Articles by: Charles Scicolone

  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Perfect Combination: The Wines of Donnachiara and the Food at IL Gattopardo NYC

    Some things are perfect --such as a luncheon featuring a wine producer from Campania and a restaurant that specializes in the food of Campania and Southern Italy. This was one of the best events of this type that I have been to in a very long time.

    Ilaria Petitto is the daughter of Chiara for whom the Donnachiara Winery is named.  Ilaria said that the land has been in her family for generations but the winery began production in 2005.  It is located in Montefalcione, in the heart of the area where the three main Irpinian DOCG wines, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi are produced. She told us that they want to make wines that are true to the tradition of the area and therefore only produce wines made from traditional grapes.

    Spumante Santé Brut IGT 100% Falanghina. The soil is chalky clay.  There are 2,500 plants per hectare and the harvest takes place the first week of October. Fermentation takes place for 40 days. Illaria Petitto referred to the method used as the Martinotti method for sparkling wine. (The Charmat method, as it is more popularly known, was invented by Frederico Martinotti in Asti in the 1920’s.)  Refermentation takes place at low temperatures in autoclaves for about 6 months. Then the wine matures on the dregs for another 2 months. The wine had very good bubbles; it was fresh, delicate with floral and citrus aromas and flavors. It was the perfect wine for the appetizers of arancini di riso con piselli and mozzarella e sugo di vitello. It would be great as an aperitif and with fried foods. $ 20

    Falanghina Beneventana IGT 100% Falanghina. The soil is chalky clay, there are 2,500 vines per hectare, the training system is Guyot and the harvest takes place the first week of October. Fermentation in stainless steel at controlled temperature for 40 days. The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation and does not see any wood.

    The wine was fresh with hints of citrus and floral aromas and flavors, good acidity and is a very pleasant wine to drink. $18. It was very interesting to taste both the sparkling and still Falanghina side by side. The sparkling tasted like Falanghina with bubbles, as it should!

    Fiano di Avellino DOCG 100% Fiano. The soil is chalky clay; there are 4,400 plants per hectare, the training system is Guyot and the harvest takes place the second week of October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for 90 days. The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation and does not see any wood. This is an elegant wine with good body, dries fruit aromas and flavors and a hint of tropical fruit.  Parmigiana di zucchine con provola e salsa al pomodoro (zucchini parmigiana with provola cheese and tomato sauce) had a wonderful aroma and was so light it almost melted in your mouth. Both wines went very well with the dish but I gave the nod to the Falanghina. $19

    Aglianico IGT 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay, training system is Guyot and there are 4,000 vines per hectare and the harvest takes place in the second week of November. This wine does not see any wood. The wine is aged in bottle for 6 months. This is a very aromatic wine with wild berry aromas and flavors and hints of blueberries and cherries. $18

     

    Irpinia Aglianico DOC 100% Aglianico. The soil is clay, there are 4,000 plants per hectare and the harvest takes place the first week of November. The wine is aged for 4 to 6 months in 225 liter French barriques and 6 to 8 months in bottle before release. Ilaria said that the winemaker Angelo Valentino did not want the wood to be more important than the wine so he uses mostly second and third passage barriques. This is a more complex wine with hints of berries and prunes and a touch of spice. I could not tell the wine was aged in oak but as IIaria said the winemaker is very careful when it comes to oak. Paccheri alla “Genovese” Napoletana (pasta tubes with an onion sauce) accompanied it. Even though it has the name “Genovese”, it is a typical Neapolitan dish. Few restaurants serve it in NYC and none do it this good. $20

    Taurasi DOCG 100% Aglianico, The soil is clay, there are 4,000 vines per hectare and the harvest takes place the first week of November. The wine is aged in 225 liter French barriques for 12 months and for 24 months in bottle before release. This is a big complex wine with berry aromas and flavors, hints of cherry and plum and a touch of cacao and coffee. This was the only wine where I could feel the oak. It was subtle and did not mask the character of the wine. Carre d’ agnello arrosto con patate e spinaci saltata (rack of roasted lamb with potatoes and sautéed spinach). 

    The lamb knocked me over--I turned to Gianfranco Sorrentino, the owner of Gattopardo, who was sitting opposite me, and said to him, I will give you the greatest compliment I can about your food and this lamb--it is as good or better than in Italy. $36

    Greco di Tufo DOCG 100% Greco. The soil is tuffaceous, the training system is Guyot

    and there are 3,300 plants per hectare. Fermentation for about 90 days in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine had flavors and aromas of citrus, pear and a hint of pineapple. It was served with dessert, La Pastiera (a cheesecake made with orange and wheat berries.) This is the traditional Neapolitan dessert served at Easter and I have been told recently during Christmas. Michele makes it every Easter. $20
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Amarone Families and the 2001 Vintage for Amarone

     Twelve wineries from the Valpolicella area of the Veneto Region of Italy have joined together to promote in international markets the tradition and quality of what they feel is one of the finest red wines of Italy: Amarone.  They call themselves the Amarone Families and recently came to New York to promote Amarone with a seminar and walk around tasting.

    Stefano Cesari of the Brigaladara winery is the official spokesperson for the Families. He began the seminar by citing the criteria for membership:

    Must be a family owned winery, hence the name: Amarone Families
    Must be producing Amarone for 15 years
    Must be a producer and not just a bottler
    Must export to several major markets

    They also have their own rules and as Stefano pointed out these are stricter than those allowed by law:

    Their Amarone must be 16% alcohol (the law 15%) and aged 30 months (law 20 months)
    They will not produce Amarone in off vintages, e.g. 2002

    Mr. Cesari said that weather conditions during the growing season and the drying of the grapes, known as appassimento, are equally important.  In fact a cold winter is very good for the appassimento.

     He said that the 2001 vintage was like the 2011 vintage.  Flowering took place around June 5th which is very early because it was a hot spring.  He also found it very strange and could not explain why Easter was early in the season and so was the flowering.  June, July and August were very dry and there was rain the first week of September. They began harvesting on September 10 which is early.

    He said the 2001 was a very good vintage. Since 20011 had the same weather conditions he hoped it too would be a very good vintage but they would not know for sure until after the appassimento.

    The grapes used in making Amarone: The Primary grape is Corvina 40% to 80%. Corvinare may be substituted for Corvina for up to 50% of the amount. Rondinella between 5% to 30% and other authorized and recommended varieties up to 15% of the total, of these no more than 10% of any single variety. A few producers use Oseleta which is a new addition to Amarone. In the past Amarone for the most part was made from Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Other varieties that are sometimes used are Rosrignole, Negara and Dindarella.

    There were 12 wines at the tasting, one from each of the Families. There was also at least one member from each family to speak about Amarone in general and their own wine.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC “Casa Vecie” 2001- Brigaldara (Stefano Cesari). The wine is made from 40% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 20% or other approved grapes. It is aged in barriques for 24 months and 24 months in barrels made of oak and six months in bottle before release. This was the only wine that did not have any Corvina in it. Even at 16% alcohol it was a very elegant wine with aromas and flavors of dry fruit, hints of cherry and spice, good acidity and a nice finish and aftertaste.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC “Vigneto Monte Sant’ Urbano 2001-Speri (Luca Speri). It is made from 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Corvinone. Manual selection of the grapes takes place the first two weeks in September. The grapes wither and dry in “fruit drying rooms” for 120 days. It is done in ideal conditions of humidity and ventilation. The grapes lose 41% of their initial weight and there is a considerable increase in the amount of sugar. The pressing of the dried grapes took place on January 8th 2002 with a roller crusher-destemmer. Maceration took place in stainless steel tanks for 35 days with periodic pumping over and délestage. On February 5 there is the separation of the skins from the juice and complete alcoholic and malolatic fermentation take place in 50HL oak barrels. The wine was then aged in 500 liter oak cask for 36 months and in bottle before release.  There were deep dry cherry aromas and flavors with a hint of oak, good acidity and a nice mineral quality to the wine. The finish and aftertaste had the sensation of dry cherry skins.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2001- Tommasi (Pierangelo Tommasi). The wine contains 50% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. The grapes are dried for four months prior to a gently pressing and then vinified. It was aged 35 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels. Tommasi has always been one of my favorite Amarones. This is classic Amarone at its best with a great finish and aftertaste.

    Pierangelo Tommasi explained the appassimento in more detail and why the Amarone Families dry their grapes at least one month longer.  He said that the drying of the grapes during the winter was as important as the flowering and the maturing of the grape during the spring and summer. The “Families” decided to dry their grapes one month longer than required by law until January 1. The colder the weather the better it is for drying the grapes. The grapes used for Amarone are thick skinned and can take a long drying period. This longer winter drying makes the resulting wine more concentrated. Only after the drying period takes place do they know if the juice is good enough to be made into Amarone. They only make Amarone in the best vintages.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico “Ambrosan” DOC 2004  Nicolis (Mariella Nicolis and Martina Fornaser) 70% Corvina 20% Rondinella and 10% Croatina. After the grapes are harvested, they are placed in small boxes and transferred into a large room where the grapes will be dried. The grapes wither and naturally lose weight and gain a high concentration of sugar. After 3 months of drying, the withered grapes are softly pressed. Due to the low temperature, the process of fermentation is long and slow and maceration can take a month or more. The wine is aged for 30 months partially in medium-sized Slavonian oak casks and partially in small oak barriques. The wine remains in bottle for 8 months before release.  Their 2001 did not arrive in time for the tasting. This was a little different and it might have been because the wine was 2 years younger than most of the other wines. There were touches of vanilla and toasted oak but this did not mask the character of the wine.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC “Monte Ca Bianca” 2001  Begali (Bruno Bullio) 40% Corvina 35% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 5% Oseleta. The grapes are left to dry during the months of September and October. After a careful selection the grapes go to the “fruithouse” to dry where they stay until January. The wine is aged for 40 months in French oak barrels and 8 months in bottle before release. This was a very approachable wine. It has good fruit, and soft tannins, a wine to drink now.

