Italy - Umbria Flashcards
What consists of the most white blends from Umbria?
Trebbiano Toscano and/or Grechetto
Where is Orvieto DOC located? What are the requirements for the DOC?
Mainly on the western edge of Umbria, with a small extension into neighbouring Lazio. (There is a Classico zone around the town of Orvieto).
Must be minimum 60% Grechetto +/ Trebbiano Toscano.
100-550m above sea level.
Max yields are 77hL/ha.
What are the better wines of Orvieto DOC often made from?
A higher proportion of Grechetto for higher flavour concentration.
What is the typical profile of wines from Orvieto DOC?
Medium (-) intensity lemon and apple fruit, top end of medium alcohol, and medium (+) acidity with a light body.
Acceptable to good and inexpensive to mid.
What are the max yields of Orvieto Superiore?
56, resulting in wines of much higher concentration.
What other styles of wine can be made in Orvieto DOC, and what are the local names?
Dry, off-dry and sweet wines.
Late Harvest = vendemmia tardiva
Noble rot = muffa nobile
How are dry wines often made in Orvieto DOC, and who is a key producer?
Fermented in steel at cool temperatures to retain primary fruit.
Aged briefly in steel to retain fruit before being released for drinking within 1-2 years.
Barberani.
Montefalco Rosso DOC vs Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. What are the different permitted varieties, yields and ageing requirements?
Rosso:
- Sangiovese is main component (60-70%), with Sagrantino (10-15%) and other local varieties permitted.
- 77 hL/ha
- 18m
Sagrantino:
- Sagrantino 100%
- 52hL/ha
- 37m (12 in wood)
What else may feature on the Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG label?
The name of the vineyard if its a single vineyard.
What is the typical quality and price of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG?
Very good to outstanding and mid to premium.
How have winemaking techniques changed in Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG?
Previously underwent very long maceration periods (eg, 2 months). These have been reduced to 2-3 weeks in most cases to avoid the extraction of harsh tannins.
Some companies soften the wines by ageing in new French oak barriques (eg, Arnaldo Caprai, 2 years in barriques), while others prefer ageing in traditional large casks, followed by extensive bottle ageing.
What has the Montefalco Consortium done to raise the standard of grape growing throughout the region?
They’ve initiated a series of projects to raise the standards of grape growing across the denomination as a whole. It has created a network of weather stations, collected and processed the data and made it available so that growers can be informed of impending threats of disease. This has enabled growers to reduce the number of treatments in the vineyards and reduce the chemicals used.
What has happened to the area under vine in Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG?
It’s grown rapidly in recent times, with hectares under vine quadrupling to 650ha from 2000-2015.
What is the state of exports from Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG?
60% is exported, especially to the USA, Germany and Canada.
What is an example of a regional sustainability initiative?
Montefalco Grape Assistance.
