Mapping the DOC(G) sparkling wines of Italy's Campania region

In my quest to map the sparkling DOC(G) wines of Italy, I have completed overviews of the sparkling wines of North and Central Italy and the southern Italian regions of Abruzzo and Molise. I now turn to the sparkling wines of another south Italy region: Campania.

Campania, the shin of the boot that is Italy, is its third most populous region. And with its 5.8 million people resident in an area covering 13,590 sq. km., it is the country's most densely populated region. But it is famed for factors beyond population. "The region is home to 10 of the 55 UNESCO sites in Italy ..." and its "... rich natural beauty ... makes it highly important in the tourism industry, with the city of Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Mount Vesuvius and the islands of Capri and Ischia continuing to be major attractions" (Wikipedia).

Campania is well-suited to the production of high quality wine. Its abundant sunshine, dry and hot summers (with coastal Mediterranean breezes tempering the heat), mild winters, mountainous terrain (allows planting at higher elevations), volcanic soil, lengthy growing season, and own-rooted vines (Phylloxera did not visit) add up to a growing environment that is a winemakers dream.

And this environment supports a number of high-quality white wines (Tom Hyland):

• Greco di Tufo
• Very good levels of acidity and excellent aging potential
• Less aromatic but with a bigger structure
• Minerality and concentration
• Does well in the volcanic soil in the mountainous terrain of Avellino
• Fiano di Avellino
• One of the most complex and elegant white wines of Italy
• Aging potential of 10 or more years
• Does well in the volcanic soil in the mountainous terrain of Avellino
• Fiano di Salerno
• More clay and limestone soil; fruit-driven, with less minerality
• Falanghina and Asprinio
• Both high-acid wines. 

Grapes that produce high-acid white wines are good candidates for sparkling wines. The chart below shows the appellations which allow sparkling wine within their borders and the grape varieties (and their proportions) utilized in their production. The chart directly following shows the sparkling wines produced in the region, in many cases, utilizing the described grapes grown in the highlighted regions.

Some observations:

• One of the four DOCGs and nine of the 15 DOCs allow for the production of sparkling wines
• Most of the Campania appellations are bunched in the upper part of the region as is the allowed sparkling wines
• With one exception -- Costa d'Amalfi DOC -- no international varieties are used in the production of the region's sparkling wines. Both Chardonnay and Pinot Nero are approved for use in the Costa d'Amalfi Spumante
• A total of 38 labels are approved over the 10 appellations shown above making for an average of 3.8 labels per appellation. Of course, the bulk of the labels are distributed between Sannio DOC and Vesuvio DOC
• 15 of the approved labels are Metodo Classico specifications
• Thirty-one of the approved labels are for varietal sparkling wines with Falanghina, Fiano, and Greco featuring prominently.

The sparkling wines in Greco di Tufo DOCG are made in the traditional manner and stay on the lees for at least 3 years. According to tasteatlas.com, "These straw yellow wines are intense, herbaceous, floral, and fruity with typical notes of apples, jasmine, thyme, or sage. They are best paired with rich seafood dishes and could go well with lobster or cod ... they are also an excellent aperitif and would be a great match to various appetizers."

Feudi di San Gregorio, one of the leading independent wine producers in Campania, has established a separate label -- DUBL -- under which to market its Spumante wines. This project began in 2004 and was aimed at bringing the classic sparkling wine method to the grapes of the Campanian tradition: Greco, Aglianico, and Falanghina.

Feudi San Gregorio felt that they had the high-quality fruit for such an initiative. The internal areas of the region are ideal for growth of grapes destined for sparkling wines:

• Diurnal temperature differences would allow grape ripening with acid-retention
• The ventilation and exposure of the vineyards are ideal
• Rugged terroir 
• Volcanic soils.

They did not, however, have the requisite skill. To fill that gap they sought the advice and assistance of Anselme Selosse -- of Jacques Selosse grower-Champagne fame. The wines that resulted were a 100% Greco sparkling wine, a 100% Aglianico sparkling Rosata, and a 100% Falanghina as a Double Brut.

In April 2016, DUBL extended its product portfolio with DUBL Esse, a Dossagio Zero line, with a white sparkling made from the best grapes from the most exciting vineyards in the Tufo area and a Rosata which comes from grapes from the most exciting vineyards in the Taurasi area.

