Italy - Piemonte Flashcards
Grape varieties
What are the top six varieties (descending order)
- Barbera (b)
- Moscato Bianco
- Dolcetto (b)
- Nebbiolo (b)
- Cortese
- Brachetto (b)
Describe the climate, climatic influences, and hazards
- Moderate continental
- Protected by the Alps (north): from cold winds and excessive rainfall
- Protected by the Apennines: from weathers from the Mediterranean
- Hazards: thunderstorms, hail, fog, late frosts
- Low rainfall (June to Sept) -> low risk of fungal diseases
- Higher rainfall (Sept/Okt) -> threat to late-ripening varieties as Nebbiolo
Grape varieties - Nebbiolo
What is the variety’s vigor, budding/ripening time and typical style (color, intensity, aromas, acidity, body, tannin, alcohol)
- Vigorous
- Early budding -> spring frosts as a problem
- Very late ripening
- Ruby color (pale garnet after 3-5 years)
- Pronounced intensity
- Violet, rose, red cherry, red plum
- High acidity
- Full body
- High tannins
- Can be high alcohol
Grape varieties - Nebbiolo
What are consideration regarding grape growing? (site, pruning, training, canopy, …)
- Mostly planted on the best south- and southwest-facing sites -> to fully ripen
- Vines have to be pruned high as the first few buds are infertile
- Single Guyot is the most common form of training -> aids mechanization
- Excessive exposure of grapes to the sun can be a problem
- Vigorous, so needs regular canopy management and time-consuming cluster thinning
Grape varieties - Nebbiolo
What are considerations regarding clones?
- Main aim: producing wines of deeper color
- However, new clones might have lost some of the variety’s high aromatic intensity
- Many (incl. Gaja) prefer mass selection, seeking vines with
- -> low vigor (increased concentration)
- -> open bunches (reducing fungal disease)
- -> small berries (good depth of color)
Barolo DOCG
Where are vineyards located what are climatic influences and what effect do they have on the final wine?
- Vineyards on south- and south-west facing slopes
- 200-400m altitude
- Good sunlight interception with cooling influences
- -> Grapes ripen fully over a long growing season
- -> pronounced aromatic intensity and high acidity
Barolo DOCG
What is the max yield and how have plantings evolved?
- Max yield: 56 hL/ha
- Plantings have doubled in 30 years -> to 2,000 ha
Barolo DOCG
What is the variety, what are the requirements regarding winemaking and what is the typical quality and price?
- 100% Nebbiolo
- Barolo: must be aged for 3 years and 2 months (incl. 18 months in oak)
- Barolo Riserva: must be aged for 5 years and 2 months (incl. 18 months in oak)
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Premium and super-premium priced
Barolo DOCG
What are the different soil types, where are they found, and what is their impact on the wine?
- Villages in the north and west: blue-grey marl -> lighter more aromatic wines that become drinkable after a few years in bottle
- Villages in the south and east: less fertile, predominantly yellow-grey compacted sand and clay -> closed and tannic in youth and should be cellared for 10-15 years
Barolo DOCG
What sub-zone system was recently introduced?
- MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive)
- Sub-zones: entire village and single vineyards
- Some still blend for more complexity
Barbaresco DOCG
How does it compare to Barolo in terms of size, location of vineyards, temp, and harvest?
- One third of the size of Barolo DOCG
- Slightly lower altitude
- Slightly warmer
- Harvest is typically a week earlier.
Barbaresco DOCG
What is the variety, what are the requirements regarding winemaking and what is the typical quality and price?
- 100% Nebbiolo
- Barbaresco DOCG: aged for 2 years and 2 months (min 9 months in oak)
- Riserva: 4 years and 2 months (min 9 months in oak)
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Premium and super-premium price
Barbaresco DOCG
What is the max yield compared to Barolo?
Same! (56 hL/ha)
Winemaking - Nebbiolo
Describe how the winemaking of Nebbiolo wines evolved over time
- Traditionally: very long maceration on the skins (3-4 months) and very long time in wood (5-8 years)
- 1970s and 80s: deeper color, softer tannins and less need to be aged, and with new oak flavors
- Today: in between the extremes
- Ripe skins and seeds
- Maceration on skins for 3-4 weeks
- Ageing in large oak a combination of large and smaller oak (small amount of new oak -> overt vanilla and spices are not wanted)
What are other DOCGs and DOCs where Nebbiolo is grown? How are they different form Barolo and Barbaresco?
