Toscana** Flashcards
What is Italy’s most planted grape?
Sangiovese (also most planted in Tuscany)
What are the most planted white grapes in Tuscany?
Trebbiano Toscano followed by Malvasia Lunga Bianca, Vermentino, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Ansonica [note that Trebbiano Toscano is not most planted white grape in all of Italy - Cattarrato Bianco is.]
What is the best blending partner of Trebbiano Toscano?
Malvasia (Lunga Bianca) contributes perfume
What are the dominant soils of central Tuscany and what are their compositions?
galestro and albanese, differing combinations of clay, limestone and sandstone
What is galestro soil?
crumbly, clayey, schist like rock with a tendency to flake, particularly in Chianti Classico, Rufina and Montalcino [Meta-Mont, GFR:Gale/Flak/Rufina]
What is albarese soil?
solid, heavier clay-limestone, fine grained calcareous marl found in central and southern Chianti and around Castellina, Carmignano [abc:AlBa/CenChi/ Cast/Carm]
Who was the pioneering winemaker in the Maremma?
Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta
What was the breakthrough wine started by Marchese Incise della Rocchetta?
Bordeaux blend, Sassicaia
When did Marchese Incisa della Rochetta plant his vineyard?
1940’s
When was Sassacaia first commercially bottled?
1968, released in 1972
What was the dominant grape of Sassicaia?
Cabernet Sauvignon 85% (minimum of 80% in DOC,) Cabernet Franc 15%
Who were the nephews of the Marchese Incise della Rocchetta?
Piero and Ludovico Antinori
What was Ludovico Antinori’s wine?
Ornellaia; 55%–65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20%–25% Merlot, plus Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
What was Piero Antinori’s wine?
Guado al Tasso (1990) [PAGT]
What are the need to know red grape varieties in Tuscany?
Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero
What are the principal viticultural hazards in Tuscany?
underripeness, downy mildew, esca
What is the latitude of the weather station in Firenze?
43.8 degrees N
Describe the locations of the cities Firenze, Siena, Pisa and Arezzo from N to S and W to E.
N to S: PFSA
W to E: PSFA
How many subzones of Chianti DOCG are there? What are the names of the Chianti subzones and how long are their wines aged?
Seven. Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Colli Aretini, Montalbano -aged for 6 months.
Montespertoli - aged for 9 months (min.)
Rùfina - aged for a year (min.)
Colli Fiorentini - aged for a year (min.)
[Chianti Classico is not a subzone.]
What is a fiasco?
The straw-wrapped wine bottle of Chianti is called a fiasco.
What are the general aging requirements for Chianti?
Aged for 6 months. Young simple tart Chianti.
What are the general aging requirements for Chianti DOCG Superiore?
Aged for a year. Slightly bolder wines with smoother acidity.
What are the general aging requirements for Chianti DOCG Riserva?
Aged for 2 years. Usually the top wines of a Chianti producer.
What are the general aging requirements for Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selectione?
Aged for at least 2.5 years (only used for top wines in Chianti Classico)
Where do the most serious examples of Chianti Classico come from?
The most serious examples of Chianti Classico come from a small group of villages from Siena in the south to the hills above Florence.
What are the soils that produce the boldest Chianti wines.
Clay-based soils, such as galestro marl and alberese sandstone
What is the modern method of oak treatment for Brunello di Montalcino wine?
Modern Method: producers use more new, smaller French barrels (‘barriques’) that impart more oak lactones into the wine and encourage the development of black fruit, chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla flavors
What is the traditional method of oak treatment for Brunello di Montalcino wine?
Traditional Method: producers use more large well-used Slavonian oak barrels (called ‘botte’ from northeastern Croatia) that impart very little oak lactones into the wine and are used simply as vessels to encourage tertiary flavor development through oxygen exposure. Wines develop more dried fruit, leather and flower flavors and have a long aging potential.
What is the aging requirement for Brunello di Montalcino?
Brunello di Montalcino is required to be aged for a minimum of 4+ years prior to release (Jan1); 5+ y for riserva bottlings.
When was the first mention of Vernaccia di San Gimignano?
Mentioned in 1276 in a tax document located in San Gimignano
What was the first ever DOC in Italy? What year?
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOC, 1966; elevated to DOCG in 1993 [Vernaccia di Oristano was first DOC in Sardegna, but never elevated to DOCG.]
What is the taste profile of Vernaccia di San Gimignano?
Crisp and citrusy, sometimes gently floral, with a refreshing bitter-almond aftertaste, comes from the Tuscan town with the towers, potential for high quality wine (Robinson). However a diversity of styles exist.
What is the symbol of the Chianti Classico region? What is its origin?
