Chianti & Chianti Classico Flashcards
What type of soil is found around Castellina?
Alberese - fine-grained marl
What type of soil is found around Chianti Classico, Rufina and Montalcino?
Galestro - metamorphic rock, crumbly clavey, schist like
What are the soils of Montalcino?
Galestro - metamorphic, schist like rock
What was considered the epicenter of Super Tuscans and why?
Chianto Classico region
The drive was a dissatisfaction with the obsolete and inflexible Chianti Classico rules (eg mandatory white grapes)
Forced dramatic changes to Classico and other subzones.
What is Vin Santo?
A passito, mostly white, wine famous in Toscana
Dates to Middle Ages (Greek and Roman origins)
Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Trebbiano = Acidity / Malvasia = body, texture, perfume
How is Vin Santo dried?
Appassimento - healthy grapes picked
Dry on racks or straw with aerated lofts or hang
Concentrates sugars and flavors
Duration varies fro Style and DOC rules
Left until December or as late as March
Sometimes noble rot (muffa nobile)
What are caratelli (caretello) and how are they used?
Dense sugar must for Vin Santo used to ferment and long maturation for the wine and put in caratelli which are usually 50l barrels made from chestnut, oak, acacia, juniper or cherry
These are old barrels stored in vinsantie no airconditioning subject to temperature fluctuations (fermentation stops in summer and winter too hot/cold)
What are vinsantie
Lofts or rooms storing caratelli full of Vin Santo with no AC subject to temperature fluctuations (fermentation stops in summer and winter too hot/cold)
What is Madre?
Used to initate fermentation
Wine soakd lees after racking a caratello
New grape juice is kickstarted with Madre.
Older Vin Santo and lees helps new grape juice create character
What is the problem with traditional Vin Santo production and how have producers modernized?
Can be unpredicatble since caratello’s are effectively each unique
Use ambient or cultured yeast to control the process and small oak barrels
Makes less distinctive and complex wines compared to traditional
What are the sweetness levels of Vin Santo?
Secco (dry) - very uncommon
Abboccato (Medium Dry)
Amabile (Medium Sweet)
Dolce (Sweet)
Difference between Vin Santo and Vino Santo
Not the same
Vin Santo - Toscana = Trebbiano + Malvasia
Different approach and DOC rules
vs
Vino Santo - Terntino = Nosiola grape
Always sweet and lower alcohol
What is Governo?
Wine making technique to soften Sangiovese
Which statement is false?
a. longer ageing increases Vin Santo’s concentration and complexity
b. Vin Santo is usually racked at least 5 times while ageing
c. Vin Santo may produce in varioud levels of sweetness
d. Vin Santo loses up to 50% of its volume after ageing
b. They are racked once
What does Vin Santo mean?
Holy Wine
How full are caratello’s filled with Vin Santo?
4/5ths of total volume
What is a typical ageing period for the Vin Santo DOCs?
Usually 2-3 years, but generally they are aged longer for more complex flavors
Between which two cities is Chianti Classico situated?
Firenze & Siena
White grapes are allowed in the Chianti Classico DOCG. True or false?
False
Must be made from a minimum 80% Sangiovese (usually 100%) with a maximum 20% from legally sanctioned red grape (Canaiolo, Colorino, Merlot or CabSav)
What is the sub-zone of Chianti DOCG that lies on the outskirts of Firenze?
Colli Fiorentini
What is the southernmost sub-zone of Chianti DOCG?
Colli Senesi
What is the ‘second’ wine of Montalcino?
Rosso di Montalcino DOC
Chianti DOCG allows for the use of max 30% of white grapes. True or false?
False. Whites cannot exceed 10%
How many bottles of wine does Chianti DOCG produce?
Over 100 million
Chianti DOCG overlaps Chianti Classico DOCG. True or false?
False. Chianti DOCG covers and area that surround Chianti Classico DOCG
Vin Santo is usually made from Trebbiano Toscano and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. True or false?
False
Typically Trebbiano and Malvasia Bianca Lunga are used as a blend where Trebbiano adds acidity, Malvasia provides perfume, body and texture
What is a pink Vin Santo called?
Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (Partrdge Eye)
Made from red grapes usually Sangiovese
What is Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (Partrdge Eye) typically made from?
Sangiovese
Vin Santo can only be produced from white grapes. True or false?
False. Typically it is Trebbiano and Malvasia
But pink Vin Santo can be made from red grapes typically Sangiovese
Vino Santo is a traditional specialty of Toscana. True or false?
False - Vin Santo is from Tuscany
Vino Santo is from Trentino
Brunello di Montalcino can be declassified to Rosso di Montalcino DOC. True or false?
True
How many sub-zones are in the Chianti DOCG? And what are they
Seven
Rufina
Colli Fiorentini
Colli Aretini
Colline Pisane
Montalbano
Montespertoli
Colli Sensei
What is the historic symbol of the Chianti Classico DOCG wines?
Gallo Nero Black Rooster
What designation represents the top of the Chianti Classico pyramid?
Gran Selezione
Brunello di Montalcino has the longest ageing requirements after Barolo. True or false?
False
Brunello has the longed ageing requirements in all of Italy
4 years (2 years in oak 4 months in bottle)
Chianti Classico DOCG can be declassified to Chianti DOCG. True or false?
False - Chianti DOCG lies outside of Classico
By law Chianti Classico DOCG must be made from 100% Sangiovese. True or false?
False - 80% Sangiovese minimum
Which sub-zone of Chianti DOCG is considered to produce some of the most distinctive wines in the appellation?
Rufina