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With Campania now in the rearview mirror, I will next look to the sparkling wines of Puglia.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Emergent Spanish wine regions: Bierzo

Pedro Ballesteros Torres, in a 2/2/18 Decanter article on Spanish wine trends, wrote about newly emergent wine regions which have become so propelled by the aggregated effects of:

• Developments in viticulture and oenology
• Climate change
• A resurgence of the perennial value of indigenous varieties
• A market eager to reward niche identities.

I am in the process of providing brief overviews of each of the identified regions, including the reasons why they are considered emergent. I cover Bierzo herein.

Bierzo is a small, rural, remote, ancient region sited within the boundaries of the autonomous region of Castillo Y Leon (it is shown in the northeastern portion of the map of the autonomous region below).

The region (awarded DO status in 1989) has surged in popularity after Alvaro Palacios (of Priorat fame) established vineyards there with his nephew Ricardo Pérez. It is divided into two terroirs: Bierzo Alta, a mineral-rich, mountainous terrain with terraced vineyards; and Bierzo Bajo, a "wide and verdant plain."

Bierzo's climate is continental but much cooler than Castillo Y Leon inland areas due to its relative proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. The Cordillera Cantábria to the north protects  the vineyard from north winds while the Sierra de los Ancares to the northwest calms the force of Atlantic storms.

Average rainfall is 720 mm/year.

The soil is predominantly slate and granite on the higher slopes with alluvial soils of quartz and clay in the lower reaches.

Mencia is the undisputed star variety of Bierzo. This recently prominent red grape accounts for 2/3rds of the region's planted vines. The slate and granite soils allows the Mencia grape to produce riper wines with greater mineral character and less alcohol than any other region in Castilllo Y Leon. According to Michael Schacter (Wine Enthusiast's Editor of Spanish and South American Wines), "when vinified properly, it delivers wines with purity of fruit, superb structure, fine balance, versatility at the table and good to excellent value." Premium examples of the wine are "typically characterized by intense yet smooth flavor, often including floral and spicy notes."

The other red variety of note in the region is Garnacha while the whites are Doña Blanca, Godello, Palomino, and Malvasia.

The wines of the region are shown in the table below.

Table 1. Selected Wine Types and Styles in Bierzo DO

Type	Style	Variet(ies)y	Requirements
White		Godello and Doña Blanca complemented by Palomino and Malvasia in different percentages
	Gran Reserva		> 6 months in oak; > 18 months in bottle
Rose		Mencia (50%) and mixing red or white grapes
	Gran Reserva		> 6 months in oak; > 18 months in bottle
Red	No oak	> 70% Mencia	First or second year wine
	Crianza		> 2 years aging; > 6 months in oak barrel of < 300 L
	Reserva		> 3 years aging; > 12 months in oak barrel of < 300 L
	Gran Reserva		> 5 years aging; > 18 months in oak barrel of < 300 L; remaining period in bottle

Why Bierzo as an Emergent Region?
One commentator sees the region's mineral-rich slate soil, continental climate, and intrepid winemakers combining to create some "truly memorable" red wines.

According to Michael Schacter, Mencia has been the fire for the fuel that is engulfing Bierzo.

Another commentator: "Bluntly stated, Bierzo is arguably Spain's most exciting wine region, where you can trade in the country's big-bodied, sometimes fiercely tannic Tempranillos and Garnachas for wines with exotic aromas, alluring flavor profiles and undeniable style."

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The regions identified as emergent by Torres in his initial article are:

• Balearic Islands
• Utiel-Requena DO
• Galicia
• Bierzo
• The Canary Islands
• Penedès
• Alicante
• Empordà
• Jumilla
• Sierra de Gredos
• Arribes DO
• Aragon

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Sangiovese: the variety at Italy's core

As I work my way through the sparkling wines of Italy, I have been diverted from time to time by the urge to dig deep into the details of significant varieties on the Italian wine landscape. Such was the case for Grechetto and Grechetto Gentile; and such is the case for Sangiovese.

Sangiovese is the most widely planted of the Italian varieties (63,000 ha; 10% of all plantings) and is the basis for some of the most important wines in Central Italy. The grape, the name of which translates to "Blood of Jove," is small-to-medium in size, round-to-oval in shape, and grows in tight clusters with wings at the shoulders. The skin is thin, with a deep-blue to dark-purple color. The flesh is translucent, seeded, and endowed with high acidity and medium-to-strong tannins.

