Giulio Gambelli and Tuscan Sangiovese: The view from Chianti Classico

I have long been beguiled by the life and work of Giulio Gambelli, the noted Sangiovese expert, but have only been able to capture snippets through writings on the websites of the wineries with which he was associated and an abbreviated treatment by Kerin O’Keefe in her Brunello di Montalcino. 

I have now been able to add to that meager knowledge base with information provided in a more robust treatment of Gambelli’s life and work in Nesto and di Savino’s Chianti Classico. Bill Nesto actually met and tasted with Gambelli in the 1990s and wrote an article about him back in 1999. The information on Gambelli provided in this post is drawn largely from the Nesto and di Savino characterization of this Tuscan treasure.

Nesto first met Gambelli in the Lilliano cellar in the fall of 1994. His nickname was Bicchierino, a name that he secretly detested. According to Nesto and di Savino, Bicchierino — little glass — had become associated with the family 150 years prior as a result of  his great-grandfather selling wine in little glasses in a family-owned Trattoria. The name was passed on to Gambelli by his great-grandfather.

Giulio was born in 1925 in Poggibonsi (Siena) where his family owned a tobacco and small-goods store. At 14 years of age, he signed on as a cellar worker at the Poggibonsi facility of the Enopolio of the Siena and Grosetto farm consortium. At that time, and during the subsequent war period, the Enopolio was one of the largest vinification and wine-storage facilities in Italy and its wines were considered the best in Chianti. Giulio’s initial work was confined to “menial jobs” and tasting the wines as they were moved from barrel to barrel.

On the left, a youthful Giulio (source: Screen grab
from i-wine review YouTube video); on the right, a 
more mature Giulio (source: igrandvini.it)

Tancredi Biondi Santi (Yes, that Tancredi Biondi Santi) served two stints as the Enopolio's Consulting Oenologist while Giulio was employed therein. The figure below shows the heft that Tancredi Biondi Santi brought to the Enopolio and what training with him meant for Giulio.

Not only did he learn about Sangiovese from a noteworthy oenologist, he also developed relationships with producers who would become consulting clients during his stint at the Enopolio and after he left in 1965 to go help with the family store. Giulio had become friendly with a number of producers and gave them free consulting advice as a favor. Giulio sold the store in 1972 and turned to freelance consulting to wineries on a full-time basis.

 

At this time Chianto Classico was "shifting from a pale, light, slightly fizzy wine in a fiasco to a more structured wine in a bottle." With the Biondi Santi training, Gambelli knew how to make such a wine and assisted a number of producers who were beginning to bottle their own wines. During the 1970s and 80s he developed as many as 80 clients and worked out of three offices in the Poggibonsi area. A partial list of his clients is provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Partial list of Gambelli clients (Source: Nesto and di Savino; author)

Clients from Enopolio Stint	Later Additions	Other Important Chianti Classico Clients	Late-Career Additions	Selected Montalcino Clients	Consorzio Clients
Brandini Marcolini (Rencine)	Lilliano	Ormanni	Rignana	Soldera (Case Basse)	Chianti Classico
Marzi (Bibbiano)	Pagliarese	Rodano	Porta di Vertine	Poggio di Sotto	Brunello di Montalcino
Gaggelli (Santedame)	San Felice	Straccali		Il Colle	San Gimignano
Lucherini (Villarosa)	Cacchiano	Lo Spugnaccio		Cerbaiona
	Fonterutoli	Villa a Sesta
	Manetti (Monvertine)	Colle ai Lecci

Giulio never had a payment structure and never billed a single client for work done. Nesto and di Savino point out that a number of his clients angsted as to how/how much/ when to pay him and his wife was always imploring him to seek payment for his services. 

Giulio would generally begin work in Montalcino, with each visit lasting approximately 30 minutes. After completing his rounds in Montalcino, he would drop in -- unannounced -- on his clients in Chianti Classico.

The below chart illustrates Gambelli's philosophy and techniques for producing high-quality Sangiovese wines. 

As shown, he was partial to oxygen contact during all phases of the production process. As Nesto and di Savino note, "these techniques ... can produce greater amounts of volatile acidity" but this did not much bother him as the resulting volatile smell, in his estimation, "was accompanied by a more supple taste and increased roundness." Fully developed, healthy skins and clean conditions, coupled with a vigorous and long maceration in air, produced the kind of structured wine that he appreciated. And that structure would allow the wine to age even in reduced-acidity conditions.

Giuliano Gambelli passed away on January 3, 2012, at the age of 86.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The physical aspects of Sangiovese terroir: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Montecucco, and Morellino di Scansano

I am in the process of providing a comprehensive review of the Sangiovese variety and, to date, have written on the clones, and viticulture (broader Tuscany in the 14th century; Chianti, 15th to 19th century; Chianti, 20th century to present). As noted by BKwine, “Sangiovese is an impressionable grape variety that easily takes on characters from the specific soil or terroir ...” so, at this time, I will double back and examine the physical aspects (climate, soils, aspect, elevation, etc.) of the Sangiovese terroirs. 

In my discourses on Sangiovese viticulture, I concentrated mostly on the experiences in Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. In this phase of the effort, I will expand the coverage to sample all of the major Sangiovese growing areas within Italy. 