The producers in Chianti Classico adopted the black rooster symbol in 1924. The rooster was first branded in 1384 as the emblem for the League of Chianti.
What are “damigiane”?
the straw-covered carboys traditionally used to store and move wine in bulk.
What is the name of the clone used in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?
It is made with a clone of Sangiovese called Prugnolo Gentile.
What is the wine named “king of all wines” by the poet Francesco Redi in the 17th century
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Who and when granted legal protection for Carmignano?
The Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de’ Medici, considered the wine to be one of Tuscany’s finest and granted it legal protection in 1716.
What are main grapes used in Carmignano DOC?
Wine is a blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon, long before the Super Tuscan wines ever existed.
Where did Vin Santo originate?
While the style is believed to have originated in Tuscany, examples of Vin Santo can be found throughout Italy.
What is the importance of Toscana to Italy’s wine industry as a whole?
Although Toscana is only the 7th most productive wine region, it has 4th largest amount of land under vine and is in the top 3 for DOC/DOCG classifications.
What was the impact of the super Tuscan wine category?
it was a successful attempt to improve the quality of Tuscany red wine and shed the tarnished reputation of cheap Chianti
Define Toscana’s topographical structure and neighboring administrative districts.
Triangular in shape, one border is the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas, another border is the Central Apennines and the third border is open to the south. Toscana is bordered by Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Umbria and Lazio.
What are the factors that influence Toscana’s climate?
Mediterranean sea, mountains
What is the history of Chianti Classico?
the governmental Damasso Commission designated the historic region of Chianti as Classico in 1932; the area became it’s own DOCG in 1996
What is the history of Brunello di Montalcino?
wines from this area achieved fame in the Middle Ages due to exposure offered by Via Francigena; the first documented appearance of Brunello was an 1865 vintage winning a silver medal in 1869. [CINo>fraNCIga]
What is the history of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
wines from this area achieved fame in Roman times; ‘Nobile’ was first used in print in 1787, about the same time Thomas Jefferson declared it equal to the best of Burgundy
What are the top 4 red grape varieties plantings in Tuscany?
Sangiovese, Merlot [!], Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
What are the main vine training systems in Toscana?
Archetto (variation of Guyot,) Cordone Speronato, Guyot
What is the main step in Vin Santo production?
grapes go through apassimento
What are the different Vin Santo DOC’s in Tuscany?
Cortona, Carmignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Montepulciano [separate DOC!], San Gimignano, Montecucco (??? others)
What are the principal white grape varieties in Tuscany?
Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia (Bianca Lunga), Vernaccia di Gemignano
How does Tuscany rank in Italian wine regions in terms of land under vines? In terms of production?
Fourth (173K acres), after Sicilia, Puglia, and Veneto.
Seventh. [production < acreage suggesting quality]
Describe the wine quality pyramid in Tuscany?
65/30/5
How many DOCG’s and DOC’s are in Tuscany? How does this compare to other Italian regions?
11 DOCG’s, 41 DOC’s; second only to Piemonte
Describe the chronological sequence of civilizations in Tuscany.
2000 - 900 BCE prehistoric people, 900-250 BCE Etruscans, 250 BCE - 476 CE Romans Republic/Empire, Ostrogoths, Byzantines 533 CE, Lombards 568 CE, Franks 756 CE encastellation, city-states, Republic of Siena and Republic of Firenze signoria (lordship, e.g. Medici family) Kingdom of Sardegna
Name 3 Tuscan families that established wine estates in the Middle Ages?
Ricasoli - 1100’s, (1872 Chianti blending formula)
Frescabaldi - early 1300 (bought Ornellaia from Mondavi)
Antinori - late 1300’s.
What was the goal of the Tuscan Bando of 1716?
delimit wine growing areas, create commission for control of production, exports and fraud (40 years before the Portuguese charter that defined the production region for Port wine)
What bodies of water influence the Toscana climate?
The Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas influence the Toscana climate. (Lake Trasimento modulates climate in Cortona.)
Where in Tuscany is drought an issue?
Maremma. (and others ***)
What is the influence of Corsica on the Toscana climate?
blocks humid air from the west
What protects northern Toscana from cool air currents?
Northern Apennines
What are international white grape varieties in Tuscany?
Chardonnay mostly, less Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio
What is the role of international red grape varieties in Tuscany?
almost 20%, recent increasing importance of the last 30 years, minor blending component all over Toscana, ITG varietal wines (Carmignano is the outlier with long history of international grapes.)
What was the effect on Tuscan viticulture of the abolishment of mezzadria?
short-term negative effect due to lack of capital to employ laborers and modernize farms, a resultant drop in land prices allowed subsequent reinvestment
What political entity turned Tuscany into a duchy?