    Bruno Bullio spoke about the differences between Corvina and Corvinone and that they are two different varieties.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2001 Venturini (Ilenia Pasetto) 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. Traditional drying and fermentation in bunches.  Maceration is for 40 days with daily remontage. The wine is aged for 24 months in oak barrels and for 6 months in bottle before release. This was very aromatic elegant wine with a lot of tannin and good subtle fruit.

     One of the speakers made the point that there is volcanic soil in the area and the roots of the vines go very deep so that even in dry conditions the plants can obtain water.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2001 Allegrini (Silvia Allegrini) 75% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. 18 months in new French barriques and 7 months in Slovenian oak barrels and 14 months in bottle before release. Silvia Allegrini said that they do not produce a single vineyard Amarone. This wine was a little too modern for me and I wish they would go back to making wines like they did in the past.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Riserva Classico “Sergio Zenato” DOC 2001 (Nadia Zenato) Zenato 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella, 10% Oseleta and Croatina. The grapes are picked by hand and become raisin like after 3-4 months of drying in small trays with one layer of grapes well spaced out to allow good air circulation. Maceration lasts between 15 to 20 days. This is a good restaurant wine, ready to drink and a little on the modern side.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico “Mazzano” DOC 2001 Masi (Raffaele Boscaini) 75% Corvina , 20% Rondinella and 5% Molinari. Masi has the best description of the traditional appassimento, the drying of the grapes. Beginning at the end of September or the beginning of October the best grape bunches are laid on bamboo racks in the lofts in farmhouses in the vineyard, where large windows permit natural ventilation. By the middle of February the grapes weight 35-40% less. They are partially affected by botrytis (noble rot) due to the cooler climate of the high hills after a delicate pressing. The dry grapes, still on their stalks, ferment for 45 days in large Slavonian oak barrels at low natural temperatures (the season is very cold). Then the wine continues to ferment until the sugar has been totally transformed into alcohol and malolatic fermentation takes place. Masi ages their wine for 3 years in Allier and Slavonian oak barrels of 600 liters of first, second and third passage. The wine is then aged for a minimum of 6 months in the bottle before release. I have been a fan of Masi wines for a long time. This is a big, elegant wine but dry plum aromas and flavors, good acidity and a dry finish and aftertaste.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico “Capitel Monte Olmi” DOC 2001 Tedeschi (Maria Sabrina Tedeschi) 30% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 30 % Rondinella and 10% Oseleta, Negrara, Dindarella,Croatina and Forselina. They have the best description of the modern appassimento. Manual selection of the best bunches takes place in the middle of September. The drying of the grapes takes place in a fruit drying facility where they are able to control the temperature (cold temperature process), ventilation and humidity. The grapes after about 120 days lose about 40% of the original weight and so increase the sugar content and change their extract and flavor. The pressing takes place in January with a roller crusher.  Tedeschi does not destem the grapes. The fermentation and maceration last about 45 days at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks with periodic pumping over. They age the wine in Slavonian oak barrels 20/30 Hl for about 2 years. The wine is filtered and bottled. The wine is aged for 8 months in bottle before release. I always liked the Tedeschi wines even before I interviewed Maria Sebrina over a year ago. This wine is elegant and complex at the same time, with very good fruit, hints of raisins and a great finish and after taste. Maria Sabrina said the wine was selling very well in Asia.

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico “Campo Dei Gigli” DOC 2001 Tenuta Sant’Antonio (Aldo Steccanella ) 70% Corvina and Corvinone , 20% Rondinella , 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta. The grapes are picked and double sorted by hand and laid out in wooden trays. If I understood correctly the wine is vinified in open 500 liter tonneaux-French oak barrels-in an air conditioned environment. Natural alcoholic fermentation takes place between 60 to 70 days with pumping over by hand in wooden barrels. Natural malolatic fermentation is in 500 liter tonneaux barrels. Batonnage is done once a month for the first year. Natural stabilization of the wine takes place. The wine is aged for 3 years in tonneaux and for 12 months in bottle before release. This was a little oaky but not over the top and there was a certain freshness to the fruit in the wine.

     

    Amarone Della Valpolicella Riserva  DOC 2005 Musella (Maddalena Pasqua di Bisceglie) 70% Corvina and Corvinone, 15% Riondella and 15% Oseleta. Their 2001 did not make it to the tasting so they had to show the 2005 which was a good but not outstanding vintage. The appassimento takes place on a plateau, in a well naturally ventilated loft. In January the grapes are gently crushed and after fermentation, maceration takes place in steel tanks of 100HL. Regular remontages two times a day and the wine is then transferred to French oak barrels of 2,000 liters. Assemblages are in steel tanks of 100 to 200HL. The wine is aged for 24 months in barrels and for 12 months in bottle before release. This was a 2005 and a little more difficult to judge against the 2001 vintage. Maddalena said that 2005 was a good year.

    Amarone Families Event – NYC, October  2011

    Wineries                                Representatives

    Allegrini                                 Silvia Allegrini

    Begali                                     Bruno Bullio

    Brigaldara                              Stefano Cesari

    Masi                                        Raffaele Boscaini

    Musella                                  Maddalena Pasqua di Bisceglie

    Nicolis                                    Mariella Nicolis and Martina Fornaser

    Speri                                       Luca Speri

    Tedeschi                                Maria Sabrina Tedeschi

    Tenuta Sant'Antonio              Aldo Steccanella

    Tommasi                               Pierangelo Tommasi

    Venturini                                Ilenia Pasetto

    Zenato                                   Nadia Zenato

  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    Bosco Falconeria Azienda Biologica Simeti-Taylor

    Recently, I heard from Mary Taylor Simeti, who wrote to ask me if I was going to a tasting of Sicilian wines being held in NYC.  Mary writes about Sicilian food, culture and history.  Her books include On Persephone’s Island:  A Sicilian Journal and Pomp and Sustenance: Twenty Five Centuries of Sicilian Food.

    Mary wanted to make sure that I was going to the tasting because she and her husband have a small winery, Bosco Falconeria Azienda Biological Simeti Taylor. The winery is located in the hills overlooking the Gulf of Castellamare about 40 miles west of Palermo and has been in the Simeti family since 1933. In 1989 with Bosco Falconerian as its trademark, the farm obtained official organic certification, one of the first in Sicily to do so.

     The winery produces three wines and the total production is less than 10,000 bottles. Mary hoped that I would like the wines. Not only did I like all three of them, but they were some of the best and most interesting wines at the tasting.

    The Wines of Bosco Falconeria

     Falco Perregrino 2010 IGT Sicily, this wine is 100% Cataratto, organically produced, (certified by Codex). The production area is the Contrada  Bosco Falconeria and the altitude is 800 ft. The soil is calcareous and of medium texture. In the vineyard the system of training the vines is vertical trellises and alberello (bush) and there is no irrigation. There are 2,700 vines per hectare, which have an average age of 12 years. The vineyards are treated 2 to 4 times a year with copper-sulphate products and the fertilization is green manure with leguminous and spontaneous vegetation. The harvest is manual and takes place the first half of September.

    Mechanical destemming and crushing is done with a destemmer with rollers.  Via email, Mary explained how it works “… it is an aged do it yourself homebrew destemmer with rollers, but it works on the same principle as the fancy industrial one. The grapes go into the funnel on top (my vocabulary is not technical!) at the bottom of which are two ridged rollers that tear the grapes off the stems and give them a light crushing. The grapes and stems drop into a perforated cylinder - in this case horizontal but can be vertical - and the grapes fall through the holes while the rotating paddles, which work like a screw, push the stems out the side. Sort pressing takes place with a pneumatic press. Fermentation takes place in temperature–controlled stainless steel tanks for 25 days.

    The wine is stabilized by refrigeration, filtration is with a plate filter and the clarification is done with bentonite. They use select yeasts certified saccharomyces cervisiae (olivar ogar). There is no sulphur dioxide added. I asked Mary about how long this wine would last without the addition of sulphur dioxide and her answer was “Our first Falco was 2009 and it lasted beautifully, actually it was better a year after bottling and we are treasuring the last 20 odd bottles which we are still drinking with pleasure. The 2010 was bottled in February and we have had no problems with that either.” Production is 1,000 bottles all with corks. She also said that they just started the Falco 2011 macerating on the skins with only spontaneous yeasts.

    Catarratto 2009 IGH Sicily 100% Cataratto organically produced, extra-lucido (certified by Codex).  It is the same as the wine above except the average age of the vines is 8 years and there are 30mg/hl of sulphur dioxide added at pressing and 5mh/hl at bottling.