Red ovals indicate regions
wherein Sangiovese grapes are 
grown and wine produced
(modification of a nicks.com.au
map)

Again, as per BKwine re Sangiovese, "... it is in Tuscany that it is most prominent and gets to (sic) most distinguished expression. This is where conditions are right to make really great and excellent wines ..." As such, I will begin this journey in Tuscany.

The primary Sangiovese wines in Tuscany are Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Chianti Classico DOCG, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Chianti DOCG, Morellino di Scansano DOCG, and Montecucco DOC(G). In this post I will be covering Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morelino di Scansano, and Montecucco.

Major Sangiovese-based wines in 
Tuscany (modification of a Winefolly
map)

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG

As shown in the map above, this region lies northeast of its fellow traveller Brunello di Montalcino. This region utilizes a Sangiovese variant called Prugnolo Gentile as the core of its wine, which is composed of > 70% Sangiovese, < 30% other approved red varieties, and < 5% of white varieties.

The region lies on a hilly ridge lying between Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia with elevations ranging between 250 and 600 meters. 

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG

The climate is warm and more continental than its compatriots. It experiences significant rainfall with November being the month with the highest levels. Annual rainfall clocks in at 730 mm.

Unlike Montalcino and Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano allowed a regional zonation study by the famed cartographer Alessandro Masnaghetti. The map is shown above. The zonation study identified 36 crus (11 in the north, 13 in the south, 2 shared between the north and south, 6 in the east, and 6 in the west) with primarily Pliocene soils in the north and south, Pleistocene soils in the east, and a mix of Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Mesozoic soils in the west. Elevations were from 250 to 430 m in the north, 270 to 420 m in the south, 260 to 330 m in the east and from 470 to 600 m in the west.

Chiara Giorleo (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano -- Toscana: a focus on the soil composition) differentiates between Pliocene and Pleistocene soils and their effects on the wine made from grapes grown thereon. Pliocene soils are marine sands and clays and are "thin, more mineral and calcareous, composed of calcareous sands." Sangiovese from these soils tend to be "more concentrated, with a deep color and a marked tannic structure ... in addition to red fruits it offers floral notes." Pleistocene soils are fluvial-lacustrine sands and clays and are deep soils with "more siliceous sands with calcium carbonate." Sangiovese from these soils are "less concentrated, with 'smoother' and silky tannins and hints that turn more easily towards riper red fruit, citrus and spices." The soils distribution are shown in the geological map below.

Montepulciano soils distribution
(Source: chiaragiorleo.com)

The best vineyard areas are at 300m on southeast facing slopes on clay and sandy soils in the towns of Argiano, Caggiole, Canneto, Casalte, and Valiano. 

Winemag describes the region's wines as having elegance and acidity along with body, tannin and structure. BBR cite them as having the richness of Brunello di Montalcino along with the perfume of Chianti Classico. These wines, further, are medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins, lively acidity accompanying fleshy strawberry and cherry fruit and hints of tea leaves.

Montecucco DOC and Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG

Montecucco is located on the south slopes of Mt Amiata, separated from the vines of Montalcino by the peaks of that long-dormant volcano. The region — located fully within the Maremma DOC, and sited between 50 and 500 m — attained DOC status in 1998 and gained a Sangiovese-focused DOCG in 2011.

Montecucco DOC and DOCG 
(Source: consorziomontecuccio.it)

Montecucco’s climate is typically Mediterranean with year-round drying, cleaning breezes blowing in from the Tyrrenhian Sea. These breezes, plus the altitude (for more elevated vineyards) serve as moderating forces against the summer heat while the mountainous peaks protect against winds from the north in colder months.

The soils are comprised of fertile clay along the Ombrone and Orcia rivers and poorer soils — with lots of stone, volcanic elements, and lava — at higher altitudes. Fractured sandstone can be found in areas approaching the sea. 

Campinuovi is a 7-ha estate located at elevations ranging between 350 and 465 meters. The soils in this small estate are rather varied (campinuovi.com):

• Sandstone-derived coarse-textured soils rich in organic matter
• Sandy clay soils formed on fluvial gravel and iron-rich conglomerates
• Sandy clay soils formed in fluvial gravel and calcareous conglomerates
• Silty clay soils
• Marl-derived clay soils.

The estate also benefits from the water flowing deep underground in transit between the mountains and the plain. Vine roots are able to access these water resources year-round.

The best wines from the region are produced in seven key villages: Cinigiani, Civiletta Paganino, Campagnatico, Castei del Piano, Roccalbegna, Arcidosso, and Seggiano. The Sangiovese wines are produced from the same Sangiovese type as in Brunello di Montalcino -- Sangiovese grosso -- and are configured as shown in the table below.

Table 1. Montecucco Wines.

Type		Montecucco DOC	Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG
Rosato		> 60% Sangiovese and/or Ciliegiolo
Rosso	Composition	> 60% Sangiovese + OANRG	> 90% Sangiovese + OANRG; 13% abv
	Aging	17 months	18 mos of which > 12 mos in barrel
Rosso Riserva	Composition	Same as Rosso	Same as Rosso
	Aging	18 mos in barrel, 6 mos in bottle	34 mos of which > 24 mos in barrel; 6 months in bottle; 13.5% abv

The wines from this region have been described as having "more pronounced flavors of black cherry and plum than in Montalcino" and being "deep structured wines offering excellent fruit and spice."

