Sicily rising: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG and Vittoria DOC

On the afternoon of the day following Contrada dell'Etna, Brandon Tokash and I headed out from Mt Etna to visit a few wineries in the southern part of the island. The first wineries visited were Cantine Paolo Cali and COS, both resident within the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG zone.

The Cerasuolo (cherry-like) di Vittoria DOCG zone extends for approximately 70 km between Ragusa in the east and Riesi in the west -- a relatively large area for this particular classification. The regions and municipalities falling into the demarcated area of the zone are shown below the figure. The figure directly below shows the presence of a Classico sub-zone, which includes all of the municipalities included in the original DOC classification, as well as an area around the town of Santa Croce Camerina (outside of the main zone) which has a tradition of making the subject wine.

Source: frappato.com

As is the case for most of Sicily, the climate of the region is hot and arid. Vineyards in the heart of the Classico region are on a plateau that ranges between 175 and 300 m in elevation. Areas further from the sea can have higher elevations, with Chiaramonte Gulfi and Licodia Eubia, for example, having elevations of 450 m and 500 m, respectively.

In general, the soils are limestone and clay, with sand increasing with proximity to the coast. Inland and high-elevation areas often have calcareous, clay-dominated soils. The two pictures below capture the soil variability within one of the Cantine Paolo Cali vineyards. It is held that soils with higher sand content produces wines that are "intensely perfumed, light, and delicate" while wines produced from grapes grown on redder soils are stronger and dark.

Sandy soil in a Cantine Paolo Cali Vineyard

Terra rossa soils in the same vineyard

Cerasuolo di Vittorio gained DOC status in 1973. Prior to that, the region's history mirrored that of the broader Sicily. The legislation associated with the DOC specified a wine comprised of 40% Frappato, a maximum of 60% Nero d'Avola, and a maximum of 10% Nerello Mascalese and/or Grossonero. The wine was elevated to DOCG status (the only one in Sicily) in 2005 and the composition was modified to be 50% - 70% Nero d'Avola and 30% - 50% Frappato. The wine must be aged a minimum of 8 months.

As shown in the chart below, Nero d'Avola is by far the most planted (18,300 ha) red indigenous variety in Sicily. Frappato, on the other hand, has much smaller surface area (803 ha) devoted to its growth (Nesto MW and di Savino).

Nero d'Avola (also known as Calabrese and translating as the "black of Avola") likes hot climates and produces wines with high tannins, medium acidity, and strong body. If grown in high elevations, it can produce smooth wines. The vines are generally trained espalier. The grape brings weight and body to the blend.

Frappato grapes are round-oval, medium-sized berries collected into medium-sized, pyramidal, compact bunches. The grapes produce cherry-colored reds which are light in body, aromatic, and low in tannins. As does Nero d'Avola, Frappato thrives in the hot, dry conditions of Sicily and brings flavors of black cherries and strawberries to the blend.

In addition to the DOCG zone, there is a Vittoria DOC zone which maps directly to the DOCG zone and has similar varietal blends. The primary difference between the wines are the yields (< 52 hl/ha for the DOCG and 70 hl/ha for the DOC) and alcohol levels (13% for the DOCG and 12% for the DOC). Wines made from grapes grown in the Classico region can be so labeled if the aging requirements (> 18 months) are met. Within the DOC classification area you are allowed to produce varietal wines which must have a minimum of 85% of the stated variety to be compliant with the regulations. The allowed wines are Nero d'Avola, Frappato, and Inzolia (white). The rules also allow for Novello di Vittoria, a Beaujolais-Nouveau-style wine.

The mostly small producers (ancient land-allocation practices doled out 2 ha plots to supplicants) utilize a number of varying fermentation and aging regimes. I will use COS practices as an example. This producer practices biodynamic farming in the vineyards and indigenous-yeast fermentation in the cellar. Some wines are fermented in resin-lined concrete vats while others are fermented in large clay amphorae. The wines are aged in Slavonian oak vats, large concrete barrels, or clay.