    There are 5,500 bottles produced.

    Nero d’Avola 100% Nero d’Avola organically produced (certified by Codex)

    Same as above except the average age of the vines is 10 years. Fermentation takes place on the skins for 10 to 12 days. The wine is refined in stainless steel for about 5 months. 50mg/hl of sulphur dioxide is added at pressing. 2,000 bottles are produced.

    Unfortunately the wines are not imported into the US at this time, but they are looking for an importer and I hope they will be soon.
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Wines of Davide Sada and Dinner by a Tuscan Chef

    Davide Sada is a wine lover and always dreamed of owning his own winery.

    Davide however was involved in the family business; his great-great grandfather had patented the technique of vacuum-canning foods and was the creator of what was to become Simmenthal, Italy’s best-known brand of tinned beef.

    Sig. Sada at first wanted to start a winery in Friuli, but he changed his mind and his career when he met the well known Italian enologist, Maurizio Castelli, who convinced him to look in the northern part of the Maremma.  After a detailed analysis of the land lying between Casale Marittimo, Bibbona and Bolgheri by a geologist friend of Castelli, Davide purchased land that they felt was best suited for growing quality grapes.  The new winery was named Azienda Agricola Sada - Fattoria “Carpoli”. 

    Recently, at the Hotel Michaelangelo in NYC Sig. Sada presented his wines at a very special dinner of simply prepared traditional Tuscan food.  The dinner was prepared by Emanuele Vallini, chef/owner of La Carabaccia in Bibbona, not far from the winery.  Sig. Sada is so proud of the food of this area that he flew Chef Vallini to the US to prepare the food for the dinner.

    Vermentino Toscana IGT 2010, 100% Vermentino. The production zone is the Casale Marittimo. The vineyards are at 350 meters. The training system is spurred cordon and the harvest takes place toward the end of September. Vinification is in stainless steel and the wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation. It is aged 5 to 6 months in steel and 2 to 3 months in bottle before release. The wine was fresh and fruity with flavors and aromas of green apple, grapefruit and a touch of honey. It was a perfect combination with the Coccoli della Carabaccia (fried bread dumplings, zucchini flowers vegetables and sage leaves that were passed around as finger food. It also went very well with the first course pappa al pomodoro (bread and ripe tomatoes porridge, flavored with garlic, onions, basil and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.) $26

    Integolo Toscana IGT 2009 Made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30-40% Montepulciano.  Sig Sada said that if the vintage is lacking and more color is needed in the wine, they will add a small percentage of Alicante, so grape percentages may vary according to the harvest. The production area is Bibbona. The vineyards are at 120 meters, the training system is guyot and the harvest is toward the middle of September. The wine is vinified in stainless steel, aged in steel for 3 months and aged 3 more months in bottle before release. Sig. Sada said that he was trying to make a wine characteristic of the area that was low in price and low in alcohol,  what he called “a wine for every day drinking”.  It is only 12.5 degrees of alcohol because the leaves of the plants are shaded from the sun. The wine had flavors and aromas of fresh red fruit, with hints of blueberry and good acidity. I think he has succeded.  It is an easy drinking wine and went very well with the farro della Garfagnana con pancetta e porro su crema di pepperoni (a timbale of spelt from Garfagnana with bacon and leeks, over a bell pepper cream) $19

    Baldoro Toscana IGT 2008 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Montepulciano and 5% Alicante. Vine training, altitude, harvest and vinification as above. The wine is aged is stainless steel for one year and in bottle for 6 months before release. This wine had fruity red berry flavors and aromas with hints of blackberries and blueberries. This wine had more body than the Integolo and had a longer finish and more lasting aftertaste.

    Sig. said that the Baldoro started out as being his “every day” wine but it soon developed into a complex wine with more body and fuller aromas and flavors than the Integolo.  He felt that Baldoro would be an excellent wine with steak. We had it with La Carabaccia di Caterina de’Medici (onion soup with fresh egg soup) $26

    Carpoli Toscana IGT 2006 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Sig. Sada said that these were the classic grapes of Bolgheri in the Maremma. The altitude, training system, harvest, and vinification are the same as above. The wine is aged in French oak barriques. Less than 1/3 are new and the rest in second and third passage barriques. It spends 8 to 10 months in bottle before release. Sig. Sada said that this was his “Super Tuscan” and a wine to age. It was a little too modern for me but not over the top and was better with the filetto di maiale in crosta di erbette e noci (polk filet in a crust of herbs and walnuts.) $44

    Vermentino Toscana IGT 2008 100% Vermentino- Vendemmia Tardiva (late harvest) This wine is not for sale at this time and is only made for family and friends. It was dark brown in color, very dense, thick and sweet. However with the dessert crema di mascarpone con sbrisolona di cantucci (cream of mascarpone with crumbles of cantucci) it was a perfect combination.

    At dinner I was sitting next to Sig. Sada and he said that the winery was organic but he does not put it on the label.
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Wines of the Costa Dei Trabocchi at Cantina Frentana

    Abruzzo is one of the regions of Italy I do not get to often.  For the past 10 years, the local grape growers have used the Filone system of training vines which I had never seen.  I am familiar with the traditional Tendone system used in Abruzzo, Puglia and Campania, and I knew that Cantina Frentana utilizes both these methods to train their vines.  I was very happy to accept their invitation to visit the winery to learn just how they do it.  But I was in for a surprise.  Cantina Frentana also utilizes a third method for training vines called La Pergoletta Abruzzese.

    Felice Di Biase, the sales manager, greeted us and told us the program for the week.  As we approached Cantina Frentana, I noticed a tall cement tower rising high above the winery.  Located in Rocca San Giovanni in the province of Chieti in the southern part of Abruzzo near Lanciano and close to the Adriatic Sea, Cantina Frentana is a co-op made up of 400 grower-members.  I wondered what the purpose of the tower was.  

    Entering the winery I looked up and could see that the tower is made up of glass lined cement tanks stacked one on top of the other.  The enologist Gianni Pasquale said that it is 30 meters high and the tanks were at one time used to ferment and store the wine. Now only the uppermost tanks are used for storage.

    Cantina Frentana’s vineyards are located within the boundaries of the village of Frentana, southeast of the Apennine Mountains near the city of Lanciano in the southern part of Abruzzo.  The soil was described to me as being generally muddy and sandy.

    The coastline is called the Costa dei Trabocchi.  Trabocchi were dwellings used by fishermen so they could fish in bad weather.  Made of wood, they stand in the water on long wooden legs with long poles and nets reaching out into the water. Some have been turned into restaurants and in fact one night we had an excellent dinner in the traboccho of the co-op’s President, Carlo Romanelli.

    Felice Di Biase, told me that the members (growers) are assisted throughout the entire grape growing season, right up to harvest by the co-op’s agronomist Maurizio Piucci and the Mr. Pasquale.  Only 10-15 % of the wine is bottled, and the rest is sold in bulk. The bottled wine comes from the best 100 producers and they are paid more for their grapes. I asked Mr. Di Biase who their customers were for the bulk wine and he just smiled. The Cantina produces 15 million liters of wine.  I was impressed by how knowledgeable and open everyone was.

    The traditional vine training method is the Tendone system also known as Pergola Abruzzese. The vines are grown along vertical posts and wires to a height of about 6 feet. The vines are planted 2 meters apart in parallel rows 2 meters apart. The leaves grow over the top to form a canopy (pergola) to protect the grapes from the hot Abruzzo sun. The Tendone has always been the way to grow table grapes in the area and it is easier to pick the grapes without having to bend down.

    About ten years ago another method was introduced called the Filone system. The vines are planted in rows 2 meters apart and look like big shields full of grapes and leaves. The leaves hang down and give the grapes some protection from the sun. Many feel it is not enough protection. It is easier to machine harvest with this system because of the straight line of rows. Mr. Piucci said that the Tendone is better on hilly terrain where it is more difficult to use machines.

    The third method, called La Pergoletta Abruzzese, was devised in collaboration between Cantina Frentana and the Consorzio Agrario e Valente Pali.  The collaborators felt there was a need to increase the number of vines per hectare and to produce what they believe to be better grapes.  The method is similar to the Tendone but with a few differences. Each plant has two shoots instead of the traditional four. The distance between the plants is less.  If I understood correctly, it is 1 meter 20 centimeters, but the distance between the rows is the same. They feel that this system lets in more light and lets out more humidity so they will get better grapes. It is only used for the Montepulciano grape. This will be the first year that wine will be made from grapes using this system. There are 3,200 plants per hectare which is more than the Tendone (which ranges from 1,100 to 2,200 vines per hectare). The top grape grower for Cantina Frentana will not change to this system.  It is more expensive because of the zinc iron that is used in the construction. Maybe the grower is waiting to see what happens, and if you are already number one, why change?

    Cantina Frentana makes a few different lines of wines but the one I liked best was the Vallevó imported and distributed by Franco Bengasi from Wine Emporium.

