Tuscany Flashcards
Climate
Warm Mediterranean on the coast with adequate rainfall for grape growing. Most rain falls in the autumn and winter.
Inland is more continental with cold winters and hot summers. The growing season normally has some rain.
Climate hazards are spring frost, hail, rain during harvest. Summer drought and prolonged high temps leading to cessation of photosynthesis (incomplete ripening of skins and seeds) can occur in some years.
Grapes
Sangiovese: 63% Trebbiano Toscano: 5% Merlot: 5% Cab Sauv: 3% Canaiolo Nero: 2%
Sangiovese: 10% of all vines in Italy (most planted). Med ruby, red cherry, red plum, and herbal, med to full body, high acid and tannin. Acceptable to outstanding and inexpensive to prem with a few super prem.
Number of diff names: Morellino di Scansano; Prugnolo Gentile in Montepulciano
Buds early (spring frost); and ripens late (autumn rain). Best on sunny south / south east facing slopes where it can ripen. Grapes for higher quality are usually 200 - 550m for a longer season and more time to ripen (though risks rain). As climate warms, cooler sites are being sought. Esca (avoid large cuts in old wood) has become an issue and wild boars (fencing)
Does best on friable shale and limestone (excellent drainage). Also good on clay. Vigorous so needs canopy management to avoid shading. Thin skins so susceptible to botrytis bunch rot. Can produce high yields so either volume wines or pruned, cluster thinned for quality.
Cordon and spur or cane with VSP. Many clones avail and many going for quality over quantity clones or mass selection. Chianti Classico 2000 project produced 7 widely used clones. Smaller berries, thicker skins and more open berries for deeper color, flavor intensity and disease resistance.
Trebbiano Toscano
Ugni Blanc in FR and used for Brandy
Late budding (no spring frost)
Vigorous and high yielding so popular in the past.
Prone to powdery mildew and eutypa dieback, but otherwise good disease resistance.
Ripens well in sunshine and heat yet retains acidity
Flavors are neutral, med minus lemon herbal.
Declining in popularity due to low flavor and fruit intensity and increased demand for red.
Its high acidity makes it important for the production of Vin Santo where it is blended.
Varieties blended with Sangiovese
Most DOC(G)s allow Sangiovese to be blended with a small proportion of other black varieties: Canaiolo Nero, Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah.
Canaiolo Nero: was most popular in Chianti before 19th century now just a blending partner. Red fruit, some floral, light tannin.
Merlot & Cab Sauv are sometimes too dominant even in small amounts.
Winemaking
Historically Sangiovese part of a blend (may incl whites), kept on skins for a long time (30 days or more) and aged in large neutral oak for a long time (3 - 4 years) to soften tannins.
Now maceration 7 - 10 days (for early drinking med tannin) to 15 - 20 (high tannins with ageing ability). Investments in the 1990’s helped spur the change with intro of temp control stainless fermentation to preserve primary. Concrete is making a comeback for some.
Late 1990’s widespread use of new French oak. Now move towards older barriques, 500L tonneaux and traditional large neutral oak cask. Aim is for subtle sour cherry to be the focus. Not the oak.
Chianti DOCG
Large area covering much of Tuscany and surrounding a Classico area. Area of hills but many are at less than 300m. Can be bottled as Chianti or one of seven sub zones with stricter regulations.
Chianti is 70% - 100% Sangiovese. Others are local or international. Cab Sauv and Franc cannot exceed 15%. 10% white grapes are allowed (Trebbiano Toscano) but this is rare. Min abv is 11.5% and sub zones 12%.
Max yield 63hl/ha. Can be released March after harvest. Most basic are stored in stainless or large old oak.
Most are typ light to med intensity and inexpensive. Better such as Classico are med body and abv
Riserva aged two years
Chianti Sub zones
Seven named sub zones
Max 56hl/ha
Riserva in Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Rufina at least 6 mo in oak.
Chianti Rufina DOCG: Small and coolest (altitude of 350m and cooling winds from a pass in the Apennines in north). High acidity and restrained fruit when young, but capacity to age and develop complexity in bottle. Number of aristocratic estates (Frescobaldi) but not same level of investment as others. Mid price and good to outstanding.
Chiatni Colli Senesi DOCG: Largest of subzones, warmer producing fuller body and richer. Min 75% Sangiovese and Max 10% of the Cabs. Inexpensive to mid and acceptable to very good.
Chianti Classico DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG: Hilly area b/n Florence and Sienna. Best are 200 - 500m. Cool nights lengthen growing season promoting full ripeness and high acidity. Soils are schistous, crumbly rock with clay, and marl (galestro); calcareous soils with clay (alberese); and sandstone and sandy soils. Good drainage with sufficient water holding. Galestro gives aromatics with ageing potential. Clay soils give more structure and body. Hillside work must be done by hand.