Amphorae at COS

I will detail the visit to Cantine Paolo Cali in my next post.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Ribera del Duero wine region

Ribera del Duero is one of nine PDOs and three GIs located in the nine provinces that constitute the the autonomous community of Castilla y Leon in noth central Spain.  About 90 minutes north of Madrid, the region runs along the banks of the Duero for 150 km (and to a width of 35 km) enmeshing 100 villages and four provinces in its web.

Source: Consejo Regulador Ribera del Duero

The Ribera del Duero's climate is distinctly continental with bitter winters and hot summers the order of the day. Rainfall, at an annual average of 450mm, is low.  There is significant diurnal temperature variation given the high elevation (700-1000 m) at which the region lies.
The soil consists of layers of silt, sand, and clay alternating with layers of chalky limestone.  According to the Consejo Regulador, most of the soils near the river are a mix of sandy sediment, marl, and alluvial rocks (Campiñas) while vineyards at higher elevations experience a much higher content of chalky limestone and clay (Laderas).  The soils above the Laderas (Cuestas) are harder to work while the soils above them (Páramos) are too exposed to be worked.  The soils distribution is graphically illustrated in the figure below.

Approximately 20,000 ha of vineyards are planted by 270 farmers.

Ribera del Duero was awarded Denominacion de Origen designation in 1982 (now a PDO) and is noted for its reds made mainly from Tinto Fino (also called Tinto del Pais locally), a Tempranillo clone, with varying levels of contribution from Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Merlot, and Malbec.  The wines, which must be at least 75% Tinto Fino, are characterized by "... a soft 'summer-fruit' characteristic and crisp, green tannins" and has been described as "concentrated, intense, bright with color and fruit, and high in alcohol." The red wines must have a minimum alcohol level of 11.5%.

In addition to the reds, some rosé and white wines are produced in the region.  The rosé is fermented without the skin and has a pink strawberry tone, fruity aromas, freshness, and pleasing acidity.  The rosé wines must have a minimum alcohol level of 11%.  The white wine is consumed locally.

The regulatory body oversees all elements of wine production in Ribera del Duero in order to ensure that the quality of the region is upheld.  For example: (i) the DO conducts instrument tests in order to make a determination and communicate to the growers as to when harvest can begin; (ii) samples from each lot grown on a farm is subjected to instrumentation, chemical, and biological analysis; and (iii) an estate's wines have to pass muster with a sanctioned tasting panel in order to be certified DO for that vintage.

Ribera del Duero wines are classified as follows:

• Joven -- these wines spend less than 12 months in cask (could be zero)
• Crianza -- these wines spend a minimum of 12 months in oak casks and cannot be sold until 2 years following the harvest date
• Reserva -- these wines must spend 36 months in a combination of cask and bottle of which at least 12 months must be in cask.  Cannot be sold until 3 years following the harvest
• Gran Reserva -- these are wines of exceptional quality which have spent a minimum of 60 months aging of which a minimum 24 must be in cask and 36 in bottle.  This wine cannot be sold until 5 years after the harvest date.

A more recent unofficial addition to the classification scheme is the Barric/Roble wine which spends a minimum of 4 months in oak barrel giving sweet tannins to an early drinking wine.

The traditional style of Ribera del Duero, as indicated by the wines of Vega Sicilia, called for lengthy aging in neutral oak prior to release.  This style was contravened with the introduction of Pesquera in the 1980s and, moreso, Pingus in the 1990s.  These new-style wines are aged in newer oak barrels, have higher alcohol levels and bolder flavors, and are released upon bottling.  The quintessential traditional producer in Ribera del Duero is Vega Sicilia but it has responded to the modern style by producing its own version called Alion.  Other modernist producers include the aforementioned Pingus and Tinto Pesquera as well as Bodegas Aalto, Emilio Moro, and Condado de Haza.

© Wine -- The View From Orlando