In addition to the name Sangiovese, the variety has been referenced variously as: Sangiovese grosso, Sangiovese piccolo, Sangioveto, Sangiogheto, San Gioveto, San Zoveto, Prugnolo, Morellino, Brunello, and Nielluccio.

Research has shown it to be the offspring of Calabrese Contenuova and Ciliegiolo but this finding has been disputed by subsequent, competing research results.

Clones
It was previously thought that the grape had three manifestations -- Sangioveto in Chianti, Prugnolo Gentile in Montepulciano, and Brunello (Sangiovese Grosso) in Montalcino -- but clonal research initiated in 1980 (representatives from Banfi, the Chianti Classico Consortium, and the Universities of Florence, Perugia, and Milan) showed that:

1. Sangiovese is a family of highly adaptive grapes
2. There are two biotypes: Tuscan (57 clones) and Romagnon (13 clones).

In further work, Banfi has identified 650 clones in the Montalcino zone and has studied and registered 15 of them. The Banfi study has assessed a number of characteristics (berry size and weight, sugar accumulation, color capability, and tannin polymerization capability) and found significant variation from clone to clone. The team also found that Sangiovese is, moreso than other grape varieties, adaptable to different growing environments.

A total of 70,948 ha of Sangiovese is planted worldwide, with 63,000 ha of that total located within the borders of Italy. Argentina (2804 ha), Romania (1700 ha), Corsica (1633 ha), California (1371 ha) and Australia (440 ha) are the other "significant" players on the field. Within Italy, plantings are concentrated within the Central provinces but are also to be found in Lombardia, Emilia Romagna, Valpolicella, Campania, and Sicily.

Wine Characteristics
Jancis Robinson sees Sangiovese wines ranging along a spectrum which includes mulberries, prunes, spice, tobacco and (sometimes) leather and chestnut. "It tends to be savoury rather than sweet and, if not fully ripe, can smell distinctly farmyard-like."

Ian D'Agata, of Vinous, sees "violet aromas and black tea leaf on the nose and a red fruit profile (red currants and strawberries in cooler areas, red cherries in warmer areas) on the palate  with leather and underbrush notes appearing as the wine ages."

According to Vine Pair, the traditional characteristics of Sangiovese are as follows:

• Ripe and tart red fruit (particular sour cherry)
• Savory herbs (fennel, rosemary, thyme)
• Non-fruit notes to include tomato, iron and balsamic
• Minerality (clay, dark rock)
• Medium- to full-bodied
• High acid
• High tannin.

As has been pointed out previously, however, the Sangiovese character is strongly influenced by the soil in which it is planted. The variety clearly has an affinity for Tuscany, attributable, it has been said, to the limestone levels in the region. There are higher levels of limestone in the soils of Montalcino and Chianti Classico than in the more clay-based soils of Chianti; the difference in wine quality is illustrative. The chart below shows the variety's character as represented in some of its most famous wines in its most famous region.

In addition to Toscana, Sangiovese can be found in:

• Emilia-Romagna -- Sangiovese di Romagna is the most important Sangiovese zone outside Tuscany. The wine has to be a minimum 95% Sangiovese and expressions range from full-bodied and tannic to lighter, fruitier options, based on location
• Umbria -- The grape is used in the Montefalco Rosso DOC (60 - 80%); Torgiano Rosato and Rosso DOC (> 50%); and Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG (> 70%)
• Marche -- Some pure expressions but primarily used as a blending agent (up to 15%) with the Montepulciano grape in Rosso Conero
• Lazio -- Important red wine grape in this province.

Sangiovese has aging potential but the vast majority of its wines are consumable in the earlier parts of their lives. Brunello is an exception in that it requires 5 - 10 years to be optimal. Most other Sangiovese wines are ready at around 5 years and peak at around 10.

Winemaking
Sangiovese's high acidity, light color (due to a lack of acylated anthocyanins), and light body can be problematic for winemakers. They have, however, devised a number of methods to add body and texture to wines made from the variety.

Varietal Blending
Winemakers have historically blended Sangiovese wines with other varietals in order to complement its attractive qualities and fill in some of the gaps. These historical blending partners include Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Mammolo, Colorino, and white grapes Trebbiano and Malvasia.

