Toscana 2 Flashcards
Where does Toscana stand in Italian wine production?
4th in areas under vine behind Sicilia, Puglia, Veneto and 7th for production
What is the percentage DOC/G, IGT and bulk?
How may DOCGs and DOC?
DOC/G 60% / IGT 25% / Bulk 25%
DOCG - 11 / DOC - 41
When was Toscana 1st inhabited?
2000 bc;
Etruscans were 1st in 9th c BC
They brought advanced know how in wine making including commercial trade for wines starting in 7th c BC
What is the name for the road connecting Italy to France?
Via Francigena
Name the oldest wine making Florentine families in Toscana?
Ricasoli - 12th c AD
Frescobaldi - 14th c AD
Antinori - 14th AD
Oldest continually run family wineries
What did the small villages morph into in the 12th c AD? And what were the two most prominent towns?
Morphed into communi or city-states.
After 13th c AD - Republic of Siena and Republic of Firenze became super powers.
Who is the oldest, continuously run family vineyard in Tuscany?
Ricasoli - 12th c AD
What is the Renaissance in Italia?
Rinascimento - marked the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the Modern era
What city during the Rinascimento became most important?
Firenze
Who was the most important family in Rinascimento Firenze?
Medici family
Defeated Sienna in 1555 AD
FIrenze declared Grand Duchy of Toscana
Cosimo d’Medici became 1st Grand Duke (ruled until 1730)
What was Grand Duke Cosimo de’Medici’s claim to fame?
Issued the Bando in 1716 which protected Toscana wines.
4 Delimited Geographic Boundaries
Chianti
Pomino
Carmignano &
Val d’Arno di Sopra
Tried to protect names and reputation from being produced elsewhere
What, where and when was the 1st attempt to introduce delimitation on wine making regions?
Firence, Toscana
The Bando (Edict) in 1716 to Protect Chianti, Pomino, Carmignano and Val d’Arno di Sopra
What is the Accademi dei Georgofili?
1753, Founded in Firenze - goal to improve and advance agriculture in Toscana
It is still active
Who was the 1st Tuscan to write about Oenology?
Cosimo Villifranch
Florentine physician & scholar
Published “Oenologia Toscana”
1st Accurate work about enology in Toscana
What happened to Grand Duchy of Toscana after the Medici reign ended without an heir?
Was assigned to the House of Lourraine of France 1737
Eventually became the Kingdom of Sardegna
When did phylloxera hit Toscana?
1920s
What is Mezzadria and what is its significance
Share cropping - Agriculture system since 9th c BA
Abolished by Italy in 1960s.
Was devestating for wine industry since there was not the work force to help the vineyards.
What is the name of the island chain Elba belongs?
Toscana Archipelago
How is Tuscany divided?
3 main areas
- Alta Maremma - Northern Toscana MAremma
- Meremma Grossetana - Southern Toscana Maremma or the “real Maremma”
- Maremma Laziale
What was Maremma like prior to 20th century?
Was swampy, malaria infested land
Reclaimed in 20th century
What is considered the “true” Meremma
Southern Tuscany Maremma or
Maremma Grossentana
What is the climate of Toscana?
Transition point on the peninsula between Continental Climate of Padana Plain
and
Mediterranean in Central and Southern Italy
Ligura/Tyrrhenian Sea exert Mediterranean influence which decrease inland
Apennines in North protect from cool northern air currents and a rain barrier making coastal and central/southern drier.
Large number of macro & meso-climates with sea and altitude influences
What are the wettest and driest months in Toscana?
July is driest, November wettest
Where are the wettest areas of Toscana?
Apennines and Apuan Alps (1,400-20,00mm of rain)
What are the driest parts of Italy?
& Why?
Maremma
Elba; Crete Senesi; Parts of Val d’Orcia; East Val di Chiana; All in Central / Southern Toscana
600-800mm
Corsica blocks humid air from west and SW.
What are winters like in Toscana?
Snow in Apennines and sometimes in the central hills and valleys
Late frost can pose a risk until April inland.
Where can the highest temperatures be found?
Tuscan coast in southern Maremma (15C)
Have less annual and diuranl range than inland
What are the main rivers in Toscana? And which is the largest?
Arno
Ombrone
Orcia Rivers
Arno is the largest flowing through Firenze, Pisa
In general what are the soils of Toscana?