    Cococciola Terre di Chieti 2010 IGT 100% Cococciolo.  This is an ancient indigenous grape variety of the province of Chieti mainly grown in the area around Rocco San Giovanni. The big grape bunches are irregular in shape and some are wing-tipped. It is a grape with good acidity and good yields. In the past it was only used for blending with other grapes. The harvest takes place towards the end of September. The grapes are soft pressed and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. Malolatic fermentation does not take place. The first time I had this unusual white wine was at Keste Pizza &Vino in NYC and I liked it right away. There is a slight herbal and mineral character to the wine, good body with aromas and flavors of apple and citrus fruit.

    Cococciolo Sparkling Brut Terre di Chieti IGT 100% Cococciolo.  Only the free run juice is used. This is an interesting sparkling wine made by the charmat method with citrus flavors and aromas and a hint of almonds.

    Pecorino2010 DOC Abruzzo-Costa del Trabocchi .  The grapes are crushed and have a short period of cryo-maceration of 6-7 hours and then soft pressed. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks and the wine is refined on the lees with periodic remontage. Special yeast is used and the wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation. This is a medium-bodied wine with citrus aromas and flavors of lime, lemon and almond. The wine may have gotten its name because the sheep (pecora) coming down from the mountains were said to eat these grapes.

    Chardonnay IGT 2010 100% Chardonnay.  Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. This was my kind of Chardonnay -- all stainless steel and no malolatic fermentation, the way I like my Chardonnay!

    Trebbiano D’Abruzzo 2010 DOC 100% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.  The vines are 15-20 years old and have a North/North East exposure. The grapes are soft pressed and native yeasts are added.  Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. Malolatic fermentation does not take place. The wine is aged in stainless steel for five months before it is bottled. It has aromas and flavors of citrus fruits and green apple with good acidity.

    Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo Cerasuolo DOC 2010. The vines are 10-15 years old with an East/South-East exposure.  Fermentation talks place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The skins are in contact with the juice for 12 hours.  This is a rosé with a very deep color. It has flavors and aromas of strawberries and cherry.

    Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2009 DOC 100 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The soil is muddy clay and the vines are 5-15 years old with a West/South West exposure.   After a soft pressing, fermentation takes place with the skins for 7 to 10 days depending on the vintage. Malolatic fermentation takes place in stainless steel. It has aromas and flavors of fresh red fruit with a hint of prune and it should be drunk young.

    Montepulciano D’Abruzzo DOC 2008 Costa Dei Trabocchi 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The soil is mostly clay and the vines are 10-15 years old with a West/South-West exposure. The grapes are soft pressed and fermentation takes place in stainless steel with skin contact for 10 to 15 days depending on the vintage. The wine is aged in 500 liter barrels of Allier oak and may see some second passage barriques for 12 months. The wine has aromas and flavors of violets and black cherry with a hint of vanilla.
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    Italian Wines for Summer Drinking Under $20

    I have always said that you don’t have to pay a lot of money for wine to drink well.
     

    Here are 16 wines for summer drinking that are under $20, and a few are as low as $10. All the wines are made from native Italian grapes and they all go very well with food.

     

    Pinot Grigio Sudtirol Alto Aduge  DOC 2010 Lahnhof-Tenuta Costa (Sudtirol-Alto Adige)

    From the South Tyrol comes this classic Pinot Grigio. The grapes are handpicked and hand-sorted so only the best grapes go into the wine. Vinification takes place in stainless steel. The wine works well with fish, pasta with cream sauces such as Fettuccine Alfredo, and white meats. $18

    Beneventano Falanghina IGT 2009 Lava (Campania)

    The name Lava evokes the volcanic soil of Campania that resulted from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius on August 24th 79AD. Falanghina has been produced since ancient times and today it is one of the favorite whites of the city of Rome. The grapes are grown in an estate vineyard near the city of Benevento at elevations of 200-300 meters. The grapes are hand harvested, then vinified and aged in stainless steel. It is a unique wine with very good acidity and minerality with subtle citrus aromas and flavors and a touch of toasted almond and smoke. Try it with fish soups, grilled and roasted fish and cold meats. In Campania they drink it with bufala mozzarella! $14

    Malvasia Bianca IGT 2009 Rasciatano (Puglia) 100% Malvasia Bianca

    There is a careful selection of the grapes in the vineyard. These select grapes are soft pressed and fermentation takes place partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in new French oak barrels. The wine is aged in stainless steel for 4 to 6 months and then bottled. There is pleasant floral bouquet with hints of apple and lime. It is full bodied and round with a nice minerality.  Serve it with shellfish and grilled fish steaks or whole fish.$12

    Gravina  DOP 2010 (Puglia) 60% Malvasia Bianco and 40% Greco, sometimes they add a little Fiano and Bianco di Alessano. Botromagano(Puglia)

    Production area is the countryside surrounding the town of Gravina. There are between 1,215 and 1,416 vines per acre and they are spur-pruned cordon. The harvest takes place in late September and the wine is fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 15 days.  The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation and is aged for four months in stainless steel tanks. It is a fruity fresh wine–almost like biting into a green apple with a slight touch of tropical fruit. Botromagno is the only producer of Gravina.    It goes well with fish and pasta with vegetables.    $12 

    Grillo “D’ Incanto” IGT 2009 100% Grillo Azzolino (Sicily)

    The grapes for this food-friendly white wine are harvested in the middle of September. Fermentation, maceration and aging takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wine is well structured with varietal character, freshness, minerality and good acidity. It goes with grilled fish, shellfish, vegetable dishes and chicken. $14

    Cococciola Terre di Chieti  IGT 2010 100% Cococciolo.  Vallevo (Abruzzo)

    This is an ancient indigenous grape variety of the province of Chieti mainly grown in the area around Rocco San Giovanni. The big grape bunches are irregular in shape and some are wing-tipped. It is a grape with good acidity and good yields. In the past it was only used for blending with other grapes. The harvest takes place towards the end of September. The grapes are soft pressed and fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. Malolatic fermentation does not take place. The first time I had this unusual white wine was at Keste Pizza &Vino in NYC and I liked it right away. There is a slight herbal and mineral character to the wine, good body with aromas and flavors of apple and citrus fruit. Excellent with shell fish on the grill. $14

    Pecorino2010 DOC Abruzzo-Costa del Trabocchi 100% Pecorino Vallevo (Abruzzo) The grapes are crushed and have a short period of cryo-maceration of 6-7 hours and then soft pressed. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks and the wine is refined on the lees with periodic remontage. Special yeast is used and the wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation. This is a medium-bodied wine with citrus aromas and flavors of lime, lemon and almond. The wine may have gotten its name because the sheep (pecora) coming down from the mountains were said to eat these grapes. Pairs well with shellfish and hard cheeses.  $15

     

    Frascati Superiore Secco DOC 2009  Fontana Candida–(Lazio) Made from 60% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 30% Trebbiano and 10% Malvasia del Lazio

    The grapes come from hillside vineyards in the DOC zone located in the province of Lazio, in the communes of Frascati, Monteporzio Cantone, Grottaferrata, Montecompatri and Rome. The grapes are harvested between September and October and immediately transported to the cellar. Vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and are gently pressed. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel and then bottled under nitrogen to protect its freshness and fruit. The wine has aromas and flavors of white peaches and apples. It has good acidity and minerality with a long finish and a nice aftertaste. This wine would be perfect with a porchetta sandwich. $12

    Torre di Giano, Bianco di Torgiano DOC 2009 Lungarotti. (Umbria)  Made from 70% Trebbiano and 30% Grechetto. The soil is clay with good water retention and there are 4,000 vines per hectare. The Grechetto is harvested in the beginning of September and the Trebbiano in the middle of September. The wine is made from the free run juice, after a brief cryomaceration, and is vinified in stainless steel at low temperatures. It is kept on the lees at low temperatures until bottling.  Serve it with appetizers, fish and vegetable dishes. $15

     Soave Classico DOC 2008 Borgo Rocca Sveva 100% Garganega. Cantana di Soave (Veneto)The vines are planted in loose, medium-gravelly clay soil of volcanic origin. The wines are trained for the Pergola Veronese system. The grapes are soft pressed and fermented and aged in stainless steel.  Great with seafood. $14.99

    Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo Cerasuolo 2010 DOC. Vallevo The vines are 10-15 years old with an East/South-East exposure.  Fermentation talks place in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The skins are in contact with the juice for 12 hours.  This is a rosé with a very deep color. It has flavors and aromas of strawberries and cherry. $14

    Fichimori  Salento 2009 IGT 100% Negroamaro  Tormaresca  After the grapes are crushed a pre-fermentative maceration takes place and lasts for six days at 5ºC and then the fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wine is fresh and fruity with soft tannins and “only” 12% alcohol. It has flavors and aromas of cherries and other fresh red fruits and berries.  The wine could be served chilled but I liked it at room temperature.  Serve it with roast or grilled chicken.  $12

    Remole  IGT 2009 Tuscany Frescobaldi The wine is mostly Sangiovese with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes used for  Remole come from vineyards in central Tuscany and they are from the estate vineyards.  Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for 10 days and maceration for seven days. It is aged in stainless steel for five months and 2 months in bottle before release. This is a wine with fresh red fruit flavors and aromas that should be drunk young. It is a bargain at $10.

