Italy - Tuscany Flashcards
Describe the major milestones in the history of Tuscany
- 1932: Creation of larger Chianti DOCG area -> historic area was then called “Chianti Classico”
- Until WWII: Sharecropping was common -> low quality
- 1970: Creation of Sassicaia and Tignanello as Super Tuscans -> Bordeaux blends
- Today: Focus on indigenous varieties (esp. Sangiovese) with less new oak
Climate
What is the climate, rainfall, and climatic influences?
- Warm Mediterranean
- Adequate rainfall
- Altitude as cooling influence
Climate
What are potential hazards?
- Spring frost
- Hail
- Rain during harvest
- Summer drought
- Prolonged high temperatures
What are the 4 most important varieties (in descending order), and what are their rough plantings?
- Sangiovese (64%)
- Trebbiano Toscano (<= 5%)
- Merlot (<= 5%)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (<= 5%)
Sangiovese
What is the typical style of a 100% Sangiovese wine? (color, aromas, acidity, body, tannin, quality, price)
- Medium intensity ruby
- Red cherry, red plum and herbal notes
- High acidity
- Medium to full body
- High tannins
- Acceptable to outstanding
- Inexpensive to premium priced (few super- premium)
Sangiovese
Where in Italy is it mostly grown and for how much of total plantings in Italy does it account?
- Central and Southern Italy
- 10% of all vines grown in Italy
- Most planted variety in Italy
Sangiovese
What are characteristics of the variety? (budding, ripening, vineyard sites, soil, vigor, yields, skin)
- Overall, a difficult variety to grow successfully
- Early budding -> spring frosts
- Late ripening -> autumn rain
- Best on well exposed sites (to fully ripen)
- Best on shale and limestone soils (providing excellent drainage)
- High vigor -> canopy mgmt. needed
- Can produce high yields (decision regarding quality needs to be made)
- Thin skin -> susceptible to botrytis
Sangiovese
What are newly developed clones aiming at?
- Moderate yielding, higher-quality
- Smaller berries
- Thicker skins
- More open bunches
- Less vigor
Sangiovese
What are the two major hazards in the vineyard?
- Esca
- Wild boars
Trebbiano Toscano
Under what name is it elsewhere known and what are characteristics of the variety? (budding, vigor, diseases, flavors)
- Ugni Blanc (in France)
- Late budding -> not vulnerable to spring frost
- High vigor and high yielding
- Prone to downy mildew and eutypa dieback (otherwise good disease resistance)
- Ripens well in sunshine and heat, while retaining high acidity
- Mostly neutral flavors
Trebbiano Toscano
What is the trend and why?
- Declining in popularity
- High yielding (so popular in the past), but lack of fruitiness and low flavor intensity
- Still important part of the blend of Vin Santo because of the high acidity
Winemaking
How did the winemaking of Sangiovese dominant wines evolve (blending, time on skin, ageing)?
- Historically
- Sangiovese as part of a blend with white varieties
- Very long time on skins and long ageing times in neutral vessels
- More recently
- No blending with white varieties
- Shorter time on skins (7-10 days for early-drinking, 15-25 for wines intended to age)
Winemaking
How did the ageing of Sangiovese wines develop?
- In the latter decades: proportion of new oak -> vanilla and sweet spice
- Since 2000s: more neutral vessels used -> sour red cherry fruit as the main point of interest
What are the most important denominations?
- Chianti DOCG
- Chianti Classico DOCG
- Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
- Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
- Morellino de Scansano DOCG
- Bolgheri DOC
- Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
- Maremma Toscana DOC
- Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
- Toscana IGT
Chianti DOCG
Where are vineyards located?
Around the smaller Chianti Classico (higher elevation)
Chianti DOCG
What are requirements regarding varieties?
- 70-100% Sangiovese
- Other local or international varieties as blending components
- Max 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc
- Up to 10% white grapes (e.g. Trebbiano Toscano), but they are rarely used
Chianti DOCG
What are further requirements regarding min alc, max yield, ageing?