Morellino di Scansano DOCG

With the Tyrrhenian Sea in close proximity to its south, and bordered to its north by Montecucco, the subject zone falls fully within Maremma DOC. Vineyards are sited on southwest-facing slopes at elevations ranging between 300 and 500 m on the coastal range hugging the towns of Scansano and Maglione. The production zone encompasses the municipality of Scansano and parts of the municipalities of Grosseto, Magliano in Toscana, Campagnatico, Roccabegna, Semproniano, and Manciano. Sangiovese is called Morellino -- little dark one -- in this area.

The climate is Mediterranean with plenty of warm sunshine and refreshing sea breezes and is moderated by the winds blowing in off the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Albegna River. Diurnal temperature swings during the summer and autumn promote ripening and acid retention.

As noted above, "the vineyards are located on the hills and foothills which slope south from the north and the east towards the plain of Albinia and westward to the Tyrrhenian coast and the plain of Grosseto." The location affords protection from cold north winds while providing access to the temperate breezes from the sea.

The former swampland has two main types of soil: (i) relatively uniform sandstone in the western portion and (ii) limestone and clay to the east. Given its origins, it is rich in marine sediments. It is also relatively shallow, allowing the irregular emergence of rocky substrates. The soil in the hills is or volcanic origin.

This southernmost of the Sangiovese DOCGs is associated with ripe fruit and rounder and more savory wines than its more northerly brethren. The wines have a "lively freshness and crisp character" accompanying notes of cherry, pomegranate, plum, leather, cedar, and spice. The wines are not as full-bodied and tannic as Brunello and Vino Nobile; rather, they are "fragrant and graceful."

*******************************************************************************************************

I will continue this series on the physical aspects of Tuscan Sangiovese terroirs with an exploration into the Montalcino case.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Sangiovese Viticulture, Part II (Cont’d): 20th century to present

At the turn of the 20th century, viticulture in Chianti was characterized by an imbalance of promiscuous versus specialized vineyards, the mezzadri-directed grape growing, and vineyards in the midst of the plague of the phylloxera louse. The foregoing contributed to a lack of quality of the wines produced in the region.

In the first third of the century, we begin to see an increase in the number of small, specialized vineyards, a response to the steadily increasing price of Chianti. This incentivized some owners and sharecroppers to make the switch to monoculture. These small vineyards generally had row spacing of 1.5 to 2 meters and vine spacing of 0.8 meters.

The broader population of mezzadri was resistant to these specialized vineyards because of the impact on their self-sufficiency.

In addition to its straight-up devastation of the vineyards, phylloxera also affected the mezzadri practices for replacing dead vines or planting new vineyards. As discussed in my most recent post, these plantings had utilized the propagginazione, capogatto, magliolo, or barbatella methods and all were rendered untenable by the presence of the louse in the soil. Instead, the mezzadri planted new vines by field (dry) grafting the cultivar scion onto the phylloxera-resistant rootstock. At that time the rootstock most commonly employed was 420A.

1950 - 1980

Vineyards 

The sharecroppers deserted the land in droves in the period 1950 - 1970 in pursuit of the steadier income from the factories in the north of the country. This was not only a loss of labor for the vineyards, but also a loss of know how, with the attendant deleterious effects on the industry. Many vineyards and terraces fell into disrepair and abandonment.

Mezzadri leaving Tuscany for the industrialized
North (Source: invitationto.com)

Abandoned farms (Source: invitationto.com)

For the owners who were interested in continuing to make wine, this removed one of the impediments to increased specialization and the figures below show that they took advantage of the opportunity.

Table 1. Vineyard Plantings in Chianti: Selected Periods

	Before 1964	1970	1977
Specialized Vineyards (ha)	900	2648	6877
Promiscuous Vineyards (ha)	8277	8178	6122
Totals	9177	10,826	12,999

The numbers show an overall increase in planted hectares over the period due largely to sharp increases in specialized vineyard plantings.

But the mezzadri labor in the vineyard had to be replaced in order for the remaining vineyards to function. The solution? Large agricultural machines and “clean cultivation.” Bulldozers were introduced at this time and, according to Nesto and di Savino, they destroyed the old stone terraces and altered the contours of the vineyards in the quest for more vineyard economies of scale. Tractors were utilized for many tasks historically down by the mezzadri and vineyard spacing — 2500 vines/ha — reflected this new reality.

Mechanization led to the small, terraced vineyards being supplanted by large vineyards located in areas more amenable to mechanization; valleys or low-exposure sites which retarded grape ripening.

Clean cultivation involved removing all vegetation from the topsoil except the vines. This practice minimized competition for soil nutrients and maximized yields. There were a number of negative effects, however:

• A reliance on herbicides for weed removal 
• Synthetic fertilizers replacing natural ones such as manure
• Increased erosion rates
• Destruction of flora and fauna in the topsoil
• The mixture of synthetic chemical and soil compaction (caused by heavy machinery) was deleterious to topsoil ecological diversity.