    Chianti DOCG 2009 Ruffino  (Tuscany)A minimum of 75% Sangiovese plus other varieties like Canaiolo and Colorino. Alcoholic fermentation takes place for two weeks aided by racking and punching down in stainless steel and concrete vats. The wine is aged for 4 four months in stainless steel vats and 1/2 months in bottle before it is released. Goes great with steak or lamb chops.  This wine is a great buy at $10

    Valpolicella Classical Lucchin  DOC 2009 Tedeschi  (Veneto) is made from 25% Corvina, 25% Corvione, 30% Rondinella, 10% Mollinara and 10% Rossignola, Oseleta, Negrara and Dindarella.

     Lucchine is the name of the vineyard where the grapes are grown. It is located in the plains at the foot of the Piedmont hills in the historic heart of the Valpolicella area. The vines are over 25 years old. The grapes are hand harvested at the beginning of October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The grapes are in contact with the skins briefly–only eight days. This is to insure that the wine would be fresh and fruity. After malolatic fermentation the wine spends the winter in stainless steel and is bottled in March and released one month later. This wine has fresh red fruit flavors and aromas with hints of cherries, and very good acidity. It is the type of Valpolicella that many producers do not make any more. I could see myself drinking it with fish on Lake Garda. $18

    Dolcetto “D’OH”  2010 Piedmont Dolcetto  DOC 100% Dolcetto Clavesana  Fermented is temperature controlled stainless steel tanks this is a fresh fruity wine with hints of cherry that is the be drunk young. It is traditional Dolcetto to be enjoyed and as it says on the label “You D’OH Something to Me”. Good with salumi and grilled sausages. $10

    Moscato Piedmonte DOC 2010 Linda Donna This is a sparkling aromatic Moscato with aromas and flavors of white peach and apricot. It is the perfect desert wine for summer and the alcohol is only 6%. Try it with fruit or lemon ices.  $10
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Wine of Rome: Frascati and Fontana Candida

    The Porchetta trucks were the things I remember most about my first trip to Frascati.  Burly men in grease-stained aprons would cut slices from the whole roasted pigs flavored with herbs, salt and black pepper.  We would order it to go on hard rolls known as rosette.  The sandwiches were delicious!  Long tables were set up where you could sit to eat your sandwich and you were given a free glass of very young Frascati wine to drink.  “Drink Frascati young, it does not age”, I was told by all the Romans I met.

    So you can imagine my surprise when I received an invitation to a wine tasting at Eataly stating, “Fontana Candida invites you to challenge the common perception that Frascati is a wine to be only drunk young”.  They were not joking: among the wines to be tasted were a 2001 and 1997 Frascati--I had to go

    The speaker was Mauro Merz head winemaker at Fontana Candida. He said that he comes from a family of wine producers in northern Italy’s Trentino, a region famous for its white wines. He spoke in Italian and Lars Leight, a vice-president at Banfi translated.

     Mauro said that the blend for Frascati includes only native grapes: Malvasia Puntinata del Lazio, Malvasia di Candia, Trebbiano Toscano, Greco, Bombino Bianco and Bellone.

     He made it clear that he is loyal to tradition and his goal is to make wine that expresses the territory and the tradition from the area in which it comes. There is a movement on the part of some of the Frascati producers to add 10% international grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc to the blend. He said that this addition would not help the wine. The producers that want to do this are taking the easy way out by adding international aromatic grapes to the blend, as it would be much easier to make wine using these grapes. If this is done, he said, the wine would lose all sense of place and its “personality”.

    He also feels that Trebbiano Toscano should be removed from the blend because it was added in the past when producers were more interested in quantity then quality. He feels that the percentage of Malvasia in the blend should be increased as it is a better and more typical grape of the area.

    Fontana Candida has its own vineyards but they buy grapes from 210 different growers.  Mauro made it a point to say they buy grapes and not juice. In 2005 they started a vineyard-based project to help their growers. They hired a top agronomist and he acted as a consultant to the growers free of charge. Fontana Candida also paid the growers above market price if they produced healthier and more mature grapes. 

    The grape growing area of Frascati is shrinking. It is very close to Rome; in fact some of it falls within the boundaries of the Eternal City. If a grower can make more money selling his land than he can growing grapes then the grapes will be replaced by apartment houses. In order to keep the growers on the land, Fontana Candida will pay as much as 40% higher than the market price. Mauro said that the company feels that they are not just dealing with individuals but with families that have to make a living. Because of this, more and more producers are bringing their grapes to them. Quality comes above all else when it comes to the grapes, he said.

    There were eight wines in the tasting:

     Frascati Superiore Secco 2009 DOC Lazio – Made from 60% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 30% Trebbiano and 10% Malvasia del Lazio. The grapes come from hillside vineyards in the DOC zone located in the province of Lazio, in the communes of Frascati, Monteporzio Cantone, Grottaferrata, Montecompatri and Rome. The grapes are harvested between September and October and immediately transported to the cellar. Vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and are gently pressed. The wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel and then bottled under nitrogen to protect its freshness and fruit. The wine has aromas and flavors of white peaches and apples. It has good acidity and minerality with a long finish and a nice aftertaste. $10.This wine would be perfect with a porchetta sandwich.

    Vigneto Santa Teresa Fascati Superiore 2004 DOC It is 30% Malvasia Puntinata del Lazio, 30% Malvasia di Candia, 30% Trebbiano Toscano and 10% Greco. The grapes come from a 32-acre vineyard of which seven and a half are planted in Malvasia del Puntinata del Lazio and four acres in Greco. It is in the locality of Santa Teresa, in the commune of Rome. The 30 year old vines are trained using the cordone speronato system at 985 feet above sea level on soil of volcanic origin with a southern exposure. Mauro called it a “light soil that looked like talcum powder”. They are not allowed to irrigate so the roots of the vines have to go deep to find water.  Mauro said that 2004 was a difficult vintage because there was a lot of rain and humidity. There is a selective picking of the different grape varieties according to the rate of ripening. Malvasia was picked first followed by the Greco and then the Trebbiano. The Trebbiano and Greco were gently pressed followed by a classic white wine vinification. The Malvasia was cold fermented on the skins for 12 hours. After a natural clarification the must was fermented with selected yeasts and left to rest in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks until bottling in early spring. Mauro called this an elegant wine. The wine had white peach aromas and flavors and a hint of apple and smoke. It has good minerality, acidity and a finish and aftertaste of almonds. Mauro made an excellent wine in a difficult year.

    Vigneto Santa Teresa Frascati Superiore 2001 DOC

    Grapes, Vineyard and Vinification same as the above.

    Mauro said that 2001 was an excellent vintage.

    In the area they have an Indian summer which helps the grapes to ripen later

    This a 10 year old Frascati and it was not showing its age. Round, balanced and elegant, white peach aromas and flavors with grapefruit on the palate and a long finish and lingering aftertaste.

    Vigneto Santa Teresa Frascati Superiore 1997 DOC

    Grapes, Vineyard and Vinification same as the above

    1997 was an excellent vintage in all of Tuscany

    The 1997 was much like the 2001 but with aromas of white peach and fuller bodied and a touch of smoke.

    Mauro said something very interesting about the older wines. He said that he did not know if they improve with age but they stay in “character” as they mature. He gave Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren as examples, both were great when they were young and remained the same as they matured.

    Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC 2010 Made from 50% Malvasia di Candia, 30% Malvasia del Lazio, 10% Greco and 10% Bombino. Harvesting began in the final 10 days of September and continued until the end of October, producing perfectly ripe, healthy grapes with a golden color and high sugar content. The grapes are grown in selected hillside vineyards ranging between 650 and 1,300 feet in the communes of Frascati and Monteporzio Catone.  The volcanic soil is loose, porous and dry but not arid. It is rich in potassium, phosphorous and microelements. Spalliera, Guyot and Cordone Speronato training systems are used. First selected bunches of mature grapes are picked by hand. Then the best grapes from each bunch are chosen. Mauro made it very clear that the grapes are transported in small baskets directly to the cellar so that they will be in perfect condition when they arrive. The wine has floral aromas with hints of white peach and honey with bitter almond in the finish and a very pleasing aftertaste.

    The vinification of the grapes for the Luna Mater is a process that he invented and takes place in three different stages. In the cellar the grapes are separated into two batches. This he called the “modern” stage. The first batch is cooled immediately prior to a gentle pressing to ensure maximum aromatic qualities. The second batch is destemmed, cooled and fermented in contact with the skins to produce a marked varietal character. This is done without oxygen to keep the grapes fresh. After 6-7 days the skins were removed, any longer then this and there would be too much extract.

     Three days later a small quantity of the best grapes were destemmed by hand and added whole to the fermenting must with their own natural yeast for bouquet and flavor. The berries remain in the must until the end of February. Mauro said that the alcohol helps extract tannin from the skins and pits.

    The wine is aged in 10HL acacia wood barrels.   According to Mauro, this is the best wood for the Malvasia grapes. He made the point that the barrels were not toasted and were steam folded. He did admit that in the 2007 vintage, the wine did see some toasted barriques. He felt that barriques did not give him the type of wine he wanted to produce and they are not traditional.  He now uses 10HL barrels. He is thinking of using 20HL untoasted acacia barrels in the future.

    The bottled wine is then left to age in bottles laid horizontally in the ancient tufa tunnels under the Frascati hillsides.

