical red blends produced in Marche.
Mainly blended with Sangiovese (contributes acidity, tannin, red cherries)
Examples…
Rosso Piceno DOC - up to 85% Monte
Rosso Piceno Superiore DOC - same blends with 1yr of ageing from 13 townships in the south
Offida Rosso DOCG >85% Monte, 12mnths in oak, 24 total
How does the growing environment of Umbria compare to Tuscany?
- Warm climate, more continental
- drought in summer due to continentality
- Mod rainfall but during autumn and winter –> reduces disease risk but risk of disruption to harvest
- Autumns usually dry enough for late harvest and botrytised styles
What are the six most widely planted grape varieties in Umbria?
Describe the two grape varieties unique to Umbria.
- Grechetto di Orvieto thick-skinned (LH), downy mildew, low-med intensity lemon and white flowers, high acid, med body
- Sagrantino requires heat to ripen, spiders →reduce veg growth, vine moths plus downy and powdery mildew, med(+)-pronounced black fruit, high acid and tannin, can age
Describe the style of wine produced in Orvieto DOC.
Blend >60% Trebbiano Toscano and/or Grechetto
Production mod-high yields, SST, drinking young
Style med(-) intensity lemon and apple, med(+) acid, med alcohol, light-bodied, up to good quality/mid-priced
Notes
- Superiore category - much lower max yield
- LH + botrytised wines also allowed
Compare and contrast Montefalco Rosso DOC and Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG.
How has the winemaking for Montefalco Sagrantino changed in the recent past?
Blend RdM mainly Sangiovese, with at least 10% Sagrantino; MS 100% Sagrantino
Max Yield RdM is mod-high; MS much lower at 52
Ageing RdM 18mnths; MS is 33mnths
Maceration periods have been reduced from ~2mnths to 2-3 weeks and some producers are using smaller French barrels + extended bottle ageing –> attempt to soften tannin
Describe the climate of Lazio.
- Warm, Med
- Mod from hills + sea
- Adequate rainfall, low in summer
- Spring frost, summer heat + autumn rain are hazards
Name and briefly describe the grapes unique to Lazio.
Malvasia Bianca di Candia
- disease resistant
- high y
- easily oxidises
- med apple, med+ acid, med alcohol +light body
Malvasia del Lazio
- less popular due to lower disease resistance + y
- can lose acid quickly
- grape +peach
Cesanese
- black, semi-aromatic, late-rip, high y (without loss of Q),
Cesanese di Piglio
- pronounced red cherry + rose, med acid, med tannin, high alcohol
Describe the winemaking and style of Frascati DOC and Frascati Superiore DOCG.
- Grapes both from Malvasia Bianca di Candia and/or Malvasia del Lazio, at least 70% (remainder usually Trebbiano)
- Max Yields very high for DOC (105 hL/ha), med-high for DOCG (77hL/ha)
- Winemaking both protective although some DOCG in barrel
- Price/Quality Cheap-mid/acceptable-good for DOC, mid-priced/good-VG for DOC
Outline other styles of wine made in Lazio.
Castelli Romani DOC large area south of Rome including Frascati, as well as many whites (with high yields 120hL/ha) and some reds
What three styles of wine are produced in Abruzzo?
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo crisp white with high acid, typically unoaked from high y
Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo
- med-med+ bodied rosé
- 85% Montepulciano
- deep → paler today
- Via maceration or DP, occasionally saignee.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
- red fruit, med(+) body and high tannin
- 85% Montepulciano with oak ageing for all but the cheapest examples.
Describe the different growing environments in Abruzzo.
Hillside → warm continental (length of growing season), cooled by mountains (speed of rip) with risk of spring frost + autumn rain
Coastal zone warm Med climate, less frost + autumn rain risk, warmer, fertile soil
How have planting density and vine training systems changed in Abruzzo, and with what effect?
Planting densities have increased from 2500VPH → pergola training to manage canopy → high Y per vine →lack of concentration
Higher density planting → often trellised with VSP → lower yields → Q
Coastal zone sees cordon-trained/spur-pruned or Guyot –> mechanisation
Hillside varied system with harvest by hand
Describe the different styles of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo made including the three levels outlined by DOC law.
1. Short Maceration med intensity red cherry, no oak, med tannin + body
- Montepulciano rich in tannins so short maceration important for an easy drinking style
- Merlot or Primitivo often blended
2. Long Maceration med(+)-pronounced red cherry, black plum, oak
- Oak ageing important to soften tannin with small French oak for top wines
- Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC hilly sites,high y
- DOC sub-zone 18m ageing with, 50% of the time in oak, lower y
- Colline Teramane Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOCG 24mnths ageing, 12mnths oak
Why is much Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo DOC deeply coloured by tradition?
Montepulciano is high in antho, gives colour easily
Presses which allow DP are a more recent invention - have helped control colour extraction