In this period, newer vineyards were planted in the lower and middle slopes, with the vines planted downslope in rittochino. These practices led to soil erosion on steep slopes or in areas with loose soil.

Rootstocks

The most popular rootstock in the first half of the 20th century was 420A: it was drought- and phylloxera-resistant; had high active lime resistance, and reduced the vegetative growth of the cultivar. 

In the 1960s and 70s Kober 5BB gained attention due to its high yield per plant. It later fell into disrepute after it was shown to be responsible for the lack of concentration in Chianti Classico.

Training Systems

Late-19th-century vines were trained to stakes in the alberello system or to trees in the testucchio system. In the 20th century, trellising systems became more complicated as wires were utilized for shoot support. Until the 1970’s the system of choice in  Chianti was the Tuscan Arched Cane. Also called capovolto and Curved Guyot, this system called for the bending of the dominant cane into a bow or arched shape, with the cane then tied to the bottom wire of the trellis. The arching of the cane allowed for denser foliage and higher yields but, with the bunches at different heights, was a headache for manual harvesting.

Tuscan Cane

Single and double Guyot are similar to capovolto and were utilized simultaneously. Single and double cordon versions of cordone speranato were subsequently adopted.

1980s to Current Day

In the late 1980s it was becoming clear that Chianti Classico was falling behind its fellow Tuscan travelers Brunello di Montalcino and the Super Tuscans and, as shown in the chart below, the Consorzio took steps to address the issue.

The chart below illustrates the the elements of the current Sangiovese viticultural architecture with specific reference to Chianti Classico and Montalcino.

Farming Practices

As in the rest of Italy and the world, Sangiovese growers are extending beyond conventional viticulture to organic and biodynamic because of the challenges afforded by the former.

Training Systems

According to Nesto and di Savino, largely due to the presence of Esca, growers in Chianti Classico are moving away from low cordon-spur pruning and back to cane pruning. The cuts that are necessary as the spurs get longer leaves large wounds in the cordon that serve as entry points for Esca. "Because these cuts are in older wood, where sap circulation is slower and more limited, mal dell'esca can easily enter the vine through them. Vines are especially vulnerable during the dormant winter period, when they have no sap to thwart a fungus attack" (Nesto and di Savino). Guyot or Tuscan arched cane resist esca more effectively than cordone speronato trained vines (Nesto and di Savino).

According to Kerin O’Keefe (Brunello di Montalcino), the dominant training system in Montalcino is cordone speranato with most producers having two nodes per cordon. The advantages of this system are (O’Keefe):

• It facilitates mechanized pruning and harvesting (most Montalcino producers perform all vineyard maintenance and harvesting by hand but more and more are using mechanization for pruning and canopy management)
• It best regulates the plant’s production of grape bunches
• It favors a uniform leaf canopy
• It encourages mature vines to produce smaller bunches.

Guyot, according to O’Keefe, was widely planted in Montalcino in the 70s and 80s but was abandoned due to its encouraging the Sangiovese vines to produce too many clusters and berries. Research has shown that, even at different planting densities, cordone speranato produces superior grapes when compared to those trained Guyot (O’ Keefe).

Alberello is a heritage training system.

Planting Density

The right planting density is crucial for quality wines as competition forces the vine to produce fewer, less-compact bunches. (O'Keefe). In Montalcino growers stay under the 8 - 10,000 vines/ha common in other growing areas. It is felt that 5000 vines/ha is optimal for that zone with some of the oldest vineyards coming in at 2200 - 3300 vines/ha and the highest zones going up to as much as 7000 vines/ha.

Canopy Management

A balanced canopy in Montalcino provides optimal photosynthesis and protects against excessive sunlight, with the latter of especial importance in Montalcino due to the prohibition on irrigation.

In Chianti Classico, Michael Schmelzer of Monte Bernardi has introduced a system of braiding -- intrecciatura -- the tender green shoots at the top of the canopy around the top wire of the trellis. This allows the vine to express its growth, leading to higher yields, better tannin ripeness, earlier ripening, lower alcohol, and higher phenolic compound content (Nesto and di Savino)

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Sangiovese, the cultivar at Italy's core: Part II, Viticulture -- 15th to 19th century*

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. I had previously written about the variety but ongoing research has yielded additional information, requiring an updating of the original material, as well as the way in which it is presented. Towards that end, I will present a more comprehensive view of the variety in four separate posts: clones, viticulture (broader Tuscany in the 14th century; Chianti, 15th to 19th century; Chianti, 20th century), winemaking, and wines. I continue herein with 15th- to 19th-century Chianti viticulture.

Chianti wine has its deepest roots in the period between 1450 and 1550 and a “culture of carefully managed vineyards of Sangiovese in Chianti and Val di Greve dating back to at least 1552” (Nesto and di Savino). Alberello and Testucchio (discussed in a previous post) were two of the most important vine-training systems utilized in the region during the covered period.