Since the late 20th-century, it has become fashionable to blend Sangiovese with Bordeaux varietals, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon adds "rich saturation and structure" while Merlot adds lushness and softness. Chianti limits Cabernet Sauvignon to 15% of the blend.

Clonal Blending
Growers are utilizing  the newly commercialized clones that have emerged from research to affect the character of their wines. Banfi has taken the lead in clone blending, choosing 15 of them as being best-suited to its microclimate and preferred style of Brunello. One of these clones provides more violet aromas, another provides greater acidity, while a third provides deeper color.

Other Tactics
A number of other tactics have been deployed:

• Utilization of grapes from extremely low-yielding vines
• Adjusting fermentation temperature and length
• Extending maceration from a period of 7 - 12 days to a period ranging between 3 and 4 weeks
• Use of new French oak for aging rather than the traditional large, used oak botti
• Transferring the wine to new French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation results in higher levels of tannin polymerization and a rounder, softer mouthfeel
• Wine flavor is enhanced due to Sangiovese's sponge-like acquisition of sweet vanilla and other oak components from the barrels.

Sangiovese and Food
According to Food and Wine, "Pair Sangiovese with rare steaks, roasted game birds (or wild boar), rich chicken or mushroom dishes or anything with tomato sauce. On her Il Palazzone blog, Laura Gray, the Estate Manager, shared a wonderful recipe for Onion and Paprika Beef Spezzatino to accompany the estate's 2013 Brunello. It looks fantastic.

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I took a detour from sparkling wines and happened upon the "Blood of Jove."

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond (A conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW), Part 2

In Part 1 of my conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW, we covered existing and emerging Greek wine terroirs. The conversation continues and concludes in this post.

Vineyard plantings are approximately 55% white grape varieties and 45% red but, more importantly, 90 - 95% of the 65,000 ha are planted to indigenous varieties. This is important for us. We have carried the flag of indigenous vineyards for a lot of years. We are proud of our indigenous varieties.

In response to a question on the differences of Assyrtiko and Malagousia across geographic regions, Yiannis responded thusly. There are 2000 ha of Assyrtiko vines planted nationwide with 40 - 45% of the plantings in Santorini. If you have a scale with minerality on one side and fruit on the other, Santorini comes down hard on the minerality side with high minerality, saltiness, and evaporating smoke. If you go to mainland Greece, the Assyrtiko is broader, with more fruit. In the islands, the Assyrtiko is balanced between fruit and acidity.

In discussing emergent producers, Yiannis talked about waves of Greek wine producers. He saw the first wave as establishing the foundation of Greek wines and included producers such as Alpha Estate, Domaine Gerovassiliou, Ktima Kir Yianni, Ktima Pavlidis, Boutari, Sigalas, and Gaia. These were then followed by a second wave and a third wave, because we are always looking for something new (I have attached a link to Yiannis' 2016 article on a new generation of Greek winemakers here). What he is looking for are producers that are doing exciting new stuff. An example of that is Santor, the first biodynamic winery in Greece.

As it relates to the regions, most are limited in plantings. For example, Rapsani only covers 100 ha and Naousa 700 ha. Nemea, the largest PDO, only extends 2500 ha; and Santorini covers 1100 ha. He would like to see more things happening in the vineyard because everything starts from there. He is expecting to see more from Nemea in the future. Some of the areas where he expects to see new stuff happening include:

• Keffalonia
• Crete
• Peloponnese
• Several islands in the Aegean
• Rapsani
• Goumenisa.

There is an emphasis on producers going to high elevation vineyards both to change the expression of the variety as well as to combat climate change.

A lot of people are pursuing organic farming but he would like to see more. Fewer wineries are experimenting with biodynamics. Only one winery is certified in the country. They do need to do a lot more work in the vineyard. Especially in the areas of bush vines and clonal selection. He sees bush vines as a strategy to improve quality in the face of a changing climate.

In terms of varieties, you have to ask the question: Do we have a variety that can produce world class wines? Assyrtiko has answered that question. And we can say the same about top-quality Xinomavro. But Xinomavrio is a capricious variety, requiring extreme care in its handling in order to make top-quality wine. It requires good handling in the vineyard to attain phenolic ripeness and gentle handling in the winery in order to avoid a lot of aggressive tannins.