- Min 11.5% alc
- Max yield: 63 hL/ha
- No ageing requirements
- Riserva: 2 years of ageing
Chianti DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (intensity, body, alcohol, quality, price)
- Light to medium intensity
- Medium body
- Medium alcohol
- Acceptable to very good
- Inexpensive to mid-priced
Chianti DOCG
How many sub-zones are there? Name two important sub-zones and their characteristics (climate, effect on wine, quality, price)
- 7 sub-zones (max yield: 56 hL/ha)
- Chianti Rufina DOCG
- Small sub-zone and coolest climate
- -> high acidity and more restrained fruit
- -> capacity to age and develop complexity
- Good to outstanding quality
- Mid-priced (few premium)
- Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG
- Largest sub-zone and warmer
- -> fuller bodied and richer wines
- Acceptable to very good quality
- Inexpensive to mid-priced
Chianti Classico DOCG
Where are vineyards located, what are characteristics of the soil, what are climatic influences and what effect does it have on the final wine?
- Hilly area between Florence and Siena
- Hillside adds to cost (more by hand)
- Soils with good drainage and sufficient water-holding capacity
- Altitude mostly 200-500m
- -> cool nights
- -> longer growing season
- -> full ripeness and high acidity
Chianti Classico DOCG
Describe how the different soil types influence the final wine
- Galestro (schist, rock, clay, marl): aromatic wines with the potential to age
- More clay: more structure and body
Chianti Classico DOCG
What are the requirements regarding varieties, max yield, and ageing?
- Min 80% Sangiovese
- No white varieties allowed
- Max yield: 52.5 hL/ha
- Can only be released after 1 year
- Riserva: min 2 years of ageing
Chianti Classico DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (color, intensity, aromas, quality, price)
- Traditional style
- Paler color
- Medium intensity (some pronounced)
- Sour cherry fruit, restrained new oak
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Mid- to premium priced
Chianti Classico DOCG
What category was recently (2013) introduced to promote quality?
- Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
- Single vineyard or estate owned by the producer
- Aged for min 30 months
Chianti Classico DOCG
Name two significant producers
- Fontodi
- Castello di Ama
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Describe the climate, climatic influences and soils as well as their impact on the final wine
- Warmer and drier than Chianti Classico
- Adequate rainfall
- -> ripe fruit, full body and high alcohol
- Cooling breezes at night from the Mediterranean Sea -> preserve acidity
- Range of altitudes between 120-500
- Soils:
- -> Galestro-based soils with higher elevations (aromatic)
- -> More clay in the lower, warmer parts -> fuller body
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
What are the requirements regarding varieties, max yield, and ageing?
- 100% Sangiovese
- Max yield: 54 hL/ha
- Ageing: min 5 years ageing (min 2 years in oak)
- Riserva: 6 years (2 in oak)
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (intensity, aromas, acidity, tannin, quality, price)
- Pronounced intensity
- Sour cherry fruit
- High acidity
- High tannin
- Outstanding quality
- Premium to super premium priced
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Name two significant producers
- Casanova di Neri
- Soldera
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
What DOC allows the wines to be declassified in difficult vintages? What are requirements and typical quality and price?
- Rosso di Montalcino DOC
- 100% Sangiovese
- Only briefly aged and sold after 1 year
- Good to very good quality
- Mid-priced
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
Where are vineyards located, what are the soils, and what is the influence on the final wine?
- East and south-east facing slopes
- Altitude: 250-600 m
- The higher, the more aromatic the wines
- Soils: heavy, cool clay (producing fuller bodied wines) and sand (more aromatic wines)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
What are the two styles of wine and what is the overall quality and price?
- Traditional style: full bodied and austere, requiring ageing in bottle
- Some work on newer style: can be drunk in their youth
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Mid- to premium priced
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
What are the requirements regarding varieties, max yield, and ageing?
- 70-100% Sangiovese
- Max yield: 56 hL/ha
- Min 2 years of ageing (min 1 year in oak)
- Riserva: 3 years ageing
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
What DOC allows the wines to be declassified in difficult vintages? What is the typical style?
- Rosso di Montepulciano DOC
- Less expensive and early drinking
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
Name two significant producers
- Avignonesi
- Contucci
Morellino de Scansano DOCG
What is the climate and requirements regarding varieties and max yields?
- Warm area moderated by altitude and cooling winds at night
- Min 85% Sangiovese
- Max yield: 63 hL/ha
Morellino de Scansano DOCG
Describe the typical style of wine (aromas, acidity, tannins, quality, price)
- Sour cherry and black fruit
- Medium to medium(+) acidity
- Ripe medium(+) tannins
- Good to very good quality (some outstanding)
- Inexpensive to mid-priced (some premium)
Morellino de Scansano DOCG
Name two significant producers
- Le Pupille
- Morisfarms
Bolgheri DOC
What style of wine is mostly produced and how much is its share in terms of area planted?