Min 80% Sangiovese (most 90%) with wide variety of others (Canaiolo, Merlot). No whites permitted
Max 52.5hl/ha. Released Oct after harvest. Riserva aged for two year from Jan 1 after harvest. Label can mention name of a single vineyard cannot be named Chianti DOCG.
Range of styles. Was “international” (deep color, plummy fruit, new oak). Now more traditional (paler color, red sour cherry, restrained new oak). Med intensity. mid to prem, very good to outstanding.
Fontodi, Castello di Ama
In 2013 introduced Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. Grapes from a single vineyard or estate owned by producer and aged min 30 months.
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
First bottled and sold in 1865 by the Biondi Santi family who were the only commercial producers until the second world war. Massive expansion since the 70s led by Banfi. 11 producers and 65ha in 1960s is now 250 producers and 2,100ha today
Warmer and drier than Chianti Classico (protected from rain by Monte Amiata in the south). But still typically enough rain. Wines are ripe, full bodied, high alcohol. Cooling breezes at night from the Mediterranean (40km away) to preserve acidity.
Altitudes range from 120 to 500m in the longest established areas by the town. Majority of area is hilly. Soils are varied with galestro and high altitude in the north for aromatic wines. Clay in the lower warmer south for fuller body. Many blend grapes from several areas. Debates about sub zones.
100% Sangiovese. Max 54hl/ha. Cannot be released till Jan 1; five years after the harvest and must have 2 years in oak; for Riserva six years and 3 in oak. Experimentation with french oak has now become more restrained. Label can mention single vineyard.
Prem and super. Outstanding with sour cherry, high acid and tannin (ageing ability) and complex tertiary notes upon release due to already long aging.
Casanova di Neri and Soldera
Rosso di Montalcino
100% Sangioves
Grapes from same area as Brunello di Montalcino. but often younger vines or less promising sites.
Aged briefly in stainless or oak to preserve primary and can be sold after a year. Mid price and good quality.
Some use this to declassify Brunello’s from difficult vintages (2014)
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
Southeastern Tuscany between Montalcino and and the border with Umbria.
Vineyards on east and south east slopes t 250m - 600m. Higher produce more aromatic due to longer ripening season.
Soils include heavy, cool clay (fuller body) and sand (more aromatic).
Styles vary. Traditionally full bodied and austere requiring aging. Some co’s now producing wines that can be drunk younger with shorter maceration and French barriques.
70% - 100% Sangiovese. Max 56hl/ha. Aged min 2 years from Jan 1 after harvest. and 12 - 24 mo in wood. Riserva three years but no additional wood required. Names of vineyards can be on label.
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC for less expensive wines for early drinking.
Mind to prem, very good to outstanding. Avignonese and Contucci
Morellino de Scansano DOCG
Close to the southern coast of Tuscany. Warm area moderated by altitude (avg 250m) and cooling sea winds at night.
Ripe fruit, some black along with sour cherry, med to med plus acid, and ripe med plus tannins.
Min 85% Sangiovese and max 63hl/ha.
Good to very good and inexpensive to mid. Few outstanding super prem.
Le Pupille and Morisfarms
Maremma Toscana DOC
Based on the former IGT of the same name.
Covers 8,500ha. Volume has risen rapidly since made into a DOC in 2011.
Allows a wide range of local and international varieties. 50% Sangiovese followed by Cab Sauv and Vermentino
Max 77hl/ha for single variety reds.
Inexpensive to mid
Handful sell quality Bordeaux blends within the DOC at prem and super prem: La Pupille and Rocca di Frasinello
Bolgheri DOC
1,200ha on the Tuscan coast specializing in Bordeaux blends (80% of area). Single variety whites and roses also made.
Warm climate with cool nights due to proximity to the sea; leads to fully ripe grapes. Winds from the sea help reduce fungal disease.
Soils are varied. Rain is sufficient and well distributed through the year. Irrigation is allowed (as in other Tuscan DOC’s) and is widely installed. Relatively little rain during harvest. Cordon spur pruned VSP at 6,000 vines / ha to enable competition and reduce yields to raise concentration.
Initially were vino da tavola as no DOC until 1983. This area was not known for wine and Bordeaux varieties were not typ.
Up to 100% Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Merlot; up to 50% Syrah and Sangiovese, up to 30% others (Petit Verdot). Cab Sauv usually dominates.
Bolgheri Rosso Superiore has same varieties but only 56hl/ha vs 63 for Bolgheri Rosso. Rosso aged for 1 year, Superiore for two years following Jan 1 of harvest. Typically French barriques with a sig portion of new oak.
Superiore is deep ruby, med plus to pronounced blackberry, red plum, green bell pepper in cooler years, vanilla and sweet spice; med plus acid, high tannin. Good to outstanding and prem to super
Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC
Separate DOC for the single estate Tenuta San Guido that makes Sassicaia
Min 80% Cab Sauv and min ageing 2 years; 18 mo in 225L oak barrels.
Sassicaia and Ornellaia (owned by Frescobaldi) are world class Bordeaux style wines. Second class also made.
