D3.C17. North-west Italy Flashcards
Name the top 6 grape grape varieties in terms of production.
- Barbera
- Moscato Bianco
- Dolcetto
- Nebbiolo
- Cortese
- Brachetto
What is the climate of Piemonte?
Moderate continental, with cold winter and hot summers
Which geographical formations protect Piemonte?
- Alp mountains: Protect from cold northern winds and excessive rainfall
- Apennine mountains: Protect from weather systems coming from Mediterranean
Which climatic conditions can impose a threat to vines in Piemonte?
- Thunderstorms
- Hail
- Fog
- Frosts
- Rain in late September and October
What is the advantage of low rainfall in June to September?
- Allows grapes to ripen
- Reduces the threat of fungal disease
What are the viticultural properties of Nebbiolo grape?
- Early budding (danger for spring frost)
- Very late ripening
- Vigorous
Nebbiolo is produced in which parts of Piemonte?
It is mainly grown in the Cuneo province, especially in the Langhe, but also in the northern provinces of Piemonte
Tasting notes for Nebbiolo:
- Pale ruby, turning to pale garnet within 3–5 years
- Pronounced intensity aromas and flavours (violet, rose, red cherry, red plum)
- Full body
- High tannins
- High acidity
- Can be high alcohol
What kind of soil is ideal for producing finest, most perfumed wines from Nebbiolo?
Calcerous marl
Nebbiolo is planted on which aspects of Piemonte? Why?
- South- and southwest-facing sites (best) in the Langhe that enable it to ripen fully
- Because of its value in the market
Why is Nebbiolo pruned high (high-trained)?
Because the first few buds are infertile and therefore it needs to be pruned with more buds so that those further up the shoot will bear fruit
What is the most common training method for Nebbiolo? Why?
- Single Guyot
- Facilitates mechanical trimming of the canopy
What is the issue to be considered while trimming the canopy for Nebbiolo?
Excessive exposure of grapes to the sun can be a problem
Which viticultural practices are performed for Nebbiolo for its vigorous nature?
- Regular canopy management
- Cluster thinning
What is the aim of clonal research for Nebbiolo?
It has mainly been aimed at producing wines of deeper colour as traditional wines were pale in intensity and quickly turned to pale garnet, even in young wines
What is the method of propagation and its aim for many growers including Gaja?
- Mass selection
- Vines with low vigour
- Open bunches (less fungal disease)
- Small berries (depth of colour)
Which grapes can be used to produce Barolo DOCG?
Only Nebbiolo
What is the altitude and aspect of the vineyards in Barolo?
- 200-400 m
- South and south-west facing slopes
- Combining good sunlight interception with cooling influences allowing grapes to ripen fully but over a long growing season
What is the maximum yield for Barolo DOCG?
56 hL/ha
What is the aging requirement for Barolo DOCG and Barolo Riserva DOCG?
Barolo DOCG: Has to be aged for three years and two months from 1 November of the year of harvest including 18 months in oak
Barolo Riserve DOCG: Has to be aged for five years and
two months with a minimum of 18 months in oak.
What is the quality/price profile of Barolo wines?
Very good to outstanding in quality
- Premium and super-premium priced
What are the characteristics of the soil in north and west side of Barolo region and its effect on the final wine?
North and west: Blue-grey marl (e.g.La Morra). Produce lighter more aromatic wines that become drinkable after a few years in bottle
South and east: Yellow-grey compacted sand and clay. (e.g. Serralunga d’Alba) Less fertile produce wines closed and tannic in youth and should be cellared for 10–15 years
Name one producer who blends wines from the grapes of a number of vineyards, searching for more complexity.
Bartolo Mascarello
Name two single vineyards have long had a very high
reputation for quality.
- Cannubi
- Vigna Rionda
Name two significant producers who were the early champions of single vineyard wines in Barolo and Barbaresco
- Angelo Gaja
- Bruno Giacosa
What are the Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MGA) subzones in Barolo?
- Entire villages (e.g. La Morra)
- Specified single vineyards (examples include Bussia or Cannubi)
- A number of specified vineyards now made into a single MGA (for example the Via Nuova vineyard was included within the Terlo MGA)
What is the prerequisite for using the word “vigna” on the label in Barolo?
If the name of the MGA is also stated
What is Barolo Chinato?
