Grape Varieties - Central Italy Flashcards
What are the main black varieties of Italy’s central zone?
- Sangiovese
- Canaiola Nero
- Sagrantino
- Montepulciano
What are the main white varieties of Italy’s central zone?
- Trebbiano
- Malvasia
- Grechetto
- Verdicchio
- Vernaccia
Where is Sangiovese widely planted in the central zone and what is its key northern limit?
Representing 10% of Italy’s total plantings it is widely planted in: Toscana, Umbria, Lazio, Emilio-Romagna and the Marche.
It’s key northern limit is the River Arno which flows through Florence.
What is essential for the cultivation of Sangiovese?
The concentration of sunlight that the hillside vineyards of Toscana provide, the significant day / night temperatures are also important for development of aromatic qualities.
Sangiovese adapts well to many soils, but the presence of what type of soil seems to bring about its best qualities?
Limestone seems to attract the varieties best qualities.
What characterises Sangiovese’s ripening period?
It is slow and late with the harvest traditionally starting after 29th September and lasting into mid October. In warm years this results in rich an alcoholic wines, in cool years it can lead to hard tannins and high acidity.
In cool damp years what issues can Sangiovese face and why?
- Hard tannins
- High acidity
- October can cause rot due to thin skins
What is modern viticulture looking at in Toscana and how is it doing this?
Putting more structure in Sangiovese’s flesh By:
- Denser planting
- Achieving lower yields
- Better clones and rootstocks
- Use of other varieties for blending
- Use of small oak barrels
What is modern Tuscan winemaking aimed at in regards to Sangiovese and what is being employed to achieve this?
It is aimed at simultaneously ensuring tannins are ripe and softening them. This achieved by:
- Later picking times (10-14 days) to help achieve better ripeness.
- Lengthening (after they were shortened) maceration times to achieve more immediate polymerisation (and thus softening) of tannins.
Sangiovese is highly unstable and prone to mutation. What are the two main sub-varieties and what do they refer to?
They refer to berry size:
- Sangiovese Grosso
- Sangiovese Piccolo
Explain Canaiolo Nero.
A permitted variety in Toscana, even in Chianti Classico, but it is not used in any serious winemaking anymore due to its easy fruitiness and lack of back bone.
In what Umbrian DOC can Sagrantino be found?
Montefalco Sagrantino DOC
Describe Sagrantino’s physical characteristics.
Thick skinned, small bunches, small berries. High in everything, colour, tannin, acid and extract.
Where is Montepulciano planted?
Most widely planted in Abruzzo and the Marche. Planted all the way down to Puglia and it crosses the Apennines into Lazio.
What is the ripening behaviour of Montepulciano?
It is a very late ripener, from late September to the end of October dependent on site and weather. It ripens so late that it is not viable for the north of Italy.
What is one of Montepulciano’s important characteristics?
It’s skin is very high in anthocyanin which means rosatos made from it need no skin contact, and its reds need no longer than 2-3 days maceration.
What styles of wine does Montepulciano make?
- Deep colour, firm tannins, good extract and low to medium acidity. Complexity and ageing potential can be achieved.
- Soft, deeply coloured fruity reds for early drinking.
- Blends well with wines of high acidity / low colour.
What international varieties are commonly seen?
The Borderlais varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc which gave rise to the ‘Super Tuscans’ of Toscana. Syrah is also grown, mainly in Toscana.
What are the (few) advantages of Trebbiano?
- Buds late so misses Spring frosts.
- Retains high acidity well into its ripening.
- Extremely high yields - up to 150hl/ha
Name four sub-varieties of Trebbiano.
- Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
- Trebbiano Toscana
- Trebbiano Romagnolo
- Trebbiano Giallo
- Trebbiano Verde
What are the two key sub-varieties of Malvasia and how are the sub-varieties defined?
- Malvasia Candida
- Malvasia del Lazio
The sub-varieties of Malvasia are characterised into non aromatic / aromatic.
How can Malvasia Candida be described?
Not aromatic in any way, it is the volume producer in Lazio along with Trebbiano Toscana making the generic white blend of Central Italy.
What does Malvasia require to make quality wine?
- Low cropping levels
- Poor, infertile, stony slopes
- Sunnier slopes the better
Where can Grecchetto generally be found?
Umbria and Lazio. It is generally found in the blends of Orvieto and the blends of Castilli Romani.