Beyond those two he thinks that:

• Agiorgitiko can produce world class within two or three years
• Robola cam produce top quality wines
• Liatiko can produce high-quality wines (as evidenced by the wines of Economou)
• Mavrodaphne can produce top quality, unique wines.

The top-level wines in Greece are mostly varietal. Xinomavro is blended in Goumenisa and Rapsani. While the law in Santorini allows for a minimum of 75% Assyrtiko, most of the wineries produce 100% wines.

He likes what he is seeing in the cellars:

• A lot of experimentation with old oak
• Moderate alcohol
• Amphorae and concrete as fermentation vehicles
• Low-intervention winemaking.

He is hoping that the natural wine regulations instituted in France is adopted by all the European countries such that confusion is minimized. There is some skin-contact wines being made in Crete, Attica, and in the north but people are still confused as to skin-contact and natural wines.

I asked about Retsina and Yiannis said "Will the real Retsina please stand up." The winemakers, he said, are using so little resin today that you cannot spot it in the wine. They go for elegant but if you don't spot the resin then you don't have Retsina. Retsina brings bad memories for a lot of people but we need to be proud of the really good Retsinas on the market.

The external markets (20%) for Greek wines are Germany (50% of exports), France, USA, Canada and the UK. The Germans are looking for inexpensive wines but beyond that, the wines are consumed in top restaurants in London, Paris, and New York. The wines are food-friendly and allow Somms to experiment freely.

As to how things will look post-lockdown, Yiannis shared that tourism is 15% of the Greek economy and, indirectly, 20 - 25%. If the lockdown ends towards the end of May, then they can work their way back slowly to where they were pre-lockdown. If it extends beyond that, "it's a big problem."

I wished him all the best on that Good Friday night in Athens and for the days to come. Thank you Yiannis.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond (A conversation with Yiannis Karakasis MW), Part 1

I held an InstaLive Chat session with Yiannis Karakasis on April 17th, the topic of which was Greek Wines: Santorini and Beyond. Given the wealth of information shared by Yiannis, I thought it important to provide the details of that conversation on this platform.

We began with background information on Yiannis. He was an officer in the Hellenic Navy where he served as a helicopter pilot. He was pursuing his WSET Diploma  while serving and made the decision to leave the military to concentrate on his wine studies. This was a big risk. He was rewarded, though, in that he was able to earn his MW in four years. Since attaining the MW he has been mostly educating, consulting, and writing about Greek and Cypriot wines. The most important thing for him currently is communicating his passion about Greek wines.

In terms of the positioning of Greek wines today, Yiannis sees the industry as being in a better place than it was 10 years ago. We have heard, says Yiannis, the Santorini story, but it is a niche market for initiated people and Somms in fine restaurants to whom Greek wines are important. The industry has a long way to go to attain his goal of it being the first alternative after France, Italy, and Spain in terms of recognition and quality. They will not play in the quantity game because production is 2.1 million hL annually. Greek wine can move towards this point with a lot of work in the vineyard.

Greek wine cannot become mainstream if we cannot expand the discussion beyond Santorini to other terroirs, other varieties. Santorini always works because they produce great wine; but there is more. He thinks that they should be focusing on these new stories, on new terroirs and new varieties. When people taste wines from Naousa, Nemea, or Keffalonia, they are immediately connected to those places.

We are only at the beginning of the terroir discussion in Greece, he said. There is some discussion in Naousa, and the beginning of a discussion in Nemea; but why are there not more single-vineyard offerings in the latter, the largest PDO in Greece. Currently there are only two or three producers crafting single-vineyard offerings in Nemea. Sigalis and a few other winemakers are producing single-vineyard wines in Santorini.

It is important that producers come up with single-vineyard offerings so that they can be sampled over time and see where they are going. Yiannis will be querying the growers in upcoming discussions (the lockdown willing) as to what are the constraints to providing these types of offerings. The single-vineyard discussion, though, is for the "sophisticated" among us. We still need to get people comfortable with three or 4 varieties at the consumer level.

In terms of important terroirs he pointed out the North, with its four PDOs for Xinomavro, the Peloponnese and Assyrtiko, the Mainland for Savatiano, and Crete for Vidiano (white) and Liatiko (red). Further, in Crete we can talk about international varieties becoming local. For example, the Rhone varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre) have adapted beautifully to the terroir. The Grenache from Manousakis, for example, is a different Grenache, elegant and refined. If you go to Keffalonia, the western portion is prime territory for Robola and Mavrodaphne while Assyrtiko dominates to the east.