Vine Training

Alberello Vine Training

Alberello-trained vines, normally supported by chestnut stakes, were planted in rows along the gradient of the steep hills of Chianti with distances of 1 meter between vines and rows. Olive and fruit trees were sometimes planted among the vines, with the olives especially prized due to their value. According to Nesto and di Savino, the pre-Phylloxera Lamole vineyard was specialized and was planted at more than 10,000 vines/ha. Chianti was so tightly associated with low-training that the method was called all'uso del Chianti when employed elsewhere.

Low-trained vines on steep hillsides will result in steady erosion of topsoil and, over time, a loss of productivity. The farmers in Chianti addressed that problem in two ways. First, they planted the vine rows along the contour of the slope. This impeded the flow of water (and soil) downslope and allowed for more water to be absorbed into the soil. In the case of even steeper slopes, the farmers built stone walls that "would hold back the land and create terraces." 

Alberello-trained vineyard with chestnut staves and 
terraces (For example purposes only; actually a
Mt. Etna vineyard)

Constructing these terraces required "... backbreaking work of countless sharecroppers to break up and excavate the rocks and strata of hardened clay, limestone, and sandstone below the top soil" (Nesto and di Savino). The terraces were configured as follows:

• Vine rows ran parallel to the curve of the walls
• Terrace walls preferably faced south providing cover from the cold north winds
• Radiant heat stored in the rocks warmed the vines, thus advancing ripening
• Moisture seeping through the walls served as a natural form of irrigation
• These terraces ranged between 5- and 12-meters wide; the steeper the incline, the narrower the terrace.

Controlled water movement down the terrace levels was of critical importance and was facilitated by a variety of drainage schemes.

Testucchio Vine-Training System

Whereas the alberello is a low-trained system, the Testucchio (local Tuscan name for the hedge maple) was a system of "running vines up trees with tree branches or reeds stuck into the ground to support the vines planted in between ... The testucchi formed a wall of vegetation that usually surrounded a field where other crops were grown or covered a field themselves, in parallel lines." Such a system is illustrated below.

This system was a massive producer of fruit -- in addition to protecting the vines from heat in the summer and absorbing excess humidity during rainy periods -- but, unfortunately, they were rarely fully ripe and generally were the source of low-quality wines.

The ideal locations for this system were soils deep and fertile enough to support the tree growth. In the first half of the 1800s in Chianti, this system was used in the fertile plains and in the low hills. This system was increasingly employed as the mezzadria system became more institutionalized (Nesto and di Savino).

Mezzadria

Mezzadria was an evolution of feudalism where the landowner and sharecropper (mezzadro) collaborated in a profit-sharing scheme wherein the landowner provided raw materials, implements, and housing and the sharecropping family:

• Grew grapes and olives for the production of wine and olive oil
• Grew vegetables and wheat
• Raised animals for milk and cheese
• Raised chickens for eggs
• Raised other animals for food.

According to Nesto and di Savino, the 1779 period saw the “solidification and expansion of the mezzadria system in Tuscany and Chianti in particular.”

Vine Planting — Replacement and New

The growers had a number of means available to them during this period for replacing vines or planting new vineyards.

Vine Replacement

There were three methods for vine replacement: propagginazione, capogatto, and magliolo. The chart below illustrates the functioning of the initial two systems.

The magliolo system makes use of 2-year-old budwood, approximately 1 meter in length, with the short stub of a 1-year-old cane at one end. The unencumbered end of the budwood is forced into the ground until only the stub is left exposed. This approach is used in a variety of planting scenarios.

Planting New Vineyards

The system for planting new vineyards is similar to the magliolo system described above as regards the implantation of budwood but differs in that the budwood used has been subjected to a type of maturation prior to planting.

According to Nesto and di Savino, lengths of cane from 2-year-old canes are selected and the end with the oldest wood placed into moist, loose soil. After 10 to 12 months, the wood is removed from the soil and is shown to have grown a tuft of roots (That tuft of roots resembles a beard — barba — hence the name barbatella (singular).). This wood is now ready for planting. 

Barbatella

In the Fall prior to planting, a trench 1-meter-wide, and of similar depth, is dug along the contour of the hillside and is halfway filled with rocks; largest rocks at the bottom, smaller ones at the top. The barbatelle are placed in the middle of the trench -- equi-distant from each other -- which is then filled out with loose, rich dirt. The vines are often planted in a quincunx pattern (Nesto and di Savino).

The Quincunx planting system is, essentially, a square planting system with a fifth plant in the center.

Quincunx planting system (http://e-tesda.gov.ph/)

As described in quincunx.it:

In viticulture, the quincunx is a planting pattern: the vines, trained as bushes, are arranged in staggered rows that repeat the lines hinted at in the quincunx. It was the favorite system of the ancient era, because at the same time it met the requirements of order, efficient use of the space and aesthetics: the vineyard looks symmetric regardless of the terrains shape.

It is a way of doing viticulture that is very expensive in terms of energy and economic resources: machinery, in fact, can only be employed to a limited extent. Furthermore, to grow and maintain a healthy bush vineyard planted in the quincunx pattern, it is essential that the growers have a long experience in the area where they operate. 

