North-East Italy is one of those rare areas of the wine world; able to produce convincing examples of international grape varieties whilst at the same time also demonstrating a wealth of indigenous varieties and styles. Oceans of cheap-and-cheerful Prosecco and Pinot Grigio are made in the plains of Veneto, ringed by higher quality, often boutique productions, from rustic, mountainous Teroldego to high quality Pinot Noir, traditionally made sparkling wine to rival Champagne and even a variety of sweet wines. Bordering with Austria and Slovenia, is it any surprise that these wines speak with so many different accents?
Needless to say, trying to categorise wine production here in neat boxes is a futile exercise. Many of the best examples have been drank locally for years, yet increasingly the international market is taking notice and producers are starting to make a name for themselves outside of Italy. Our Maestrazgo Wine Club tasting this week focuses on 6 of these, from various appellations and in a variety of styles. We only scratched the surface, yet all 6 wines were well received with L’Arco Valpolicella di Ripasso winning our ‘Wine of the Night’ with 4/10 votes.
Tamellini Soave Classico ‘Le Bine de Costiola’ 2015
100% Garganega from the ‘Le Bine de Costiola’ vineyard. Fermented in stainless steel and left to rest on its lees for 6 months. 12.5% ABV
Soave is generally a much maligned wine, having damaged its own reputation after the enlargement of their production zone in 1968. This isn’t an uncommon story for Italian wines, and true to form, the much larger zone with its incredibly high yields (130hl/ha not being unheard of) started to produce the majority of Soave, most of it dilute and utterly boring. The first few times I tried the wine, I was completely confused as to why some of my friends loved the region as much as they did.
This is a region where the ‘Classico’ stipulation really makes a large difference. Soave Classico is the original production area, delineated in 1927, and almost exclusively on the limited hillside slopes with favourable aspects. The results are striking, with characteristic wines produced that are refreshing yet weighty, with a subtle intensity and a characteristic flavour of bitter almonds on the finish. The bottle that first caught my attention in this regard is our first wine of the evening; the single vineyard ‘Le Bine de Costiola’ from the Tamellini brothers, one of a few producers to start focusing on high quality Soave Classico, which in turn is changing the reputation of the region, particularly as these wines are well priced and accessible.
At 3 years of age, the wine has a deep, lemon colour and a lovely, delicate aroma. Lemon zest, white flowers, golden apples, peach and a touch of chestnut rolls out of the glass – this is what Soave should be about! Dry and refreshing, with creamy acidity and a surprising amount of weight for such a light wine. The finish is surprisingly long, with the flavour of bitter almonds lasting until the end. An excellent introduction to Soave Classico. 90Pts.
Castello di Lispida ‘Terralba’ 2015
100% Ribolla Gialla from their estate in Veneto, hand harvested and fermented for 3 weeks with the skins in clay amphorae. Very small quantities of So2 added, unfined and unfiltered. 12.5% ABV
Another overlooked aspect of wine-making in north-eastern Italy is the role it has played in the development of ‘natural’ wine. Whilst Kermit Lynch’s ‘Gang of 4’ are widely regarded as inspiring many French vignerons, particularly when it comes to red wine production, the majority of modern, so-called ‘Orange’ wine hail from north-east Italy, particularly from Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Here Josko Gravner reignited the flame for a style of wine that has been produced for thousands of years in Georgia, although the term ‘Orange wine’ wasn’t coined until as recently as 2004. I personally prefer the term ‘Amber’ wine as I find it to be less confusing, and frankly, more poetic.
The premise is that instead of pressing the white grapes shortly after their reception into the winery, you ferment the grapes whole, as you might a red wine, aiming to extract extra flavours, textures and invariably colour. The fermentation and/or post maturation period will make a big difference to all of the above, with some wines taking on dark hues, whilst others may be hard to visually discern from wines that have been made in a more traditional manner. Castello di Lispida are not a world-famous name when it comes to their amber wine production, being predominantly a country estate with rooms to rent, but with friends like Josko Gravner and Gianfranco Soldera assisting with their 6ha of vineyards, their wines are understandably confident!
Hazy lemon in colour and incredibly aromatic and quite wild in character, with notes of orange peel, bitter lemon, bruised peach, pear, wild flowers and a lovely, complex autolytic character (bread dough, yeast). Well balanced on the palate with no bitterness and the same complex, inviting flavours as the nose. Lower acidity than a lot of white wines from the region, weighty and full of flavour. I’ll be interested to see how this is received! 92Pts (It was very well received indeed!)
Elisabetta Foradori Teroldego 2014
100% Teroldego from various parcels farmed under biodynamic practices. Fermented in stainless steel and then aged in old French oak for 15 months before release. 12.5% ABV
One of the greatest improvements to Italy’s vinous ambitions was the adoption of modern viticulture; moving away from the old fashioned pergola style training systems that allowed other crops to grow beneath them, and focusing exclusively on wine as a product of the vineyards. Elisabetta Foradori changed the future of Teroldego this way, along with her exceptional wine-making prowess, elevating what was otherwise seen as a simple table wine to something quite special indeed.