There are 230 varieties recorded in the database, according to Yiannis, but there may be 230 more undiscovered. But discussion of new varieties may be complicating things more than they should be at this time. People wanting to begin an exploration of Greek wines should begin with four or so varieties: Assyrtiko, Malagousia (or, maybe, Moschofilero), Agiorgitiko, and Xinomavro. If you go deeper into red wines, there are too many stories. He is finding new discoveries every day in the "Greek wine book."

I will continue with Part 2 of the discussion on the morrow.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Emergent Spanish wine regions: The Balearic Islands

Pedro Ballesteros Torres, in a 2/2/18 Decanter article on Spanish wine trends, wrote about newly emergent wine regions, areas propelled by the aggregated effects of:

• Developments in viticulture and oenology
• Climate change
• A resurgence of the perennial value of indigenous varieties
• A market eager to reward niche identities.

The regions identified by Torres as emergent are illustrated in the map below.

Emergent Spanish wine regions

I will provide a brief overview of each of these regions, including the reasons why they are considered emergent, in a series of blog posts beginning today with the Balearic Islands.

The Balearic Islands, the autonomous division of Spain located off its east coast, are, due to their excellent climate, sandy beaches, and natural beauty, one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations.

The Balearic Islands (Source: Wikipedia)

But wines are also made there, with Mallorca, the largest of the islands, the source of one of the Cutting Edge Wines discussed in a previous post..

Winemaking in the Balearic Islands has a very long history, a history which was upended by the onset of Phylloxera. The ravages of the French vineyards meant that they had to look to other sources for fruit; and grape-growing in the Balearics expanded rapidly to meet this new demand. Balearic Island vineyards were decimated when the louse made landfall in the islands in 1891, causing a widespread shift to non-vine agricultural crops among the growers.

Even the resolution of the phylloxera issue did not result in a return to grape-growing in the Balearics; instead, grapes were grown only for local consumption. In the 1990s, however, a number of local winemakers decided to improve the quality of wine produced in the islands (Catavino) and, in furtherance of that goal: planted international varieties to complement the local varieties; enhanced irrigation systems; and introduced stainless steel and oak barrels for fermentation and aging.

Grapes are grown on all three of the Balearic Islands but the most vinously significant is Mallorca. The chart below shows the distribution of appellations among the islands and illustrates that the only regional DOs are in Mallorca.

There are a number of reasons why these islands can be considered as emergent (Cellartours.com):

• International varieties now appear with increasing frequency across the islands' vineyards
• Fresher, more aromatic whites are now the mainstay of production
• A new generation of winemakers are bringing a sense of the importance of terroir to wines and winemaking and are utilizing their best sites to produce wines of class and quality
• The wines have moved beyond the local tourist market and have begun to make waves on the Spanish mainland.

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The regions identified as emergent by Torres in his initial article are:

• Balearic Islands
• Utiel-Requena DO
• Galicia
• Bierzo
• The Canary Islands
• Penedès
• Alicante
• Empordà
• Jumilla
• Sierra de Gredos
• Arribes DO
• Aragon

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Cutting-Edge Spanish wines: Parés Baltà Hisenda Miret 2017, DO Penedès

This is the final wine in my series on the Vinos de Vanguardia (Wines on the Cutting Edge) of the Spanish wine industry. These eight wines were so designated by Wines from Spain and were discussed and evaluated by a four-person expert panel at that organizations Spain's Great Match Miami event (November 5, 2019).

I have covered seven of the wines in previous posts (Tajinaste Blanco 2018, Quinta da Muradella Blanco 2015, Edetària Selecció Blanc Vinyes Velles 2016, Conde de los Andes Rioja Blanco 2016, Guimaro Finca Meixemann 2017, AN/2 by Anima Negra 2017, Bodegas Mustiguillo Finca Terrerazo 2015) and will cover the final wine (Parés Baltà Hisenda Miret 2017) herein.

Penedès DO
Parés Baltà is located in the Penedès DO, a wine region that straddles both the Barcelona and Tarragona provinces.