      Mauro said that Luna Mater means Mother Moon; it reflects the wine’s close ties to nature and the 50 old vines that are used to make this wine. He also said that the moon was very important in farming but did not go into detail.

    All of the Luna Mater wines are vinified in the same way.

    Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC 2009.  Harvest began in the second half of September and continued until the end of October. The fruit was healthy, mature, and rich in sugar and gold in color. The amount of fruit gathered was somewhat lower than average. This is a full bodied wine, well balanced with white peach aromas and flavors, bitter almond in the finish and a lingering aftertaste. $23

    Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC 2008.  The harvest period was sunny and dry and the quality of fruit was excellent. The quantity of grapes picked was even lower than in 2007. Mauro said that 2008, like 2007 will be remembered in Frascati as one of the best vintages of the past decade. This is an elegant wine, well balanced, with aromas and flavors of white peach with a long finish and pleasing aftertaste.

    Luna Mater Frascati Superiore DOC 2007.  The quantity of grapes harvested was lower than the preceding year. It was an outstanding vintage. This is the wine were Mauro used some toasted barriques but I did not notice it. It seemed lighter in style with good minerality and acidity.  It was showing no signs of age and was drinking very well.

  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    The Wines of Puglia

    I have always enjoyed the wine and food of Puglia since my first visit there over 30 years ago. It was then that I first tasted Primitivo, Salice Salentino, and orrechiette with  broccoli rabe among other great local dishes.  A number of years later I became the wine director for I Trulli in Manhattan.  The restaurant specialized in the wine and food of Puglia and our list featured the largest number of wines from Puglia in America.  Most of the food on the menu was from that region, too.  

    A few weeks ago I received an invitation (no it was not for a trip to Puglia, though last November I was invited on a press trip by Franco Ziliani to Puglia for the Radici Wine Experience.It was a great trip and I hope to go back to Puglia soon.)  It was for a seminar and lunch of the wines of Puglia at Park Ave Spring Restaurant. I was looking forward to tasting the current vintages and comparing them to the ones I tried last year. How could one refuse an event with the title “Puglia: a Taste from Italy’s Heel?”

    The moderator of the panel was Anthony Giglio.  The panel included four producers whose wines were being presented: Beniamino D’Agostino, owner of Cantina Botromagano (a privately owned Cantina Sociale), Alberto Longo, the owner  of Masseria Celentano-Alberto Longo, Donato Antonio Giuliani, the winemaker at Cantina Teanum, and Antonio Gargano, President and CE0 of Casaltrinita (Cantina Coop).   Anthony said that all of the wines in the tasting were $20 or less and represented very good value. After tasting the wines I had to agree with him.

    Anthony then spoke about the region of Puglia and the grapes that are in the wine that we would taste:

    Greco -- Its origin is Greece and it was first cultivated in Calabria and then in Campania and Puglia.

     Fiano-- It was known to Pliny the Elder (d79 AD). Bees, api where attracted to its sweet clusters so it was known as apiano which later became Fiano,  

    Moscato-- It is Greek in origin and is widely present in the Mediterranean basin. It might be related to the Greek Anathelicon Moschaton and the Roman Apianei.

    Malvasia Bianca --Most likely from the Morea area of Greece.

    Aglianico -- It may be Greek, or from ancient Phoenicia, or more precisely, Euboes. It is used to make Taurasi in Campania and Aglianico del Vulture in Basilicata and is also found in Puglia.

    Nero di Troia (Uva di Troia) -- May have come from Asia Minor or is native to the commune of Troia (Foggia) in Puglia.

    Primitivo -- DNA testing indicates that it came from Croatia and is related to the Zinfandel grape. It may have been introduced by Benedictine monks into the hilly area of Gioia del Colle in Puglia.

     Montepulciano -- The origin of this grape variety is not really known, though it is the second-most commonly grown indigenous grape planted in Italy (Sangiovese is #1).

    In response to a question on how the wines were aged, all of the panelists agreed that the use of all new oak was not good because the wine would lose its identity. They use a combination of new oak (barriques--225 liter barrels), second and third passage, tonneaux (500 liter oak barrels) and stainless steel to age the wine, depending on the producer.

    Mr. Giuliani, in response to another question about the alcohol in the wine said that high alcohol is not a problem in the northern part of Puglia. If I understood him correctly he said that there is always a wind that blows across the land and unlike other places, it is cooler inland than it is by the sea. This would not be true of the Salento area in the south of Puglia which is much hotter. All of his wines were 13.5% alcohol. I was sitting at the same table with Mr. Giuliano at lunch and we spoke some more about his wines.

     Wines at the tasting

    Gravina DOP 2010 60% Greco and 40% Malvasia. Cantina Botromagano. Beniamino said sometimes they add a little Fiano and Bianco di Alessano. Production area is the countryside surrounding the town of Gravina. There are between 1,215 and 1,416 vines per acre and they are spur-pruned cordon. The harvest takes place in late September and the wine is fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for 15 days.  The wine does not undergo malolatic fermentation and is aged for four months in stainless steel tanks. When I was in Puglia in November of last year, I had tasted the 2009.  Looking back at my notes, they were almost the same. It is a fruity fresh wine--almost like biting into a green apple with a slight touch of tropical fruit. They are the only producers of Gravina. $12

    I have known Beniamino D’ Agostino for a number of years and I visited Cantina Botromagno in November and spent time talking to him. He is very knowledgeable and informative.

    La Preta 2010 70% Moscato and 30% Sauvignon Blanc Masseria Celentano of Alberto Longo. The Production area is the Settentrional Apulia.  There are 5,600 vines per hectare and the training system is spur-pruned cordon. Harvesting takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September. The grapes are gently de-stemmed and pressed and alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is kept on the lees for 3 months. The wine was smoky and had fruity aromas. On the palate it was dry with hints of herbs surrounded by the fruit of the Moscato with a great finish and aftertaste. It was an unusual combination but it worked!   $18

    I first met and tasted the wines of Alberto Longo at Keste Pizza and Vino

    in NYC after Vino 2010 and was very impressed with his wines. From speaking with him, I found that not only does he have a great passion for the wines of Puglia but also for the food and the land itself.

    Vascello Salento Rosso IGT 2009 100% Primitivo Masseria Celentano- Alberto Longo -- The production area is the municipal district of Manduria-Taranto. There are 5,600 plants per hectare and the training system is spur-pruned cordon. The harvest is late August to the beginning of September. There is stainless fermentation with prolonged contact with the skins. After malolatic fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels and tonneaux (500 liters) for about 18 months. This is a fruity Primitivo with a touch of dry prunes and it works very well with food.  $20

    Otre Aglianico Puglia IGT 2006 100% Aglianico Cantina Teanum.   The name of the winery comes the ancient Roman city of Teanum  Apulum, which today is the city of San Paolo di Civitate. This ancient city was so important for the Romans that the whole region is called “Puglia” from “Apulum”. The Apulia region is the area of production. There are 5,000 vines per hectare and the training is espalier trees. The harvest takes place from the 4th to 18th of September.  27 days of prolonged maceration of the wines on the skins in stainless steel tanks. Maturing and aging in French oak, stainless steel tanks and in the bottle. This is a fruit forward wine with fresh fruit aromas and flavors and a nice finish and aftertaste. $15

    Alta Nero di Troia IGT 2008 100% Nero di Troia Cantina Teanum.  Production area is San Severo.  There are 5,000 plants per hectare and the training is espalier trees. The harvest takes place in the middle of September. There is a 20 day prolonged maceration of the wine on the skins in stainless steel tanks. Maturing and aging in stainless steel tanks, French oak and bottle. This was the lightest and of the three Nero di Troias that we tasted. It had fresh fruit flavors and aromas and a hint of violets with a very pleasant finish and aftertaste. This wine is 13.5% alcohol but one did not feel it. $10

    Negro di Troia Puglia IGT 2008 100% Nero di Troia. Casaltrinita.  Production area: Trinitapoli. There are 4400 vines per hectare trained in guyot and 2,500 in vine trellis.     The harvest takes place the first 10 days in November. The grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with long skin contact. The malolatic fermentation is carried out in November. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for about 5 months and aged in bottle for six months before release.  This was a little heavier in style, with more intense fruit flavors and aromas but in no sense a heavy wine. $14

    Coppamalva Puglia IGT 2008 70% Nero di Troia and 30% Cabernet Casaltrinita.

    The Troia grapes are harvested in the first ten days of November and the Cabernet in the second half of September. The grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The must remains in long contact with the skins. This wine had nice fruit but the Cabernet in the blend dominated. $13

    Pier delle Vigna Rosso Murgia IGT 2006 60% Aglianico and 40% Montepulciano Cantine Botromagno. The production area is the border area between Matera and Gravina. The vine training system of the Montepulciano is spur-pruned guyot and for the Aglianico, it is alberello-self supporting bush trained vines. There are about 4,000 plants per hectare and the harvest is in late October. The wine spends 24 months in new French Allier 225 liters oak barrels (barriques) 50% new and 50% once used. It is aged in bottle for a year and then released. I tasted this wine’s same vintage when I was in Puglia and again my tasting notes are similar. This is a more modern style wine

    with aromas and flavors of red and black berries, pepper and a hint of tobacco.