Clay, limestone, sandstone
Crumbly nature is represented in the rolling hills
Galestio: metamorphic rock found in Toscana (Chianti Classico, Rufina, Montalcino) - crumby schist-like rock with sharp edges and flakes easily
Alberese - fine-grained calacareous marl in central and southern Chianti Classico around Castellina
What type of soil is found around Castellina?
Alberese - fine-grained marl
What type of soil is found around Chianti Classico, Rufina and Montalcino?
Galestro - metamorphic rock, crumbly clavey, schist like
What areas border Toscana?
Liguria, Emilia-Romanga, Marche, Umbria, Lazio
Which statement is false?
a. Coscia blocks Toscana from humid air from the west
b. Drought can be a problem in Maremma
c. The Adriatic Sea greatly influences Toscana’s climate
d. The Apennines protect northern Toscana from cool air currents
C. Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Seas influence Toscana
What are the soils of Montalcino?
Galestro - metamorphic, schist like rock
What is the % of red/white grapes grown in Toscana?
Red - 80%
White - 20%
What is Toscana’s most widely planted variety?
Sangiovese over 60%
What is the 2nd most planted red in Toscana?
Merlot
What is the 2nd most important native/traditional red in Toscana?
Canaiolo Nero
What are the most important white grapes of Toscana?
Trebbiano Toscano
Malvasia Lunga Bianca
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Ansonica (Inzolla)
What are the important international red grapes?
Merlot
CabSab
Syrah
What are the international white grapes planted?
Chardonnay
SavBlanc
Pinot Grigio
What does Vernaccia mean?
And what are the 2 most important varieties?
Vernaccia belied to be from the Roman Latin “vernaculus” = indigenous/native, relates to unrelated grape varieties
Vernaccia di San Gimignano & Vernacciadi Oristano
What are reds/whites
a. Canaiolo
b. Vernaccia di San Gimignano
c. Trebbiano Toscano
d. Sangiovese
e. Vernaccia di Oristano
a. Red
b. White
c. White
d. Red
e. White
What are the typical training systems and vine density in Toscana?
Archetto (variation of Guyot)
Cordone Speronato (Cordon spur)
Guyot
5,000-7,000 p ha
What were the wines traditinoal used to soften Sangiovese High Acidity/High Tannins?
Canaiolo Nero
Colorino
Mammolo
Malvasia Nera
and white grapes Malvasia/Trebbiano
When did single varietal Sangiovese appear in Toscana?
1960/70s
What vessel were traditional Tuscan reds matured? What is today’s practice?
Slavonian oak or chestnut
New French barriques (80/90s)
Today botti since 2000
Many producers combine both small and botti as well as new oak
What is the IGT of Toscana?
Toscano IGT
Accounts for 30% of the red (almost all the IGT production)
Includes Super Tuscans
One of Italy’s largest by volume and value
Where does Toscana rank for DOC/G, DOCG, DOCs?
DOC/G - 1. Piemonte, 2 Toscana, 3 Veneto
DOCG - 1. Piemonte, 2. Veneto, 3. Toscana
DOC: 1. Piemonte, 2. Toscana, 3. Veneto
Who are two people credited with shaping Toscana’s modern winemaking
Giulio Gambelli -“il maestro assaggiatore” Master Taster - Brunellos (Poggio di Sotto, Montevertines, Solderas)
Giacomo Tachis - Sassicaia
Particular to red wines
What are Super Tuscans
Unofficial category for high quality, expensive red wines starting in 1960/70s
Started as Vino da Tavola lowest quality category before they received DOC status
International varieties usnig French Oak
What was considered the epicenter of Super Tuscans and why?
Chianto Classico region
The drive was a dissatisfaction with the obsolete and inflexible Chianti Classico rules (eg mandatory white grapes)
Forced dramatic changes to Classico and other subzones.
Antinori’s Tignanello & Felice’s Vigorello are considered what?
Super Tuscans
What is the Goria Law?
in 1992, new Italian wine law introducing IGT for Super Tuscan
Who are some of the Super Tuscan Producers?
Sassicaia - Bolgheri Sassicaia
Antinori - Tignanello
Isole e Olena - Cepparello
Flaccianello della Pieve - Colli Toscana Central
Agricola Querciabella - Camartina
What is Vin Santo?