Vine Diseases and Infestations

The region confronted a number of vine diseases and infestations in the latter half of the 19th-century and the early part of the 20th. The first instance was powdery mildew in the 1852 - 1853 period. “The traditional remedies proved to be completely unfounded and useless and were unable to prevent the destruction of the vineyards. Only the new fungicidal substances containing sulphur gave concrete results, but in order to use them, it was necessary to overcome the consolidated opposition of the farmers who were against the rise of such techniques, not only because of the cost, but also because they required the acceptance of the scientific theories of the time” (Mocarelli and Piñeiro).

Downy mildew followed soon after and its solution was the use of copper sulfate. The onslaught of these two diseases overwhelmed the capabilities and knowledge bases of the mezzadri, forcing the region towards a more scientific approach to viticulture. 

The mother of all vine problems was the Phylloxera louse. First evidenced at Castello di Brolio in 1885, it had, by 1932, touched every corner of the region. As was the case throughout Europe, the solution was replantation with vines cleaved to phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

In addition to its economic impact, phylloxera caused a loss of biotype diversity (due to abandonment) and a re-ordering of the cultivar landscape. Sangiovese, for example, became the dominant red variety while Trebbiano Toscana substituted for Malvasia Bianco on the white-variety front.

Viticulture Issues in the 19th Century

In the 19th century it was commonly held that the wines of Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche were of poor quality (Mocarelli and Piñeiro):

• The maritate system resulted in vines married to tall plants full of leaves which, in turn, prevented the full ripening of the grapes
• Wide variety of grapes grown in bulk
• Different types of grapes, though ripening at different times, is harvested simultaneously and co-fermented
• Mezzadria system promotes quantity over quality 
• As late as the 1880s, there were still few farmers cultivating low vineyards and specialized vineyards were still rare.

Bettino Ricasoli, proprietor at Castello di Brolio and father of the modern Chianti recipe, identified, as early as 1833, a set of mistakes commonly made by the growers of Chianti and advanced relevant solutions. The mistakes (Nesto and di Savino):

• Vines planted too densely within rows
• Leaving heads without cordons forced canes to grow directly from the trunk 
• Sowing crops among the rows allowed vegetation to bury grape bunches
• Leaves stripped form low-trained vines too early.

From the middle of the century, Ricasoli had been engaged in the promotion of agriculture capable of raising the economic destiny of the country. In his Regolamento agrario (1843), he advocated that (Nesto and di Savino):

• Vines be trained low on hills and where exposures were excellent
• Testucchio system be used with discretion near streams and in flat areas. 

“Guided by his belief in the technical and scientific renewal of agriculture, Baron Ricasoli transformed his Tuscan “Castle of Brolio” into an oenological laboratory to create Chianti” and “ succeeded in convincing the farmers to modify obsolete cultivation criteria.”

Summary 

Chianti wine had its deepest roots in the period between 1450 and 1550 and a “culture of carefully managed vineyards of Sangiovese in Chianti and Val di Greve dating back to at least  1552” (Nesto and di Savino). Alberello and Testucchio were two of the most important vine-training systems utilized in the region during the covered period.

Low-trained vines on steep hillsides will result in steady erosion of topsoil and, over time, a loss of productivity. The farmers in Chianti addressed that problem by planting the vine rows along the contour of the slope and, on steeper slopes, building stone walls that "would hold back the land and create terraces." 

In the 19th century it was commonly held that the wines of Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche were of poor quality. Bettino Ricasoli, proprietor at Castello di Brolio and father of the modern Chianti recipe, identified, as early as 1833, a set of mistakes commonly made by the growers of Chianti and advanced relevant solutions.

By the end of the period, the region had confronted and mitigated powdery and downy mildew but phylloxera was still an ongoing scourge; its solution was known, however, and was being implemented.

Bibliography

Luca Mocarelli and Manuel Vaquero Piñeiro, Viticulture in the Italy of the Mezzadria (Tuscany, Umbria and Marche) in A. Silvia, et al., Ed., A History of Wine in Europe, 19th to 20th Centuries, Volume I: Winegrowing and Regional Features, Palgrove, 2019.

*Draws heavily on Nesto and di Savino, Chianti Classico.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Vine-Training Systems in use in 14th-century Tuscany*

Siena, in the 14th-century, was a powerful and prosperous city-state ruled by a council of nine rotating citizens who met and conducted the people's business in the Council Room of the Palazzo Pubblico. This Council commissioned the Italian painter Ambrogio Lorenzetta (1290 - 1348) to paint frescoes on the three open walls of the Council Room to illustrate the benefits of good government. Lorenzetta's work is titled The Allegory of Good and Bad Goverment. The fresco on the right wall shows the benefits of good government in the town and in the countryside; and it is the detail of the latter that is of interest to us.

The relevance of the fresco, for our purposes, is its depiction of three different vine-training systems in use in the countryside. The systems illustrated in the painting are identified by Nesto and di Savino as Alberata, Alberello, and (what I refer to as) Anguillara-Pancata. The first and third are of Greek origin, and were brought to Italy by the colonizing Greeks, while the middle system is high-trained and of Etruscan origin. These systems are detailed in the chart below.

It should be noted that Alberata as indicated in the figure above is a part of an extended family with vita Maritata (married to a tree) referring to vines married to a single tree while Alberata refers to vines growing up and through trees and linked to vines on other trees. The concepts are illustrated in the figures below.

