What are the 2 most prominent black grape varietals in Central Italy?
- Sangiovese
- Montepulciano
Which Central Italian region is famous for Sangiovese?
Tuscany
Which Central Italian region is famous for the grape Montepulciano?
Abruzzo
Which mountain range runs down the length of Italy, basically splitting the country down the middle of the boot?
The Apennines
What 2 terms are widely used in Central Italy to differentiate style and quality?
- Classico
- Riserva
What does the term “Classico” generally indicate on a bottle of wine?
- Grapes come from a smaller, historic area of a particular region
- Usually hilly
- Wines are more concentrated/intense in flavor
What does the term “Riserva” generally indicate on a bottle of wine?
- Used for DOC or DOCG (not IGT!)
- Wine has been aged for a certain number of months prior to release (length of aging depends on DOC/DOCG rules)
Describe the profile of Montepulciano.
- Dry
- High tannin
- Medium acid
- Black fruits (plums, cherries)
- Most are affordable/simple with no oak
- Some concentrated styles will see oak
What is the most famous DOC in Abruzzo for the Montepulciano grape?
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Literally, Montepulciano from Abruzzo – the d’, di, dei, or della in Italian means ‘from’ or ‘of’.
What is the prevalent black grape varietal in Tuscany?
Sangiovese
Describe the profile of Sangiovese.
- Dry
- High tannin
- High acid
- Red fruits (cherries, plums)
- Dried herbal notes (especially dried pizza herbs: oregano and basil)
- Most are affordable/simple with no oak
- Some concentrated styles of Classico and Riserva will see oak
What are the 4 most important DOC/DOCGs for Sangiovese in Tuscany?
- Chianti DOCG
- Chianti Classico DOCG
- Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
- Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Which DOCG in Tuscany produces Sangiovese at its most simple that drinks best in its youth?
Chianti DOCG
Quality of Chianti DOCG is very inconsistent as the area is big and broad.
How does Chianti Classico DOCG compare to Chianti DOCG in terms of terroir and age-worthiness?
Chianti Classico:
* Is at a higher elevation (longer growing season)
* Is more likely to be matured in oak vessels
* Will display more complex aromas and flavors
Which wine is aged longer, Chianti Classico DOCG or Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG?
Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG will usually have a fuller body, more alcohol, and more oak than Chianti Classico DOCG.
Because the Riserva is aged longer, it will more likely display secondary and tertiary flavors than Chianti Classico.
Where is the town of Montalcino within Tuscany (north, south, east, west)?
Southern Tuscany
At this more southern latitude, Montalcino is warmer than Chianti; therefore it produces richer, fuller-bodied, and more concentrated Sangiovese than Chianti or Chianti Classico.
Brunello is the name for what in Montalcino?
Brunello is the name for Sangiovese in local dialect.
Describe the profile of Brunello di Montalcino.
- Dry
- High alcohol
- Full body
- High tannin
- High acid
- Concentrated red-fruit profile
- Always matured in oak vessels (mostly neutral) for long period prior to release (notes of clove, cedar)
- Great aging potential
