Italy - Piemonte Flashcards
Barolo DOCG is from which region?
Made from which grape?
Piedmont
100% Nebbiolo
What grape is used to make Barbaresco?
Nebbiolo
Where are Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo grown?
Some Barbera and Dolcetto is also grown in Barolo, how is it labelled?
Villages having steep 200-400 metre south facing slopes from a horseshoe shaped valley.
Labelled as Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC
What are the ageing conditions for: Barolo Barbaresco, normale and riserva
Barolo: 3 years + 2 months, 18 mths in oak.
Barolo Riserva: 5 years + 2 months, 18 mths in oak.
Barbaresco: 2 years + 2 mths, 9 mths in oak.
Barbaresco Riserva: 4 years + 2 mths, 9 mths in oak.
What is Nebbiolo, what does it taste like and where is it mainly grown?
Black grape, high acidity and tannin but light colour. At altitude it has aromas of sour cherries, roses, herbs and dried flowers. With age develops Tar, truffle and leather. Mainly grown in Barolo and Barbaresco
What are the 5 main communes of Barolo?
What are the other 6?
Main: Barolo, La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba.
Minor: Novello, Verduno, Diano d’Alba, Roddi, Grinzane Cavour, Cherasco.
Name 3 Traditional and 3 Modern producers in Barolo:
Traditional: Giacomo Conterno, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello.
Modern: Paolo Scavino, Luciano Sandrone, Elio Grasso.
How do Traditional and Modern winemakers in Barolo differ from each other in terms of:
- Oak
- Maceration
- Style
OAK: Traditional = Large, Neutral Casks.
Modern = Smaller, new barriques.
MACERATION: Traditional = Extended maceration (30-50 days).
Modern = Shorter Maceration
STYLE: Traditional = tougher style, not approachable for a long time.
Modern = more approachable at a younger age.
Tortonian soils have a higher proportion of ___
Are predominantly found in which 2 communes of Barolo?
Produce what style of wine?
Calcareous marl.
Barolo / La Morra
Softer style of wine
Serravallian soils are also known as:
Contain a higher proportion of ___:
Are found in which 2 communes of Barolo?
Produce what style of wine?
Helvetian.
Sandstone.
Monforte d’Alba / Serralunga d’Alba.
More structured style.
The Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs are located along the _____ River.
Tanaro
4 famous crus in the village of Barolo:
- Cannubi
- Cannubi Boschis
- San Lorenzo
- Bricco del Viole
4 famous crus in the village of La Morra:
- Brunate
- Rocche dell’Annunziata
- La Serra
- Cerequio (shared btw/La Morra and Barolo)
What is the permitted range of elevation for vineyards used to produce Barolo DOCG wines?
170 - 540m
Vineyards with complete ____ are not permitted in the production of Barolo DOCG.
Northern exposure.
Nebbiolo - the traditional winemaking method?
Traditional:
fermentation started when weather turned cold
3-4 months maceration + very high temperature fermentation (up to 35-38C)
Min 5- 8 years in large old oak barrels.
The wines were full bodied, austere and highly tannic
Climate of Piedmonte
CLIMATE & WEATHER
- Moderate Continental climate; cold winters & hot summers
- Protected from Northern winds & excessive rainfall by Alps to the North & weather systems from Mediterranean by the Apennines
- Region subject to Thunderstorms, hail & fog; Late Frosts
- Low rainfall in June-Sept, allows grapes to ripen; reduces Fungal disease
- Rain increases in Late Sept-Oct; threat to late harvested Nebbiolo
- similar temperature to Bordeaux (avg 20°C in July)
- Mild autumns with heavy fog in the southern part (beneficial for late ripener such as Nebbiolo
- Similar rainfall to Bordeaux with 850mm on avg/yr
- Much more vintage variation due to weather vs. Central/Southern Italy
Soils and topography of Piemonte
SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY:
- Limestone, sandstone hills w calcareous clay, sand, marl and silt with top soil of pebbles
- Alps encircle area
Nebbiolo is ? % of Piemonte wines?
3%
Nebbiolo wines are typically taste ?
- Wines are:
- Typically pale Ruby, turning Garnet after 3-5 yrs,
- Full body, High Tannins, High Acidity, High Alcohol
- Pronounced Intensity: Red Cherry, Red Plum, Violet, Tar, Roses
Grapegrowing for Nebbiolo?
-
Grapegrowing
- Given best sites: S & SW facing, to ripen fully
- Have to be trained high, first few buds are infertile, needs pruning with more buds so those further up the shoot can bear fruit
- Single Guyot, facilitate mechanical trimming
- Vigorous, regular canopy management, time consuming cluster thinning
- To avoid hard harsh tannins plenty of sunlight needed into the canopy
Gaja uses what technique to improve his vineyards?
- Gaja (significant producer):
- uses mass selection to propagate new vines (increased concentration),
- with low vigour, open bunches (reduce fungal disease),
- small berries (depth of colour)
Barbera is a very important varietal in Piedmont, where is it grown, what are its viticultural attributes
- Black variety, most grown in Piemonte, 3 times as much as Nebbiolo
- Concentrated around towns of Asti, Alba, Monferrato
- Best come from Asti (now Nizza DOCG)
- Less sensitive to site than Nebbiolo
- Early Budding, Ripens late (before Nebbiolo) ,Prone to Spring frosts
- Vigorous, Disease resistant, Susceptible to Fan Leaf virus,
- Can grow on range of sites & aspects
What are three key aspects of Barbera’s fruit?
High yields, high acidity and low tannins
What are the two styles of Barbera?
- Range of Styles
- Early drinking:
- medium to deep Ruby ,
- High Acidity,
- Medium Tannins,
- Medium Alcohol,
- Medium Intensity red plum, Red Cherry, Black pepper,
- No New French oak notes ,
- Light wines show High Acidity
- Top quality:
- From low Yields, Old vines,
- Matured in small oak barrels,
- High fruit concentration,
- added Tannins to balance Acidity
- Early drinking:
Four DOC/Gs for Barbera
- Barbera d’ Asti DOCG:
- Max yield 63 hl/ha:
- aged for min 4 mths ageing only
- Nizza DOCG
- 49 hl/ha,
- aged 18 mths, 6 mths in Oak
- Piemonte DOC
- 84 hl/ha,
- low concentration wines
- Barbera d’Alba DOC
- 85% Barbera
- Adaptable to the cooler sites of Alba
- Considered to be more bold and flavourful than Barbera d’Asti
Dolcetto’s viticultural traits?
- Black Variety, Grown on cooler sites
- Ripens early
- Susceptible to fungal disease, fragile (buds break easily)
- Low vigour, Ripening blocked by spells of cold weather
- These issues contribute to low vineyard area planted, also due to higher prices commanded by Nebbiolo - but still the second most planted black grape after Barbera!
winemaking used for Dolcetto?
-
Winemaking
- Reductive in Winery, frequent pump overs/rack & return to introduce O², avoiding off flavours
- To retain fresh primary fruit: mid range ferment temps, short times on skin, soft extraction to prevent naturally high Tannins
- Aged in SS/cement to preserve primary fruit