It is Barolo wine, sweetened and infused with herbs and spices
What is the difference of Barbaresco when compared with Barolo in terms of geography and climate?
- It is one third of the size of Barolo DOCG
- Most vineyards are at slightly lower altitude
- Climate is slightly warmer (Harvest is typically a week earlier)
What is the aging requirement for Barbaresco DOCG and Barbaresco Riserva DOCG?
Barbaresco DOCG: Two years and two months (minimum 9 months in oak) from 1 November of the year of harvest for
Barbaresco Riserva DOCG: Four years and two months (minimum 9 months in oak)
What are the traditional winemaking practices for Nebbiolo?
Very long maceration on the skins (three to four months), followed by five to eight years of ageing in large old wooden vessels to soften the tannins
Name two young producers in the late 1970s and early 1980s ) who sought wines with deeper colour, softer tannins and less need to be aged, and with new oak flavours?
- Elio Altare in Barolo
- Angelo Gaja in Barbaresco
What are the contemporary winemaking practices for Nebbiolo?
- Picking only grapes with ripe skins and seeds (to eliminate aggressive tannins),
- Maceration on the skins for 3–4 weeks for top wines
- Aging the wines in either large format oak (French or Slavonian) or a combination of large and smaller format oak (barriques and up to 500 L), only a small proportion being new
Why using a high proportion of new oak is not preferred for Nebbiolo?
Overt vanilla and sweet spice notes from new French oak mask the delicate aromas of the Nebbiolo variety
What are the other DOCGs in which Nebbiolo is used?
- Roero DOCG: Min 95 % Nebbiolo
- Gattarina DOCG: Min 90% Nebbiolo,
max 10% Uva Rara, max 4% Vespolina - Ghemme DOCG: Min 85% Nebbiolo, max 15% Uva Rara and/or Vespolina
What is the difference beyween Gattarine DOCG and Ghemme DOCG with Barolo DOCG?
They have a continental climate with greater
diurnal variation than Barolo, resulting of wines of higher acidity
- South-facing sites at around 300 m above sea level enables fruit to ripen and the wines are light bodied but intensely perfumed
Which regional denominations produce wines from Nebbiolo for early drinking?
- Langhe Nebbiolo DOC
- Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC
What is the difference between Langhe Nebbiolo DOC and Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC with BaroloDOCG in terms of viticulture and winemaking practices?
Theyare typically made from young vines or less favoured sites
- Maceration lasts for seven to ten days only and the wines are aged for up to a year in neutral containers
What do the producers do in Barolo and Barbaresco DOCG if the wine produced does not meet quality criteria?
They can declassify their wines to Nebbiolo Langhe DOC
In which area of Piemonte, production of Barbera is concentrated?
Around the towns of Asti and Alba and the area known as the Monferrato
Best quality Barbera wines come from which areas?
They come from Asti and its sub-zones, including Nizza, which has now been promoted to a DOCG of its own
Why is Barbera grown in Langhe can be of high quality, although it has not been planted on the best sites, which is resrved for Nebbiolo?
Because Barbera is less sensitive to site
What are the viticultural characteristics of Barbera?
- Early budding (prone to spring frost)
- Late ripening (before Nebbiolo)
- Very vigorous
- Disease resistant, susceptible to fan leaf virus
- Can give high yields, can be pruned hard to produce highly concentrated wines
Tasting notes for Barbera:
- Medium to deep ruby in colour
- High acidity
- Low tannins
- Medium alcohol
- Medium intensity red plum and red cherry, sometimes with black pepper aromas
What is the quality/price range for Barbera?
- Good to very good in quality and are inexpensive to mid-priced
- Some very good to outstanding wines are made that command premium prices
How are highly concentrated wines produced from Barbera?
- The fruit is grown at lower yields, often from old vines
- Wines are aged in French oak barriques, as pioneered by Giacomo Bologna
What are the maximum yield and aging requirements for Barbera di Asti DOCG?
- 63 hL/ha
- It has to be aged fora minimum of four months only
- The Superiore category must be aged for a minimum of 14 months of which 6 must be in oak
What are the maximum yield and aging requirements for Nizza DOCG?
- 49 hL/ha
- It has to be aged for 18 months, six of which must be in oak
What is the maximum yield for Piemonte DOC?