Teroldego is a dark, brambly grape at best and is mainly found around the plains of Rotaliano in Trentino. Elisabetta’s grapes are at a higher elevation and this, as well as her unorthodox vinification techniques, force her to label her wines as IGT Vigneti Delle Dolomiti, in reference to the beautiful Dolomite mountains that ring her vineyards.
This is a wine I’ve drank through multiple vintages and I’ve yet to drink a boring bottle. Vibrant purple in colour and fresh on the nose, this is full of brambly dark fruits, black pepper, sappy herbs and a touch of smoked meat after 3.5 years of ageing. The high acidity and moderate but firm tannins make this unmistakably Italian, with the same clean, dark fruits and savoury sensations as the nose. Incredibly refreshing and very moreish. 90Pts
Ronchi di Cialla Ribolla Nera Rosso 2014
100% Schioppettino from owned vineyards at 200m altitude. 20% aged in old French oak for 15 months and a further year in bottle. 12.5% ABV
This is the wildcard wine of the tasting, produced from a grape variety that almost became extinct after the phylloxera epidemic, and the subsequent plantations of international grape varieties. Floral, meaty and incredibly peppery; you could easily be forgiven for thinking this is something from the Northern Rhone in a blind tasting! The trend towards exploring indigenous varieties has seen Schioppettino rekindle its fame somewhat, with 22 producers now aiming to make quality wine from the variety.
Ronchi di Cialla is one such, with an entire page on their website dedicated to explaining the grape, which is perhaps unsurprising given they claim to have been the only producer making single vineyard bottlings of Schioppettino as far back as 1977. I always admire producers who resolutely stick to their guns in this manner, and it’s lovely to see the fickle winds of fashion swing back in their direction.
Incredibly pale in colour, almost Nebbiolo like, and surprisingly pronounced on the nose. Northern Rhone indeed; dried red fruits, smoked meat, black pepper, undergrowth and more than a suggestion of brettanomyces. Light but firm tannins, high acidity and a rustic, savoury nature on the palate. I love these kinds of wine, especially as they seem to be dying out across the world, although I do think the brett is slightly too much in this particular bottle. 89Pts
Elena Walch Ludwig Pinot Noir 2014
100% Pinot Noir from vineyards between 450 and 600m altitude. Fermented in both stainless steel and old, Slovenian oak then aged for a further 16 months in old French oak barrels. 13% ABV
Alto Adige is the most northerly wine producing region in Italy, with a clear Germanic influence and, unusually for Italy, varietal labelling on its wines. There are no DOCG appellations here, leading some to mistakenly believe that the region is uninterested in making ambitious wines, yet the cool but dry climate, long ripening periods and protective influence of the Alps allows for some very interesting, quality wines to be produced.
French varieties have been planted here since they were introduced by the Hapsburg Empire, prior to Sudtirol it being annexed by Italy after World World I, and although out-planted by Schiava, they tend to dominate export markets. Pinot Noir, known here as Pinot Nero, does particularly well on the slopes with better exposure to sunshine, and several producers are now making some very worthy examples.
It looks like Pinot Noir and it certainly smells like it! Ripe cherries, strawberries, soft leather, undergrowth and a touch of violets, just lovely. There’s some oak here as well, with a touch of vanilla and toast. Aromatic and lively on the palate, with soft tannins and a well balanced feel, although there’s a hint of something slightly soapy on the finish which is off-putting. A very well made Pinot Noir regardless. 89Pts
L’Arco Vini Valpolicella Ripasso 2013
Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara from the hillside slopes. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 2 years in 2000hl Slavonian oak foudres. 14.5% ABV
Naturally, we can’t do a tasting about north-east Italy without tasting something from Valpolicella. Much like the Soave we began with, Valpolicella has become a victim of its own success, with the original historical zone grossly enlarged to take advantage of the world-wide demand for its wines. Needless to say, the best wines tend to hail from the smaller, original area, mostly situated on the slopes of the small valleys.
L’Arco remind me of Zyme, a producer whose Amarone della Valpolicella I presented in our final wine tasting of 2017. Here too the young wine-maker, Luca Fedrigo, studied under Quintarelli and has taken the traditional style away from those teachings, focusing on elegance and poise over sheer power and force.
A pale ruby colour and pronounced on the nose; what a treat! Ripe, dried cherries, strawberries and damsons tumble out of the glass, supported by soft leather, tobacco, earth and coffee. There’s a touch of oak here but it is very subtle indeed thanks for the large format style used for maturation. Despite it’s 14.5% ABV, this is an utterly refreshing wine and yet so intense, finishing with that classic leathery bitterness. Complex, aromatic and inviting – an excellent Ripasso! 93Pts (Wine of the Night!)