Alberata Vine-Training System
(Source: Maria Antonietta Aceto,
La rappresentazione della vite maritata: alcune
recenti identificazioni, Rivista Terra di Lavora,
Anno XI, n. 1, Aprile 2016, pp. 1- 24)

Vita Maritata Vine-Training System
(Source: Maria Antonietta Aceto, 
La rappresentazione della vite maritata: alcune
recenti identificazioni, Rivista Terra di Lavora,
Anno XI, n. 1, Aprile 2016, pp. 1- 24)

Writing two centuries after the completion of the fresco, Girolamo da Firenzuola, reiterated the use of the above training systems and introduced a new one: Pergolas or broncone. Broncone are "tall columns or poles topped with transverse pieces of wood or cane" (Nesto and di Savino).

*After Nesto and di Savino, Chianti Classico.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Tasting the wines of DRC: Échézeaux, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, La Tâche, and Romanée-Conti

In yesterday's post I described the wines tasted at the DRC estate. Today, I describe selected DRC tastings beyond the estate

DRC 2012 Vintage Preview

One of the most highly anticipated events of the 2015 edition of La Paulée de New York was the Domaine de La Romanée-Conti (DRC) 2012 Vintage Preview which was to be held at Daniel and led by the Domaine's co-Director Aubert de Villaine. This event was the first sold out because: (i) of the high esteem in which the Domaine and its wines are held; (ii) it was going to be the first public tasting of this vintage since its bottling; and (iii) given the size of the vintage, there were probably not going to many tasting opportunities of this type in the future. Four of the Domaine's labels were scheduled to be included in the tasting.

Daniel Johnnes (La Paulée founder and Sommelier extraordinaire) introduced the event and then turned the floor over to Jack Daniels, principal of Wilson Daniels, DRCs US importer. Jack added his words of welcome -- to include that the wines had been opened 40 minutes prior and apologizing beforehand for the fact that allocations for this vintage were going to be exceedingly low. He then yielded to Aubert who began with an extensive discusssion of the vintage conditions.

According to Aubert, 2012 had been a vintage of constant change. It was warm in March but then became cold and rainy in April, making it very difficult to work in the vineyards. The vines flowered in the cold weather leading to millerandage. The weather became warm again in June but a heat wave therein caused the loss of some berries. The weather became better in July but then August brought storms. The berries experienced rapid sugar gains in the August- September period. There was no sign of botrytis so they waited to harvest and eventually began on September 21st. It rained for two days during harvest and remained cold. The berry skins were thick, however, and, in addition, the soil did not transfer water to the berries. The final 2012 crop was one-half to one-third the size of a healthy crop.

The wines tasted at the event were as follows:

• DRC Échézeaux Grand Cru 2012
• DRC Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru 2012
• DRC La Tâche Grand Cru Monople 2012
• DRC Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monople 2012

The Échézeaux exhibited pale strawberry, creaminess, and leather on the nose. On the palate ripe Pinot fruit, attractive levels of acidity, spice, balance, and great length. Slight astringency and long, drying finish.

The RSV was less structured than the Échézeaux. On the nose a floral rose aroma along with ripe Pinot fruit, vanilla, and a hint of reduction. On the palate ripe fruit, complexity, and a long, sweet finish. Somewhat reserved and mysterious. A sense of something hidden.

The La Tâche exhibited layered Pinot fruit, richness, wax, and earth. On the palate strawberry, hot spices, baking spice and a long finish.

The Romanée-Conti had cherry, tree bark, and baking spice on the nose to go along with hot spice and savoriness on the palate. Complexity and power. Long, balanced finish.

In his summarization of the tasting, Aubert indicated that the 2012 DRCs had a tendency towards reduction. They had persistence and depth on the palate and are all approachable at this time. They were recently bottled and he was surprised at how well they have taken to the bottle. They are still young but, even at this early stage, are already displaying their individual characteristics:

• Échézeaux: character
• RSV: an elegant nose yet austere and hard in the mouth
• La Tâche: layering
• La Romanée-Conti: reserved complexity.

He saw the wines of the vintage as being somewhat akin to those of 1991 and 1992 but cautions that we should take them as they are. 

DRC Mini-Horizontal at Bern's

Bern's is one of the most famous mature-wine restaurants in the country, with many wine lovers flying into Tampa to take advantage of its stocks. Winelovers living in the area are loath to have "outsiders" reap all of the bounty of this institution so visit the establishment as often as they can. On one of those trips, Ron, Bev, Parlo and I had ourselves a DRC mini-horizontal.

The first wine tasted in our DRC mini-horizontal was the 2000 Grands Echezeaux. This wine was initially highly floral -- lavender -- to accompany notes of petrol, cherries, and coconut. On the palate this wine was peppery and saline with drying tannins. Initially non-complex, acidic, and lacking a full, round mouthfeel. The finish was medium length. As the wine evolved in the glass, it developed weight but the fruit remained muted and the length remained a challenge. Ron noted cherries and tobacco leaf. He felt that the wine was probably 5 years away from its peak; "It took a while but started to open and strut its stuff." He agreed with my assessment of weight gain over time.