Map of Penedes DO (Source: Penedes DO)

The region is wide and open, covering, as it does, a long strip of land between the sea and the mountains. It is divided into three distinct zones (see map above):

• Penedès Superior -- the land near the inland mountain range; higher rainfall and larger contrasts between minimum and maximum temperatures; the soil is a mix of limestone, sand, and clay.
• Penedès Marítime -- the land between the sea and the coastal hills. The climate here is a mild Mediterranean (due to its proximity to the sea) and the soil is a mix of limestone, sand, and clay.
• Penedès Central -- the plain between Superior and Marítime. The climate is a mix of the two and the soil has the same composition.

The Tramonta wind blows in from France in the winter but is diminished by the Montserrat Range.

White grape varieties are dominant with 4/5ths of the 15,200 ha devoted to their plantings. The white grapes are Xarel.lo (the most widely planted with 7000 ha under vine), Macabeu, Parellada, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. Red varieties include Garnatxa, Monastrel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Samó, and Ull de Llebre.

Penedès is known for its still wine and its Cavas. In the case of the still wines, most are drunk in the year after bottling. The Cava producers have upped their game by introducing a category (2014) called Classic Penedès which covers traditional and ancestral Cava production with a requirement of 100% organic, 100% Penedès, and 100% Reserva (minimum 15 months aging).

Parés Baltà
Vines were first planted in the area that surrounds the winery back in 1790. Current family ownership stretches back to 1978 when Mr Joan Cuisine took control of the winery.

The enterprise controls five vineyards but the one of interest to us is Finca Cal Miret in the town of Sant Martí Sarroca. The vines are resident on deep, brown agrillaceous limestone soils at elevations ranging between 298 and 325 m and inclines of between 5 and 15%. Varieties planted include Garnatxa, Xarel.lo, Macabeu, Syrah, Merlot, and Muscat.

All of the Parés Baltà vineyards are Demeter-certified biodynamic. Initial studies began in 2010, with the first biodynamic treatments produced, and applied, in 2011. Vineyards are cultivated without the use of herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Sheep provide fertilization material to the vineyards in the period following the harvest. The estate practices green pruning -- to increase air circulation and sun exposure -- and green harvesting -- to increase concentration and character in the remaining grapes.

Hisenda Miret
Hisenda Miret is a 100% Garnatxa wine which is fermented in stainless steel for 3 weeks with thrice-daily punchdowns. The wine is aged for 5 months in new and 2-year-old French oak barrels.

The 2017 edition of this wine showed intense red fruit and a florality out of the glass. It jumps out at you. Complex. The intensity carries through to the palate. The tannin makes its presence felt, as does the acidity. Lengthy finish. I loved this wine.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Sparkling wines of Piemonte: Villa Sparina Metodo Classico Blanc de Blanc (Gavi DOCG)

In that I am currently writing a series on Italian sparkling wines, I want to taste as broad a range of those wines as possible but it is especially tough to acquire them in Central Florida. As I was calling around yesterday, I found that Tim's Wine Market (Downtown) had bottles of Villa Sparina Metodo Classico Blanc de Blanc in stock; I hightailed it over there immediately to acquire a bottle for tasting purposes.

Villa Sparina is produced at the Villa Sparina Resort and Winery, located in Monterotondo, the heart of Piemonte's Gavi DOCG. The facility was founded by the Moccagatta family in the 1970s. The location of the DOCG and the winery are shown in the following two slides.

The estate sits on 100 ha, 70 of which are dedicated to grapes for the production of Gavi and Barbera.

Monterotondo is a cru for the Cortese grape of Gavi, the grape that is the basis for the Villa Sparina Metodo Classico Brut. The grapes are grown in vineyards resident at 250 - 300m altitude with mainly south and southwest exposures and soils of clay and marl. The vines are trained Guyot and are planted 4000 vines/ha density.

The grapes for the base wine are fermented in stainless steel tanks over a 3-week period. Second fermentation is carried out in bottles with the wine spending 36 months on its lees.

The wine had an initial breadfruit nose upon opening which gave way to a sweet white flower/fruit, citrus, citrus skin, pineapple and a steadily increasing pepper spice. Peach on the palate with a lemony-lime acidity. Medium weight, not as crisp as I prefer. Sparing, emaciated bubbles. Mineral persistence -- chalky clay -- on the palate. Short finish. The taste profile falls somewhere between a Franciacorta and a Prosecco; shaded towards the Prosecco end of the spectrum.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme