IT: Northish (Lombardy, Aosta, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna) Flashcards
Valle d’Aosta subzones?
West to East –>
Morgex et la Salle (W)
Enfer d’Arvier (R)
Torrette (R)
Nus (R,W)
Chambave (R, W)
Arnad-Montjovet (R)
Donnaz (R)
What is ‘Flétrie’?
French word for Passito - Fletrir means withered or wilted
Prie Blanc
a grape of Alpine extremeness
* dates to 1691 in Morgex et la Salle & Valais
* mineral, floral wines with good acid, some mountain herb tones
* also known as Bernarde in Switzerland
Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle
Prie Blanc’s main house
*westernmost sub, 9 miles from France
*Low pergolas, stone walls keep grapes just warm enough. Extreme diurnal
* Prie Blanc - dry white, spumante/mousseux, VT
Ermes Pavese, Cave Mont Blanc are main producers
Enfer d’Arvier
Valle d’Aosta subzone; 5ha
- RED: min. 85% Petit Rouge
- intense landscape limits viticulture; intense heat of the season is the namesake
- Cooperative de l’Enfer processes most of the region output - Danilo Thomas is the one producer of note
Torrette
Largest Valle d’Aosta subzone
* Reds only - min. 70% Petit Rouge
Grosjean, Ottin, and Chateau Feuillat
Nus
Valle d’Aosta subzone
* RED wines: min. 40% Vien de Nus and min 30% Petit Rouge
*WHITE WINES 100% Malvoisie in dry or passito styles
Chambave
One of the more easterly subzones of the Valle d’Aosta -
* WHITE 100% Moscato Bianco
* REDS min. of 70% Petit Rouge
Arnad-Montjovet
Valle d’Aosta subzone
REDS: min 70% Picotener/Picotendro
Donnaz
The most easterly subzone of the Valle d’Aosta
- REDS min. 85% Picoutener. A rare example of Nebbiolo grown on granite.
- has longest aging requirement - most other sub zones are ~ 5 or 8 months, Donnaz is 24 months total w 10 in wood for normale…
30 and 12 for superiore.
Nebbiolo in the Valle d’Aosta
Picontendro/Picoutener
Arnad-Montjovet
Donnaz
What parallel runs across the Valle d’Aosta?
45th
Valle d’Aosta DOC
- river
- mountains
- vine training
- most planted & other grapes
460ish ha under vine. 45 miles long. Located on 45th parallel
RIVER: Dora Baltea
MOUNTAINS: Graian Alps
VINE TRAINING: pergola - lower in west to trap heat, higher in east for ventilation
MOST PLANTED RED: Petite Rouge
Follows the 85% varietal rule
Petite Arvine, Fumin, Cornalin (Swiss Humagne Rouge), Gamay, Pinot
Name of the pass that connects Valle d’Aosta to the Valais?
St Bernarde Pass
What are Liguria’s 2 most important red grapes?
Rossesse aka Tibouren (most planted red @ 12% acreage)
Ormeasca aka Dolcetto
Sciacchetrà vs. Sciactrà
1) a sweet passitio specialty from Cinque Terre DOC (Min. 80% Albarola + Vermentino + Bosco)
2) Ormeasca-based rosé from Pornassia DOC
Colli di Luni DOC
Shared between Liguria and Tuscany
* Vermentino, Albarola, Sangiovese-based rosso
flagship variety of the Dolceaqua DOC?
Rossese
Liguria’s first DOC?
Rossesse di Dolceaqua DOC
Riviera di Ligure di Poniente DOC
Stretches to the French border
Varietally labelled:
- 100% Moscato, 95% Vermentino, 95% Pigato
- 90% Granaccia, Rossese
Liguria
Apennines meet the Alps
* 2nd last in production
* 8 DOC, 8 IGT, 0 DOCG
* Genoa splits it in half - Ponente to west, Levante to east
* Mediterranean climate
Vermentino in Liguria
Vermentino = most important
*Pigato is a biotype
* collectively.. Vermentino + Pigato make up 42% of plantings
Vermentino plantings concentrate in the lower elevation east:
- Val Polcèvera
- Golfo del Tigullio-Portofino
- Colline di Levanto
- Cinque Terre
- Colli di Luni
Pigato
Pigau = “spotted”
* Biotype of Vermentino. Treated as distinct in Liguria.
* grows in the western Ponente of Liguria. Higher elevation, more diurnal. Creamier, waxier expressions
Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC requires min. 95% Pigato for varietally labelled wines
Varietal Lambrusco DOC’s
- Lambrusco di Sorbara: sandy flood plain between Secchia and Panaro Rivers. Light, bright
- Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro: most challenging terroir, most structured/tannic wines
- Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce: min. 60% Salamino bc it cannot self-pollinate. Sorbara is the favored blender
Italy’s 1st DOCG white?
Romagna Albana (1987)
4 big lakes in northern Lombardy?
Lake Garda
Lake Maggiore
Lake Iseo
Lake Como
Franciacorta’s climate is influenced by what lake?
Lake Iseo
Curtefranca DOC
Formerly Terre di Franciacorta
* Bianco: Chard + Chard/PG blends
* Rosso: Cab Sauv + Cab Franc and/or Carmenere + Merlot blends
* min. 500M elevation
1st Franciacorta?
1961 Pinot di Franciacorta
Berlucchi
Franciacorta Saten
- grapes
- styles
- pressure
- lees aging
“Silk”
* Chardonnay, max. 50% Pinot Bianco
* min. 24 months on lees, 31 total for elevage
* Brut
* max 5 bars pressure
Franciacorta assemblage
- Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay
- Pinot Bianco (max 50%)
- Erbamat (max 10%)
min % of Pinot Noir for Franciacorta Rosé?
Min. 35%
(min. 30 months on lees, non dosage to demi-sec in style)
Franciacorta aging requirements
- Normale: 18 on lees, 25 months total elevage
- Rosé/Saten: 24 on lees/31 total
- Millesimato: 30 on lees, 37 total
- Riserva: 60 on lees, 67 total
Min. % from stated vintage for Franciacorta Millesimato/Riserva?
Min. 85%
(Different from champagne which is 100%)
Franciacorta Riserva may be made in what sweetness levels?
Non-dosaggio
Extra-brut
Brut
Franciacorta Millesimato may be made in what sweetness levels?
Non-dosaggio
Extra-brut
Brut
Extra Dry
Lombardy’s 2 sparkling DOCG
- Franciacorta DOCG
- Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG
Lombardy’s 5 DOCG?
Sparkling…
1. Franciacorta DOCG
2. Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG
Passito..
3. Moscato di Scanzo DOCG
Nebbiolo….
4. Valtellina Superiore DOCG
5. Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Moscato di Scanzo DOCG
LOMBARDY
RED Passito wine - only a handful of other appellations produce Moscatel like this (Moscatel Roxo in Portugal and Moscato Rosa in Alto Adige)
Lugana DOC
- grapes/styles
- top area
Lombardy’s 1st DOC (1967)
4 communes in Lombardy, 1 in Veneto
Bianco sup/rsva/vt/spumante
* Min 90% Turbiana aka trebbiano di Lugana (NOT verdicchio)
* SOILS: Glacial origin. Calcareous, fossils
Lake Garda moderates the climate
- 90% vineyard in Lombardy
- Veneto has the big producers and the great San Benedetto di Lugana cru
2 geographical features are important to the Oltrepo Pavese DOC?
Apennine Mountains
Po River
Oltrepo Pavese DOC soils?
Calcareous clay and marl - often compared to that of Barolo
Buttafuoco - style/varieties?
Red and semi-sparkling reds from:
25-65% Barbera
25-65% Croatina
Max. 45% Uva Rara and/or Ughetta (Vespolina)
Pavia province of Oltrepo Pavese - it is a specific style and its own DOC (Buttafuoco dell’Oltrepo Pavese DOC - separated in 2010).
Oltrepo Pavese Croatina
Bonarda
*found in southern Lombardy, eastern Piedmont, and western Emilia Romagna. About 9k ha planted. Croatian origin. Shares the bonarda synonym with Bonarda Piemontese and UVA Rara
Oltrepo Pavese “varietal” DOCs?
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Nero
Bonarda (Croatina)
Buttafuoco’s grapes?
Croatina
Barbera
Uva Rara and/or Ughetta (Vespolina)
Sangue di Giuda
Sangue di Giuda dell’Oltrepo Pavese DOC
- Sweet reds - still, semi or fully sparkling
- Min 25 - 65% Croatina, min 25-65% Barbera, max 45% Uva Rara and/or Ughetta aka Vespolina
- min. RS 80g/l
What does the name “Oltrepo Pavese” translate to?
Roughly, “Pavia across the Po”
Main grape of the Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG?
Min. 70% Pinot Nero
Min % of Pinot in Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico Pinot Nero
Min 85% Pinot Nero
(As opposed to the usual min of 70%)
Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG grapes
Pinot Nero (dominant)
Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Bianco
Cruasé
trademarked term by Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG.
* est 2010
There are two stipulations:
1) Must be 100% Pinot Nero
2) no blending - color must be attained from maceration in tank or press
Aging requirements for Oltrepo Pavese Metodo Classico NV and for Millisimato?
NV: 15 months on lees
Millisimato: 24 months
Manzoni Bianco is a crossing of _______?
Riesling x Sylvaner
List Valtellina Superiore DOCG subzones from west to east?
Maroggia
Sassella
Grumello
Inferno
Valgella
Most planted grapes in Lombardy?
1 Croatina
#2 Pinot Nero
#3 Chardonnay
Valtellina name for Nebbiolo
Chiavennasca
Valtellina river
Adda River
*flows out of Swiss Alps to Lake Como
Valtellina
- province
- orientation
- river, mountains
- elevation
- soils
Sondrio province
East-west valley. South-facing vyd over north bank of Adda River. Slope as steep as 70% in places.
* VYD ELEVATION ~300 to 800M. Rhaetian Alps.
* SOILS: schist, sandy-loam, alluvial deposits from the Adda River.
Valtellina soils
Schist, sandy-loam, alluvial deposits from the Adda
* low in nutrients
* extremely acidic, with a low pH, * extremely thin topsoil
* soil replenishment sometimes necessary
Valtellina DOC/Gs? Min. % Chiavennasca for each?
Min. 90% Chiavennasca
Rosso di Valtellina DOC
Valtellina Superiore DOCG
Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG
Valtellina Aging Requirements
- Rosso di Valtellina DOC: min. 6 months
- Valtellina Superiore DOCG: min 2 years, 3 for Rsva. 1 in wood
- Sfursat di Valtellina DOCG: ages 20 months from April 1, 12 in barrel
Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Dry passito wine in the style of Amarone (DOCG since 2003)
* dry on straw mats at ~ 2 months; cannot vinify before Dec 10
* must reach 14% ABV
* ages 20 months from April 1st inc. 12 months in barrel
(s)forzatura delle uve = forcing the grapes
Valtellina bottled in Switzerland
STAGAFASSLI
* can age there but cannot list subzone or rsva
* 3 Swiss in the consorzio… Pietro Misani, Pietro Triaccia, I Vinauton
* Brussio, Campascio are a 40 min drive from Valtellina. Grisons/Graubunden has historically been an important market for Valtellina
Italy’s 1st sparkling wine DOCG?
Franciacorta, 1995
Franciacorta lay of the land
Amphitheater of morainic hills
* Lake Iseo (N), Oglio River (W), Mount Orofano (S)
* sand and silt. Landscape designed by Alps and glaciers
*45th parallel. Continental but temperate
*~3k ha (9% of Champagne’s area)
Most important commune of production for Franciacorta?
Erbusco - where most of the big houses are
Franciacorta most planted grapes?
1 Chard (~75%)
#2 Pinot Nero (~17%)
#3 Pinot Bianco (~3%)
#4 Erbamat (less than 1%)
Erbamat in Franciacorta
2017 addition - reaction to warming climate
* up to 10% of assemblage
* neutral late-ripener that maintains laser-like acid
Braulio
Valtellina
* est 1875. Pine, spearmint, chamomile. Very après-ski.
* 2 years in Slavonian oak barrels, * Riserva Speciale ages in smaller barrels, higher proof