Lombards
What political entity turned Tuscany into a marquisate?
Frankish Kingdom
What is the Via Francigena?
Dating from the Middle Ages, the road connecting France to Rome. (Many consider the start point in Canterbury, England. It was more a concept than a single road. In contrast to Roman roads, it connected abbeys rather than cities.)
What is the longest river in Tuscany?
Arno
What are the 4 Tuscan coastal areas?
Northern Tuscan Coast, Northern Maremma, Southern Maremma, Elba
What is the most important wine appellation of the Northern Tuscan Coast?
Montecarlo DOC
What is the dominant white grape of Montecarlo DOC?
Trebbiano, but must also contain at least 40% of 3 other complementary white grapes, thus creating a wide range of styles
What is the dominant red grape of Montecarlo DOC?
Sangiovese, 50-75%
Compare the wine making traditions of Montecarlo and Bolgheri.
Wine from Montecarlo dates from the 9th century and that from Bolgheri from 1940’s.
What is the origin of the word Sassicaia?
Sassi - “stones” of a stony gravelly soil
Who was Giacomo Tachis?
Antinori enologist brought in to refine Sassicaia
Who was Luigi Veronnelli?
first wine critic to praise Sassicaia
How many Italian appellations have been given to a single estate?
only one, Bogheri-Sassicaia DOC
Where is Costa degli Etruschi?
Northern Maremma
What is main city within the Northern Tuscan Coast?
Lucca
Describe the soils of Bolgheri.
Diverse: sedimentary, alluvial, marine, volcanic
What types of wine are made Suvereto DOCG?
red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, varietal Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Where is Suvereto DOCG located?
Val di Cornia, across from Elba Island
What is the blend of Val di Cornia Rosso DOCG?
Minimum of 40% Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Riserva requires extra aging.
The province of Grosseto corresponds to what wine area?
Southern Tuscan Maremma or Maremma Grossetano or simply Maremma
What is the familial relationship between Marchese Mario Incise della Rocchetta and Niccolo Antinori?
They both married Gherardesca sisters who had inherited large estates in Maremma.
What are the need to know appellations in the Southern Tuscan Maremma?
Montecucco DOC, Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG, Morellino di Scansano DOCG, Maremma Toscana DOC
What are the need to know appellations on Elba?
Elba Aleatico Passito DOCG (Elba DOC is the second appellation of the island)
What are the need to know appellations in central Tuscany?
Chianti DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, Carmignano DOCG, Barco Reale di Carmignano DOC, Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC, San Gimignano DOCG
Who was behind the creation of the Carmignano DOC?
Ugo Contini Bonacossi of Tenuta Capezzana [UCBTC]
Who was responsible for international grapes being planted in Carmignano?
Catherine de Medici, Queen of France 1547-1559: Cabernet Franc
What are the two main towns associated with Carmignano?
Carmignano and Poggio a Caiano
What is Vin Ruspo?
meaning drawn off, a rosato made by salasso (bled off) in Barco Reale de Carmignano DOC
What are the blending formulas and the aging requirements of Carmignano DOCG?
minimum 50% Sangiovese, 10-20% Cabernet, optional Canaiolo, white grapes allowed (usually 80% Sang/15% Cab Sauv); aged 2 years of which 8 months in oak (or rarely chestnut,) riserva 3y/12m
Who is Ugo Contini Bonacossi?
Lead force behind establishment of Carmignano DOC
Carmignano was formerly part of which wine zone?
Incorporated initially into Chianti DOC sub-zone of Montalbano.
What wine regions in Italy have a traditional use of Cabernet grapes?
uniquely, Carmignano DOCG
Which wine region is associated with Catherine di Medici?
Carmignano; she planted Cabernet Franc there in 1500’s.
Compare the elevation of Carmignano and Chianti Montalbano.
Carmignano is lower, but still has large diurnal swings of temperature
Describe the soils of Carmignano?
albarese
What are the grapes in Vin Santo di Carmignano DOC?
Trebbiano and Malvasia
When were the boundaries of the Historic Chianti zone first delimited?
1384 with establishment of Lega di Chianti (this was a political/military designation, not a defined zone of wine production)
What is the grape associated with historical Chianti?
Canaiolo
Who is Baron Bettino Ricasoli?
experimented with Chianti grapes used for blending (later Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy)
What is Governo all’uso Toscano?
Tuscan technique from 14th century, involves saving a batch of harvested grape to partially dry. If fermentation of the main batch starts to slow, the half dried grapes are added to the must which allows extra sugar to increase body and alcohol