    Wines with Lunch

    Greco Puglia IGT 2010 100% Greco Casaltrinita 2,500 vines per hectare and trained with the apulian vine trellis and guyot. The harvest takes place in the first ten days of September. The grapes are gently de stemmed and pressed. The alcoholic fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks; I do not think that malolatic fermentation took place. The wine was kept on the fine lees for three months.

    The wine has aromas and flavors of citrus fruit and a touch of almond the same way I described it when I tasted it in Puglia.

    Otre Primitivo Puglia IGT 2008 100% Primitivo Cantine Teanum 

    The grape harvest took place between the 15th and 16th of October. 27 days of prolonged maceration of the wine on the skins in stainless tanks. Maturing and aging in French oak and stainless steel and in the bottle. This is a full bodied wine with hits of dried fruit.

    Querciagrande Puglia IGT 2009 100% Nero di Troia Masseria Celentano-Alberto Longo Production zone: Settentrional Apulia. There are 5,600 vines per hectare and the training is spur-pruned cordon. The harvest takes place in the beginning of September. Fermentation is in stainless steel with prolonged skin contact. After malolaiic fermentation the wine is aged in French oak barriques and tonneaux for about 18 months. Of the three wines made from Nero di Troia, this was the biggest and a little more modern in style.

    Gravisano Malvasia Passita Murgia Bianco IGT 2005 100% Malvasia lunga. Cantine Botromagno. Production area is the best vineyard in Gravina and Spinazzola. There are 4,500 vines per hectare and the training system is Guyot. The harvest is in mid-October. The grapes are sun-dried on reed mats. The wine spends 30 days in New French Allier 225-liter oak barrels (barriques) at 16ºC and in stainless steel tanks for 12 months. This is a traditional wine in the area and it was once made with the ancient Gravisano grape that long ago became extinct. Nice way to end the lunch with a dessert wine that was not too sweet with hints of toasted almonds apricots and honey.
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    Renzo Cotarella and the Wines of Marchesi Antinori at Eataly

    I have met winemaker Renzo Cotarella a number of times at Vinitaly, the annual wine fair in Verona and at I Trulli restaurant where I was the wine director.  Renzo has always been eager to talk about wine and answer all my questions. Thanks to him I am able to recognize a “corked” wine and explain why it is corked even when it is not obvious.   I was eager to attend a class he was teaching at Eataly.

    When Renzo walked into the room and saw me, he came over and said “Charles, we have to speak about Fiorano.”  The class was beginning so we could not speak until later, but that conversation will have to wait for another blog.

    Renzo began by talking about his years in the wine business and the history and wines of Antinori.  Many years ago Renzo tasted older Chardonnays with Darrell Corti from California (owner of Corti Brothers Fine Wine and Gourmet Foods Italian Grocery Store) and was surprised how well the wines had aged. When he became the winemaker for Antinori he wanted to make a white wine that would age but did not want to make just another Chardonnay. He turned to the local Umbrian grape Grechetto that would add acidity and minerality to the Chardonnay and make it more interesting. The wine he produced was Cervaro Della Sala and the way he spoke about this wine showed that he was very excited about what he had produced.

    His said that the blend changes according to the vintage, the hotter the year the more Grechetto is in the blend. The Grechetto is added at the last minute after he sees how the Chardonnay is developing. Grechetto may be anywhere between 5% to 20% of the blend.  Renzo said the first real vintage was 1986 and the wine is still drinking and has good acidity and minerality.

    Cervaro Della Sala Umbria IGT 2006 Made from 85% Chardonnay and 15%     Grechetto depending on the vintage. The grapes come from 15 to 20 year old vines planted at Antinori’s Castello della Sala Estate at elevations ranging between 650 and 1.300 feet in pliocene sedimentary soils rich in marine deposits with some clay. Renzo said that in 2006, all of the grapes showed a good level of sugar, balanced acidity and polyphenolic components. The grapes are hand harvested and placed in a special refrigerated conveyer until they are ready to be pressed. The Chardonnay and Grechetto are vinified separately and the must remains on the skins for 8 to 12 hours. Renzo said that this was done to maximize the wine’s aromas. The must is then placed in French barriques –Alliers and Troncais  - where alcoholic fermentation takes place over a period of 14 days. The wine stays on the lees in barriques for 6 months

    while malolatic fermentation is completed. The wine is then racked, blended and bottled and is released after ten months.

    Cervaro Della Sala Umbria IGT 2008.  The wine was vinified the same way as the 2006, however there was a big difference in the style and taste of the wines. Renzo said that it was very hot at the end of August 2006 and the grapes were over ripe and therefore the 2006 is rounder, bigger and riper then the 2008. Also, Chardonnay ripens before the other varietals and this can be a problem. When he is asked how a vintage will turn out Renzo said that it all depends on the weather in the last month. Weather-wise 2008 was a better year and the wine has better acidity and minerality. He preferred the 2008 but the weather was not the only difference.  Renzo said, and this really got my attention, that they are now using less oak (barriques).  He wants more bright fruit in the wine and which should reflect the terroir in which the grapes are grown. The 2008 was aged in barriques, 50% new and 50% one year old.  I really enjoyed the 2008.

    The 2009 and the 2010 will have 3 months less of oak aging.  Renzo called this a unique wine and said that men liked the wine but women really loved it.

    Tignanello  Toscana IGT 2004 made from 85 % Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet and 5% Cabernet Franc. This has been the blend since the 1982 vintage.

    The harvest was later than in the previous year 2003 which was very hot. The grapes come from the Tignanello vineyard, a 116 acre site at Antinori’s Tignanello estate. The vineyards face southwest with calcareous rocky-marl and limestone soils and albarese rock. There is a long maceration with frequent delestage, after fermentation, the wine was placed in new French oak barriques where malolatic fermentation was competed by the end of the year. After malolatic the wines were blended and left in barriques for 12 months in order to mature. Renzo said that the wine was tasted one barrique at time to make the final selection before bottling. The wine is aged one year in bottle before release. Tignanello was first released as a single-vineyard Chianti Classico in 1970.
     

    Renzo said that Tignanello was the first Sangiovese to be aged in barriques, to use nontraditional grapes and leave white grapes out of the blend. Therefore it was the first Super Tuscan.  Tignanello is only produced in the best vintages and there was none produced in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2002. He really caught my attention once again when he said that 2004 was a very good vintage but the grapes were very ripe. In fact he said that the wine was too big and too concentrated and he wanted to get away from this style of wine!

    Tignanello  Toscana IGT 2007.  Made from 80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. This wine was made the same way as the 2004, or was it? Renzo began by saying that 2007 was an excellent vintage in Tuscany. I thought that the difference between the two wines was like night and day. The 2004 was much darker in color, bigger, more concentrated and lacking in acidity. The 2007 was a very well balanced wine, with good structure, soft tannins, good minerality, acidity, and bright fruit, In short, a wine that tasted like the place that it came from and would go very well with food. This is my type of wine and now I hope it is also Renzo’s.  He said that since 2004 they were moving away from these heavy, oaked red wines and moving toward more fruit and less wood in the wines.  Where the wine comes from is very important and the wine should reflect this.

    The first bottle of Tignanello that I tasted was from the 1975 vintage. I really liked the wine as well as the other vintages produced in the 1970’s. It seems to me that with the 2007 they are beginning to move back toward the wines of the 1970’s! One can only hope!

    Renzo said that they have in the vineyard what they call a “Master Selection”.  These are the same clones that they had in past and still use today. They did not replant with the “new’ clones of Sangiovese recommended by the Sangiovese Project 2000.

    Guado Al Tasso Bolgheri DOC 2001 made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Syrah other red grape varieties. The Merlot was harvested at the beginning of September and the Cabernet from the middle to the end of September. After destemming and light crushing, the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are vinified separately.  Maceration is in stainless steel tanks over a period of 15 to 20 days, during which time alcoholic fermentation is also completed. The wine was transferred to French barriques of Troncais and Alliers where malolatic fermentation was completed by the end of the year.  The wine was then racked, blended and returned to the barrels for about 14 months aging. It was aged in bottle for about one year before release.  2001 was a very good vintage in Bolgheri but I found that this was big wine, over extracted, ripe fruit and a wine that was too modern for my taste.

    Guado Al Tasso Bolgheri 2007 Renzo said that they no longer use Syrah and have gone to a more Bordeaux style blend; Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Ideal dry conditions in September with warm days and cool nights allowed the grapes to ripen perfectly delivering exceptional high quality fruit. After 18 months of aging in new barriques the best lots were blended. The wine was then bottled and aged for 10 more months before release. As Renzo kept on saying,  2007 was an exceptional vintage in Tuscany. But it was not only the vintage that made the wine better. The demise of the Syrah was a factor as well as Renzo’s new approach to wine making. It is still a big wine but is well balanced with hints of black fruit and a very nice finish and aftertaste.

    Renzo said that Tenuta Guado al Tasso is located near the medieval village of Bolgheri in the area known as the Maremma and said that this area is very different from other parts of Tuscany. It is closer to the sea, it is warmer and there are breezes from the sea and from the land which help to moderate the climate. The soil is rich and there are fewer rocks and the elevation is good. He feels that wines from this area have “velvet tannins” and age very well. Sangiovese does not do as well here as the grapes used to make Bordeaux. The growing season is long and if you are not careful the grapes can become overripe and over-extracted. He does not like big dense wines and therefore picks the grapes before this happens.

