Asti Flashcards
Asti
General info
- Moscat Blanc a Petit Grains
- single delimited area within the provinces of Asti, Alessandria and Cuneo
- Asti method = modification of the Tank method
- pronounced aromas and flavours of orange blossom, grapes and peach
- medium acidity / lower alcohol than most wines / sweet
- Asti DOCG (Asti spumante) = slighlty higher in alcohol / fully sparkling
- Moscato d’Asti DOCG = lower alcohol / semi-sparkling / higher residual sugar
- inexpensive to mid-priced / good to very-good quality
Asti
Growing enviroment
- moderate continental climate: cold winters + hot dry summers
- adeguate rainfall = spring and autums rainiest seasons
- Hillside sites required by regulations = better drainage and optimal sunlight interception
- limestone and clay soils preferred
- max yields = 75hL/ha
- Planted at medium density
- guyot system + VSP (ensures good sunlight exposure, avoid eccessive humidity = reduce risk of fungal disease + ensure good ripening
- guyot + low feritlity soil + moderate rainfall = no over crop
- Hot years = careful not to remove too much leaves to avoid sunburn
- Most aromatic juice from grapes from Limestone
- harvest date decided by ripeness and acidity (needed to balance the sweetness) / early to mid-september
- Ast = grapes harvested earlier to en sure high acidity / Moscato d’Asti = harvest slighlty later for aromatic intensity
- hand harvesting on slopes / mechanical harvesting increasingly used where possible
Asti
Moscato Bianco
- italian name for Muscat Blanc a Petit Grains
- aromatic variety
- early budding / mid-ripening
- small berry size
- prone to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot = needs careful canopy management to avoid shade and enhance air circulation
- thin skin + strong scent = attractive to insects (susceptible to mites)
- Clonal selection used to make it more disease resistant, perfumed and higher yielding
Asti
Winemaking
PHASE 1:
- Whole bunch press when possible (produce the best quality juice)
- if destemmed or machine arvested = pressed as rapidly as possible to reduce oxidation
- Must (juice) is clarified , filtered and chilled / must that is not required immediately is refrigerated at 2-3C to be mantained as fresh as possible for fermentation later (when there is demand, in order to realease the wine with the freshest primary fruit as possible)
- juice can be kept for up to 2 years without losing the aromatics
PHASE 2:
- fermentation of the warmed-up must when required by demand
- fermentation in pressure-resistant temperature-controlled tanks at low temperatures (16-18C) to preserve primary fruit
- neutral cultured yeast is preferred
- MALO prevented to preserve acidity
- C02 comes from the sugar in the original must
- residual sugar from stopping the fermentation before dryness , no dosage
- Initially C02 is release through a valve / sugar levels are monitored, and when the sugar required to give the desired pressure (frizzante or spumante) is reached, the valve is closed / when desired pressure and residual sugar is obtained, the fermentation is stopped by rapidly chilling and filtering the wine under pressure to remove yeast
- wine release after few weeks / intended to be drunk young
LARGE INVESTMENTS REQUIRED: presses, flotation tanks, filtration or centrifuge equipment, large heat exchangers and refrigerated storage space. Ongoing energy costs are also high due to the power needed for the machinery and the chilled storage.
Asti
Alcohol and sweetness levels
ASTI DOCG:
- traditionally 6-8% / now min 6% (allowing drier styles)
- around 100g/L / now regulation allows from Pas Dosé (Brut Nature) to Dolce (sweet)
- Asti metodo classico = min 9 months on lees
MOSCATO D’ASTI DOCG:
- 4.5-6.5%
- around 130g/L residual sugar
- not exceed 2.5 atmospheres oin pressure = frizzante style
CANELLI DOCG:
- since 2023
- 4.5-6.5%
- grapes must come from the delimited area
- Canelli Riserva = 30 month ageing
Asti
Wine business
- high levels of equipment and storage space needed + cost oif production = most wine made by large producers
- 4 companies produce 60% of the total production (Martini & Rossi = largest company)
- smaller procuders send their own/bought in grapes to specialist wine firms to be made into wine and sold under the producer’s own label
- Co-operatives provides chilled, clarified and filtered juice to large companies who then carry out the fermentation
- 3 types of Asti wine
1. Moscato d’Asti
2. Asti Secco (off-dry style)
3. Asti Dolce (sweet wine)
PRODUCTION:
- Asti (Spumante) = 59%
- Moscato d’Asti = 41%
- top 3 markets = USA, UK, RUSSIA
- nearly 40% sold in USA in 2020