What is their typical price level?
- Roero DOCG, Gattinara DOCG, Ghemme DOCG: continental climate -> higher acidity, light body
- Langhe Nebbiolo DOC or Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC: wines for early drinking (less maceration on skin and ageing in neutral containers)
- Mid- to premium priced
Barbera
Around what cities is it mostly grown?
- Asti (Barbera d’Asti DOCG, Nizza DOCG)
- Alba
Barbera
What are characteristics of the variety? (budding, ripening, vigor, diseases)
- Early budding -> prone to spring frost
- Late ripening, but before Nebbiolo
- Very vigorous -> can produce very high yields
- Disease-resistant
Barbera
Describe the typical style (styles, color, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannin, alcohol quality, price)
- Range of styles (even lightly sparkling), but mostly still wine for early drinking
- Medium to deep ruby
- Medium intensity red plum and red cherry, sometimes with black pepper
- High acidity
- Medium tannin
- Medium alcohol
- Good to very good quality (some very good to outstanding)
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium prices)
Dolcetto
What are characteristics of the variety (ripening, diseases, vigor) and what is the recent trend in plantings?
- Early ripening -> can be grown on cooler sites
- Susceptible to fungal diseases
- Low vigor
- -> reduction in vineyard area
Dolcetto
How is it handled in the winery?
- Reductive, so frequent pump overs or rack-and-return to introduce oxygen
- Mid-range fermentation temps to retain fresh primary fruit
- Short time on skins (7-15 days)
- Soft extraction methods (naturally high tannins)
- Aged in stainless steel or cement
Dolcetto
What are the best areas for that variety and what is the typical style of wine? (intensity, aromas, acidity tannin, quality, price)
- Alba, Dogliani, and Ovada
- Deep ruby in color
- Medium(+) intensity
- Red cherry fruit with floral notes
- Medium(-) acidity
- Medium(+) tannins
- Good to very good quality (some very good to outstanding)
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium prices)
Dolcetto
What are significant producers?
- Marcarini (Alba)
- Marziano Abbona (Dogliani)
Cortese
Describe the typical style of wine (color of variety, intensity, aromas, acidity, body, ageing, quality, price)
- White variety
- Light intensity lemon, apple/pear and white flowers
- High acidity
- Medium body
- Mostly for early drinking, some develop in bottle
- Good quality (some very good)
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium)
Cortese
What are the characteristics of the variety?
- High yields
- Thin-skin -> susceptible to grey rot
- Fermentation at mid-range temps
- Aged in stainless steel to preserve the primary fruit
Cortese
What are requirements for Gavi DOCG and Riserva? (max yield and ageing)
- Gavi DOCG: 100% Cortese, max yield 67 hL/ha
- Riserva: max yield 45 hL/ha, aged min 1 year
Cortese
Name two significant producers
- Castellari Bergaglio
- La Scolca
Arneis
What is the typical style of wine? (color of variety, intensity, aromas, acidity, quality, price)
- White variety
- Light intensity
- White flowers, chamomile, white peach and lemon
- Medium(-) acidity
- Good quality (some very good)
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium)
Arneis
What is important at harvest and in the winery?
- Time of picking is important as acidity drops very rapidly
- Oxidizes easily in the winery
Arneis
What is the most important DOCG (incl. requirements? And what are significant producers?
- Roero Arneis DOCG (min 95% of Arneis and max yields 70 hL/ha)
- Vietti and Bruno Giacosa
Wine Business
How is the business landscape structured?
Mostly small family-owned farms
Wine Business
How much of Barolo and Barbaresco is exported and what are the main export markets?
- About 85% (Barolo) and 75% (Barbaresco)
- USA, Germany, UK, and Scandinavia
Wine Business
What is the trend?
- Becoming more and more attractive for collectors
- As prices rise, attention turned to less expensive Nebbiolo wines from other DOCGs