    The wine was first produced in 1990 and is not made in every vintage.

    Solaia Toscana IGT 2007 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc. The optimal climate conditions in mid-September and the first week of October allowed for a slightly early harvest with a careful, unhurried selection of grapes. The grapes come from a 25 acre southwest-facing vineyard that is 1,150 to 1,330 feet above sea level on stony, calcareous soil of marl and friable alberese rock. It is contiguous to the Tignanello vineyard in Chianti. The grapes were harvested by hand. The extraction process was carried out with alternating pumpovers with delestage according to the requirements of the three grape varieties. After alcoholic fermentation, the wines were racked into new oak barrels to undergo malolatic fermentation. The wines are aged in new French oak for about 18 months. After oak aging the wine was selected, blended and aged for one more year in bottle.

    This single vineyard wine was first produced in 1978 and was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Later 20% of Sangiovese was added to the blend according to the vintage. Solaia is only produced in exceptional vintages. I was surprised by this wine. It was more fruit driven then in the past with aromas of cherries and blackberries and the oak was there but it was not excessive.
  • Dining in & out: Articles & Reviews

    Chianti's "New Look"

    It seems to me that with the exception of the Chianti Classico sub-zone, Chianti DOCG has an identity crisis.  The Chianti Classico sub-zone is the “original” zone between Florence and Siena.  It has its own Consortium and since 2005, when the government seal is put on a bottle it includes the Gallo Nero (black rooster) symbol. The Classico Consortium seems to want to distant itself from the rest of Chianti.

    The other Chianti sub-zones joined together to a formed their own Consortium, called Il Consorzio Del Chianti Putto.  Its symbol was a cherub draped in grapes.  I say “was” because IL Consorzio Del Chianti Putto does not exist anymore nor does its symbol.

    When I was invited to attend a seminar and tasting by the Consorzio Vino Chianti, I was very interested in attending. How was this “new” Consortium going to promote Chianti and make it less confusing for the consumer? So many sub-zones, so many different grapes, the rules changing too often (adding new sub-zones, changing the grapes that can be used and the percentage of grapes).  With 2,650 members in the Consortium, they have a big job in front of them.

     The panel for the seminar was made up of Giovanni Busi, president of the Consorzio and owner of the Travignoli winery, Nicola Marzovilla, Giovanni’s importer and translator, Laura De Pasquale from Palm Bay international and wine writer Bill Marsano.  The moderator was Robin Kelly O’Connor of Christie’s fine wine auctions.

    After the introduction and some background information, Mr. O’Connor asked Mr. Busi to speak about Chianti and the Consorzio.  Mr Busi began by speaking about the Chianti sub-zones that were members of the Consortium.

    The Chianti production zone consists of areas which are determined by Italian law in the provinces of Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena. Giovanni said that he viewed the whole area as one large “Chianti Valley” characterized by hills with large terraces and valleys crossed by rivers.

    The wine can just have Chianti on the label or have one of the seven designated zones: Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Pisane, Montalbano, Rufina, Montespertoli. In addition there is the Colli Dell’Etruria Centrale as well as the return of the Superiore classification.

    The Colli Dell’Etruria Centrale area is everything that has been left out of the other areas and at the same time included in them-I think?  The designation is positioned alongside the Chianti DOCG and permits the production in the same area of wines of a different quality from Chianti, with red wines being joined by white, rose, novella and Vin Santo del Chianti.

    Chianti can be 70-100% Sangiovese, a maximum of 10 white grapes (Malvasia and Trebbiano) and 15% of authorized red grapes such as Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.

    Chianti Superiore can be produced in all of the Chianti sub-zones with the exception of Chianti Classico.  Producers in these other sub-zones can make a Superiore but it cannot have the name of the sub-zone on the label. Superiore means that it has higher quality standards like lower yields and higher alcohol. It can be 75-100% Sangiovese, a max. of 10% Canaiolo, and 20% of other authorized grapes such as Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah etc. 

    I asked Giovanni if the “new” Consorzio had a symbol and he said that it did not have one and that the old symbol of the Chianti Putto was a thing of the past.

    One of the subjects that came up was the blend used to make Chianti. Of the wines we tasted most of the panelists seemed to favor the wines that included native grapes and not international ones. Giovanni went as far as to say that Chianti should be made from 100% Sangiovese. He believes that when the Sangiovese 2000 project was completed they were able to single out the best Sangiovese clones. These clones were better and healthier than those used in the past and therefore Sangiovese did not need to be part of a blend but could stand on its own.

    I never understand why Chianti in straw-covered bottles is always mentioned. People seem to believe that 40 years ago Chianti only came in this type of bottle, but this is not true. Recently I had a 1964 Villa Antinori and a 1958 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Gold Label and both were in Bordeaux- type bottles. The Ruffino was not a Chianti Classico --the label just said Chianti. All the Chianti I brought 40 years ago was always in a Bordeaux type bottle.   

    It was mentioned that Chianti in the past was made using the “governo method” (10% of the grapes, usually Canaiolo, were dried) and because of this it would not age and did not make a good wine.  I disagreed. The 1947 and 1958 Ruffino Gold Label were made with the governo method as were a number of other old wines which are still drinking today. One of the reasons it is no longer done was that it was too expensive and “old fashioned”. Giovanni said that the new clones of Sangiovese that they are using now are so much better that there is really no need to use the governo method.

    The Wines

    All of the wines were Riservas from the 2007 vintage.  2007 was a very good year in Tuscany right after 2001 and 2004. The number of bottles produced by each producer was very low, ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 bottles. If I understood Giovanni correctly the Riserva has to be aged for 18 months, and 6 of the months in wood. The price of the wines because they have the sub-zone on the label and are also Riservas are more expensive than a wine with just  Chianti on the label, would be between $20 and $30. The only retail price that we knew was the Travignoli at $28 because the importer was on the panel.

    I agreed with the panel that the best wines were those made from with the local grapes. Some of the wines were aged in cement tanks, which might be making a comeback.

    Chianti DCOG Riserva 2007- Az.Agr. ACorbinelli

    The vineyards are located in the Certaldo/Montespertoli area. The wine is a minimum of 80% Sangiovese and other approved red grapes. Fermentation is on the skin for fifteen days. The wine is aged for 12 months in cement tanks and for three months in bottle before release. For this wine there is no wood aging mentioned and the total aging is 15 months-3 months less than the law allows according to Giovanni. One panel member said that the producer must have left out the three months in wood on the tasting sheet. Is it 3 months in wood or 6 months in wood- this was not made clear to me.

    Chianti Colli Fiorentini “Villa Marcialla” DOCG Riserva 2007- Fattorie Giannozza

    The vineyards are in Marcialli and the wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. Fermentation takes place for 3/8 days. Maceration for about 15 days is stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged in big oak barrels (botti) for 26 months and 6 months in bottle before release.

    Chianti “Ugo Bing” DOCG Riserva 2007- Fattoria di Fiano. The vineyards are in Certaldo, Loc. Fiano and are between 200/300 mt above sea level with a South-East/North-East exposure. The grapes are Sangiovese,Canaiolo, Merlot, Colorino and Syrah. Traditional fermentation with pumping over and delestage - 7/9 days. The wine is aged in 27hl cement vats and barrels.

    Chianti “Cignozza” DOCG Riserva 2007- AZ. AGR. La Cignozza di Roberto Del Bruno. Location of Vineyards, Chianciano. 80% Sangiovese and 20% Canaiolo. They only produce Riserva during the best vintages. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for about 12 days with three pump-overs a day. Because of the density, the pump over is then substituted by the delestage (empting and refilling the tank). The juice is then left to settle in stainless steel tanks. After malolatic fermentation 50% of the wines is aged in tonneaux barrels to mature between January and February and the rest in large oak barrels for 24 months. It remains in the bottle for 5 months and is then released.

    Chianti “Vigna La Quercia” Colli Fiorentini DOCG Riserva 2007- AZ. AGR. Castelvecchio. Location of the vineyards San Casciano Val di Pesa. The wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Maceration for 48 hours and fermentation at controlled temperature for 15 days. The wine is aged in oak barriques for 12 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. 

    Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG Riserva 2007-  Castello di Poppiano Guiccardini.

    Location of vineyards, Montespertoli. 75 % Sangiovese, 20% Melo Cabernet and 5% Canaiolo. Fermentation in stainless steel vats and skin contact for 18 days. The wine is aged for 18/24 in oak barrels and three months in bottle before release.

    Chianti Rufina “Del Don” DOCG Riserva 2007 - Ag. Agr. Colognole. Location of vineyards Colognole (Pontesieve) 100% Sangiovese. There is skin contact for 12/15 days with frequent punching down. 50% is aged in Slovenian and French oak casks 20-30 hl and the rest in Allier tonneau of 500lt. It is aged 18 months in bottle before release.

    Chianti Rufina “Tegolaia” DOCG Riserva 2007- Travignoli Di Conte G. Busi SRL Location of the vineyards, Pelago 100% Sangiovese. Fermentation in stainless steel for 20 days. The wine is aged in oak barrels of 2,500 liters for 18 months and for 8 months in bottle before release.

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