A passito, mostly white, wine famous in Toscana
Dates to Middle Ages (Greek and Roman origins)
Trebbiano Toscano & Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Trebbiano = Acidity / Malvasia = body, texture, perfume
How is Vin Santo dried?
Appassimento - healthy grapes picked
Dry on racks or straw with aerated lofts or hang
Concentrates sugars and flavors
Duration varies fro Style and DOC rules
Left until December or as late as March
Sometimes noble rot (muffa nobile)
Is Tuscany suitable for Nobel Rot?
Generally no
What are caratelli (caretello) and how are they used?
Dense sugar must for Vin Santo used to ferment and long maturation for the wine and put in caratelli which are usually 50l barrels made from chestnut, oak, acacia, juniper or cherry
These are old barrels stored in vinsantie no airconditioning subject to temperature fluctuations (fermentation stops in summer and winter too hot/cold)
What are vinsantie
Lofts or rooms storing caratelli full of Vin Santo with no AC subject to temperature fluctuations (fermentation stops in summer and winter too hot/cold)
What is Madre?
Used to initate fermentation
Wine soakd lees after racking a caratello
New grape juice is kickstarted with Madre.
Older Vin Santo and lees helps new grape juice create character
What is the problem with traditional Vin Santo production and how have producers modernized?
Can be unpredicatble since caratello’s are effectively each unique
Use ambient or cultured yeast to control the process and small oak barrels
Makes less distinctive and complex wines compared to traditional
What are the sweetness levels of Vin Santo?
Secco (dry) - very uncommon
Abboccato (Medium Dry)
Amabile (Medium Sweet)
Dolce (Sweet)
Difference between Vin Santo and Vino Santo
Not the same
Vin Santo - Toscana = Trebbiano + Malvasia
Different approach and DOC rules
vs
Vino Santo - Terntino = Nosiola grape
Always sweet and lower alcohol
What is Governo?
Wine making technique to soften Sangiovese
Toscana’s Super Tuscan movement….
a. raised the general standards of Toscana’s wines
b. forced the drastic modifications to regulations
c. was a huge commercial success
d. all of the above
d. all of the above
Which statement is false?
a. longer ageing increases Vin Santo’s concentration and complexity
b. Vin Santo is usually racked at least 5 times while ageing
c. Vin Santo may produce in varioud levels of sweetness
d. Vin Santo loses up to 50% of its volume after ageing
b. They are racked once
What does Vin Santo mean?
Holy Wine
How full are caratello’s filled with Vin Santo?
4/5ths of total volume
What is a typical ageing period for the Vin Santo DOCs?
Usually 2-3 years, but generally they are aged longer for more complex flavors
Between which two cities is Chianti Classico situated?
Firenze & Siena
White grapes are allowed in the Chianti Classico DOCG. True or false?
False
Must be made from a minimum 80% Sangiovese (usually 100%) with a maximum 20% from legally sanctioned red grape (Canaiolo, Colorino, Merlot or CabSav)
What is the sub-zone of Chianti DOCG that lies on the outskirts of Firenze?
Colli Fiorentini
Montepulciano is the dominant grape variety in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. True or false?
False it is Sangiovese not to be confused with the Marche grape
What is the ‘second’ wine of Carmignano?
Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC
Bolgheri Sassicaia is based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. True or false?
It is minimum 80% CabSav and Cabernet Franc
Most are 85/15%
Name Toscana’s most widely planted grape
Sangiovese
What is the southernmost sub-zone of Chianti DOCG?
Colli Senesi
What is the ‘second’ wine of Montalcino?
Rosso di Montalcino DOC
Is Aleatico a red or white grape variety?
Red
Is Toscana predominantly planted to red or white grapes?
80% red planting and 90% red production
Name the only DOCG appellation on Elba Island
Elba Aleatico Passito DOCG
What is the latest category introduced in the Chianti Classico DOCG?
1. Gran Selezione - (since 2013 for 2010 vintage and beyond) - 13% ABV (30 months; 3 in bottle - lab tested)
2. Chianti Classico Riserva - 12.5% ABV (24 months ageing; 3 in bottle)
3. Chianti Classico (annata) 12% ABV (Oct 1st year after harvest)