- Red Bordeaux blends
- 80%
Bolgheri DOC
Describe the climate, climatic influences and rainfall
- Warm climate
- Cool nights (proximity to sea)
- Winds reduce risk of fungal diseases, leads to fully ripe grapes
- Sufficient rainfall (still irrigation is widely installed)
Bolgheri DOC
What varieties and what proportions of them are allowed in the wine?
- Up to 100%: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot
- Up to 50%: Syrah and Sangiovese
- Up to 30%: Other varieties, e.g., Petit Verdot
Bolgheri DOC
What are the two labling terms and what are the regulations for each?
- Bolgheri Rosso Superiore: max yield 56 hL/ha, aged for min 2 years (incl. 1 on oak)
- Bolgheri Rosso: max yield 63 hL/ha
Bolgheri DOC
Describe the typical style of Bolgheri Rosso Superiore (color, intensity, aromas, acidity, tannins, quality, price)
- Deep ruby
- Medium(+) to pronounced intensity
- Blackberry, red plum, sometimes green bell pepper notes and vanilla and sweet spice from oak
- Medium(+) acidity
- High tannins
- Very good to outstanding quality
- Premium to super-premium priced
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
What was the DOC created for and what are the regulations regarding varieties and ageing?
- DOC for the single estate Tenuta San Guido that produces Sassicaia
- Min 80% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Min 2 years ageing (incl. 18 months in 225 barriques)
Maremma Toscana DOC
What varieties are allowed and planted?
- Wide range of varieties: local and international
- 50% is Sangiovese
- Next important are Cabernet Sauvignon and Vermentino (white)
Maremma Toscana DOC
What are rough yields and the resulting prices? What is the exception? (incl. significant producers)
- High yields and mostly inexpensive to mid-priced
- Few high-quality estates reach premium and super-premium prices
- E.g., Le Pupille and Rocca di Frassinello
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
Where is it located and what is it known for?
- Western side of Chianti DOCG
- Historic white wine region
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
What is the main variety of this wine and what are other permitted varieties? What is the typical style of wine? (intensity, aromas, acidity)
- Min 85% Vernaccia di San Gimignano
- Up to 10% of Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling
- Medium intensity
- Lemon and floral notes
- Medium(+) acidity
What is another option next to the DOC(G)s? What is the typical quality and price of wine?
- Toscana IGT
- Mostly inexpensive to mid-priced
- AND some of Tuscany’s most expensive and prestigious wines:
- Masseto (Merlot from Frescobaldi’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia)
- Solaia (Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese/ Cabernet Franc blend from Antinori)
Vin Santo
What is it, how are the grapes processed, what are the varieties and where is it permitted?
- Amber colored sweet wine
- Made by the appassimento method
- Mostly a blend of Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia
- Permitted in many denominations, e.g., Chianti, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vin Santo
How is the wine handled in the cellar and what is the typical style? (color, aromas, acidity, alcohol, ageing, price)
- Rising and falling temperature in combination with oxidative ageing without topping
- Amber color
- Complex palate of dried fruit (apricot, lemon), nutty notes, as well as a variable level of volatile acidity
- High acidity
- Medium(+) to high alcohol
- Min ageing times vary (at least 2 years, but often longer)
- Premium or super-premium price
Wine Business
How much of the production is DOC(G)? Within that category, what are the most important DOC(G)s in terms of volume?
- 65%
- Chianti
- Chianti Classico
- Brunello di Montalcino
Wine Business
What is the structure of businesse across the denominations
- Very different
- Roughly 14% of wine in Chianti is made by co-ops
- No co-ops produce wine in Bolgheri
Wine Business
For which regions are exports very important? How much do they roughly export? What are the main export markets?
- Chianti, Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Montepulciano
- 70-80%
- USA, Germany, Canada
Wine Business
What is the route to market of the different wines?
- Inexpensive wines: supermarkets, cheap bars and restaurants
- Mid-price to super-premium: specialist wine shops and higher-priced restaurants
Wine Business
How are wines marketed?
- Some with reference to their place in Tuscan wine history (e.g., Chianti)
- Some are promoted as world-class quality (e.g., Montalcino, Bolgheri)
- Wine tourism is promoted through the construction of architecturally ambitious wineries
