Tuscany COPY COPY Flashcards
Tuscany is located on which coast of Italy?
The Tyrrhenian Coast.
Who bottled the first Super Tuscan, and when?
Marquis Mario Rocchetta (Tenuta San Guido) released the first commercial vintage of Sassicaia in 1968.
What % of Tuscan vineyards are devoted to red wine?
70.00%
When was Chianti first delimited? When was it elevated to DOCG?
1932
1984
What are the eight subzones of Chianti DOCG?
Classico, Colli Fiorentini, Rùfina, Montalbano, Montesperoli, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini
Which subzone was added to the original seven in 1997?
Montesperoli Chianti
Where and what is Pomino DOC?
Within Rùfina Chianti; Pomino DOC authorizes both reds and whites. Reds are >50% Sangiovese plus Pinot Nero and Merlot, and varietal bottlings are permitted (at 85%).
What is the varietal makeup of Chianti DOCG?
70-100% Sangiovese
Max. 30% other grapes authorized for Toscana
Max 10% white grapes
Max 15% cabernet sauvignon/franc
What is the minimum Sangiovese for wines from Colli Senesi?
75.00%
What does Governo all’uso Toscano indicate?
The traditional practice of governo, which is refermenting with the juice of dried grapes to strengthen the wine and initiate malolactic fermentation (similar to ripasso).
When may Chianti normale be released?
March 1st following the harvest.
How long does Chianti Riserva age for?
2 years
What does Chianti Superiore indicate?
Plus .5% minimum abv (minimum abv varies by subzone from 11.5-12%); may not be released until September 1st following the harvest.
Which Chianti subzones require longer aging?
Montesperoli (June 1st)
Colli Fiorentini, Rùfina (September 1st)
What are the two main soil types of Chianti Classico?
Albarese (sandstone)
Galestro (friable marl)
What are the requirements for Chianti Classico DOCG?
> 80% Sangiovese (no white grapes permitted), >12% abv, and one year of aging
What are the requirements for Chianti Classico Riserva?
2 years of aging; 12.5% minimum abv
What does Gran Selezione indicate? When was it introduced?
Produced from estate fruit. 30 mos of aging from January 1 following the harvest, with at least 3 mos in bottle. Introduced in 2013.
Which Chianti subzone overlaps with Montalcino?
Colli Senesi
Who is credited with creating the Brunello style? When?
Clemente Santi of Biondi-Santi in 1865.
What is the varietal makeup of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG?
100% Sangiovese Grosso (brunello)
Aging requirements for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG? For Riserva?
Normale: At least two years in cask, 4mos in bottle, released after January 1st five years after harvest.
Riserva: At least two years in cask, 6mos in bottle, released after January 1st six years after harvest.
What is the soil makeup of Montalcino?
Galestro in the higher altitude vineyards.
Clay to the south.
Scattered marine fossil deposits.
Created by the collision of the African and European plates, which created the hills, and repeated incursions and retreats of the ocean, which laid fossil deposits and also cause erosion and landslides.
What are the fraziones (sub-communes) of Montalcino?
Montalcino: central, high elevation (300-400M), cooler
Sant Angelo in Colle: south-central, high elevation (444M), calcareous soils
Castelnuovo Abate: Southeast, protect from the hot mediterranean wind by a mountainous ridge, calcareous marl with shale
Torrenieri: north east, high elevation, heavy clay
What is Sant’Angelo?
The larger area made up of Sant’Angelo in Colle (tiny, high elevation) and Sant’Angelo Scalo (southern, hot, dry, flat, sprawling).
35-40% of production comes from Sant’Angelo, Scalo in particular is home to Banfi, Il Poggione, Argiano, Col d’Orcia.
Why is brunello production in Torrenieri controversial?
The heavy clay soils are considered unsuitable for quality production; it was originally included only because it falls with the Montalcino municipality. Called the Crete Senesi, until the 1990’s nothing was planted there; similar soils in the chianti classico zone have been excluded from the DOCG boundaries.