The second bottle was the 2000 Richebourg which was much darker at the core than the Grand Ech and had a floral nose with tar and petrol at the back end. My first thought was that someone had messed up and put a Barolo in a DRC bottle. As the wine evolved, notes of strawberry, watermelon, cigar box and cedar box became apparent. On the palate, spice, great acidity, and a very long finish. This is an extremely high quality wine.

The 2000 La Tâche was even darker at the core than was the Richebourg. Talcum powder and chalkiness on the nose. Over time the talcum powder evolved into soy. Rose petals tea, coffee, burnt tobacco, smoke, coffee grounds, nutmeg, and menthol. Power and weight on the palate along with bright acidity, non-aggressive tannins, and a long, drying finish. Ron characterized this as "another big step up." In his words, "the aromatics really soared after 1 hour in the glass." 

The Night the Lights went out at Bern's

Allan Frischman, of Chicago-based Hart Davis Hart Wine Company, was coming into Orlando on business and, as he had never been to Bern's Steakhouse -- a gap in his wine/food experience that he was anxious to fill -- Ron arranged for us to host him at the restaurant. The opening of the Epicurean Hotel across from Bern's has made traveling to Tampa to eat at the restaurant even more appetizing as your bed is only a stone's throw away from a stellar dining/foodie experience.

Our regular Somm at the restaurant is Brad and before we were fully seated he had appeared with the first of the many wonderful wines that we would have that evening. Now this was a dual purpose visit: (i) the Bern's education of Allan and (ii) drinking a lot of great wine. The wine lists were handed out (a ceremonial process really as we tend to come to the restaurant with a set of defined targets in mind -- wines that have to be drunk before the carpetbaggers drink them all) and Allan remarked that he thought the list would be more commanding in size. Brad left and returned with the list as it used to be in the olden days -- behemoths that had to be chained to the table.

Ron and Allan examining a ginormous vintage Bern's wine list

The second wine poured was the 2000 DRC Grand Échézeaux. This wine was much more rustic in comparison to the La Romanée. It exhibited cinnamon and baking spices along with turpentine, pimento, mocha, coffee, road tar, and animal skin. Over time the mocha and coffee gave way to mushrooms and dried herbs. On the palate, elegant, fine grained, with drying tannins. Layered complexity with a long, elegant finish.

The third wine opened was the 2000 DRC Richebourg. Floral with coriander and cumin on the nose and baking spices layered on top. Coconut oil and orange rind. Sprightly and elfin on the palate though bolstered with an earthiness.

Before the lobster bisque arrived, the lights went out. Luckily this is hurricane country so emergency lights flipped on immediately. The lights stayed off for about 5 minutes during which time Bev kept assuring Allan that this was highly unusual. "This has never happened before," she said. There were no grand announcements from management. No one seemed overly concerned. So I began wondering whether it was a divine message targeted at me. Could it be that some higher power was saying get out while you still can? Bern's has it hands halfway down your pockets but if you leave now you will still be able to feed your family in the future. I looked around but no one else seemed to be paying attention to this voice. So I ignored it. And I paid. Dearly.

With lights once again abundant, we turned to the fourth bottle from the Grand Cru vineyards of Vosne-Romanée/Flagey-Échézeaux, the 2000 DRC La Tâche. This wine was dusky, ephemeral, and muted, with a loose tea leaf note. Expressive on the palate, much more so than on the nose. Bright red fruit. Rich but elegant. Appropriate acidity. Stony minerality with a drying character. Balanced with a tea finish.

As Ron pointed out, the drinking of this bottle of La Tâche signals the end of an era. Brad had told us a few visits ago that we had drunk the last bottle of 2000 La Tâche but then he had found two more cases in the byzantine cellar. He again informed us on Friday night that we had bought the last bottle of the wine. This means that if you ever see this wine on the Bern's list, they would have acquired it at auction ( a non-Bern's original) and it will be priced accordingly.

Victoria and Albert Tasting

We followed up the white Burgs with a red Burgundy flight: 1971 Remoissenet Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, 1966 Leroy Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru, and 1983 DRC Richebourg. The Richebourg was musty and moldy with notes of preserved dried cherries and orange rind. Disappointing on the palate. Disaggregated and lacking acidity. 

Throwback Brunch at Hyatt La Cocquina

We were excited when the Hyatt Grand Regency Orlando opted to reprise its classic La Coquina Brunch and snapped up a few tickets. So were a lot of other local folks as we ran into a lot of friends who had, like me, come to recapture some of the memories. I was in the kitchen with Adam of wineontheway.com and Eric K., looking over the wine offering of the hotel when we noticed that they had a bottle of 1988 DRC La Tache. We called the manager over and began a discussion about acquiring it. I went back to my table while the Manager went off to consult with his people about the sale of the bottle. The next thing I knew I was called over to the wineontheway table; they had bought the bottle. The wine appeared rather delicate in the glass but the fragrance was powerful. Strawberries and muted red fruits. Firm on the palate but elegant nonetheless. Still youthful. Balanced. Slight drying tannins. This elevated what had already been a glorious day. 

©Wine -- Mise en abyme