84 hL/ha, which can result in wines of low concentration
What are the viticultural characteristics of Dolcetto?
- Ripens earlier than Nebbiolo and Barbera
- Can be grown on cooler sites
- Fragile (buds are easily broken)
- Susceptible to fungal diseases
- Low vigour and ripening can be blocked by prolonged spells of cold weather
What are the reasons for reduction in vineyard area planted for Dolcetto?
- Fragility
- Low vigour
- Economic (much higher prices obtained for Nebbiolo)
What are the common winemaking practices for Dolcetto?
- Frequent pump overs or rack-and-return to introduce oxygen and avoid off-flavours, since it is reductive
- Mid-range fermentation temperatures
- Short maceration (7-15 days)
- Soft extraction techniques (since it is naturally high in tannins)
- Aging in stainless steel tanks or cement vats to preserve primary fruit
What is the quality/price range for Dolcetto
- Good to very good in quality and are inexpensive to mid-priced
- Some very good to outstanding wines are made that command premium prices
What are the best areas for Dolcetto?
- Alba: Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
- Dogliani: Dogliani DOCG
- Ovada: Dolcetto di Ovada DOC and Dolcetto di Ovada Superiore DOCG)
What is the maximum yield for Dolcetto d’Alba?
63 hL/ha
What is the maximum yield for Piemonte DOC?
77hL/ha
Tasting notes for Dolcetto:
- Deep ruby in colour
- Medium (+) intensity red cherry fruit with floral notes
- Medium (–) acidity
- Medium (+) tannins
Name two significant producers for Dolcetto.
- Marcarini (Alba)
- Marziano Abbona (Dogliani)
Compare Freisa with Nebbiolo?
Freisa is related to and highly aromatic like Nebbiolo, but without its high tannins
What are the viticultural characteristics of Cortese_
- Mid budding, early to mid-ripening
- High yielding
- Thin skinned
- Susceptible to grey rot in rainy conditions
What are the common winemaking practices for Cortese?
- Mid-range temperature for fermentation
- iTop quality wines may undergo a few hours of pre-fermentation maceration to increase aromatic intensity
- Aging in stainless steel containers to preserve the primary fruit
What is the quality/price range for Cortese?
- Good quality with some very good examples
- Inexpensive to mid-priced, with some premium and ageable examples
What are the prerequisites for a wine made from Cortese grape to be labelled as “Gavi”?
- Must be 100% Cortese
- Maximum yield must be 67 hL/ha
What are the maximum yield and aging requirements for Gavi Riserva?
- 45 hL/ha
- It must be aged for one year in any vessel before release
Name two significant producers of Gavi
- Castellari Bergaglio
- La Scolca
Arneis is grown in which area of Piemonte?
Roero
Tasting notes for Arneis
- Light intensity but complex aromas of white flowers, chamomile, white peach and lemon
- Medium (–) acidity
What is the quality/price range for Arneis?
- Good quality with some very good examples
- Inexpensive to mid-priced, with some premium examples
What are the important viticultural and wimemaking practices for Arneis?
- Grapes must be picked as soon as the desired ripeness is reached as the acidity drops very rapidly
- Care must be taken in the winery to minimise oxygen contact as it oxidises easily
What the DOCG stipulations for Arneis DOCG?
- Minimum of 95 per cent Arneis
- Yields of upto 70 hL/ha are permitted
Name two significant producers of Arneis DOCG?
- Vietti
- Bruno Giacosa
How did the wine business changed over the years in Piemonte?
- In the past, small growers sold their grapes to larger producers, for example, Fontanafredda
- Today, with much higher prices for Nebbiolo wines, many small estates bottle and market their own wines
How many percent of Barolo and Barbaresco is exported?
- Barolo: 85%
- Barbaresco: 75%
What are the top markets for the exported Barolo and Barbaresco?
- USA
- Germany
- UK
- Scandinavia
Why did Nebbiolo attract interest for collectors and buyers that has been looking for alternative wines that can be aged in bottle and collected?
Because the prices for top quality Bordeaux and Burgundy rising rapidly since 2010
What is the effect of new focus on named sub-zones within Barolo and Barbaresco?
- It creates a traction in the market, at least for the better known sub-zones
- In turn, as the prices of Barolo and Barbaresco have begun to rise, attention has also turned to less expensive Nebbiolo wines from the other DOCGs
