The physical aspects of Sangiovese terroir: Chianti Classico DOCG

As noted previously, “Sangiovese is an impressionable grape variety that easily takes on characters from the specific soil or terroir ...” a fact which has led me to elaborate the physical aspects (climate, soils, aspect, elevation, etc.) of the various Sangiovese terroirs. To date I have explored the physical environments of Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, Morellino di Scansano DOCG, and Montecucco DOC(G). In this post I will be covering Chianti Classico DOCG.

The modern Chianti Classico production zone encompasses a series of hills -- elevation between 200 and 600 meters -- that are bordered by Siena to the south, the Florentine town of San Casciano Val di Pesa to the north, the hills of the Arno River Valley to the east, and the Elsa River Valley to the west. Originally referred to as Chianti, the area shaded in blue in the map below was recognized as a wine region since the 13th century but was legalized as such by a decree issued by Grand Duke Cosimi III de Medici in 1714. A Ministerial Decree issued in 1932 expanded the Chianti region to cover eight sub-zones, one of which was the original Chianti. The former Chianti was expanded to its current borders (shown in the map below) and given the name Chianti Classico in a bow to its historical origins. Chianti Classico was granted DOCG status in 1996.

Tuscany wine region map (ateliersetsaveurs.com)

Climate

The Chianti Classico climate is continental, with long summers and cold winters. Various aspects of the climate are illustrated in the chart below.

Sources: Map - pinterest.com; information - Nesto and
di Savino, Chianti Classico

As shown on the chart, the combination of the Chianti and Pratomagno Mountains block morning sunlight from the region. In the southeast of the region, the upper Arno River valley opens up to the east and south, allowing in some morning sunlight.

According to Nesto and di Savino, climate change is forcing vineyards to migrate to higher elevations. Thirty years ago, according to the duo, vines planted above 350 m subjected their growers to ridicule; 350 m was considered prime real estate for Sangiovese. Today 500 m is desired. Alcohol levels are increasing such that in the warmer Chianti Classico areas, less sun is preferred, leading to a preference for north and northeast exposures in those zones.

As it relates to seasonal weather hazards, there is potential for bud damage from spring frosts and damaging summer hail resulting from warm humid winds rising from low to high elevations. 

Landscape and Soils

Coltorti, et al., provide insight into the population of rock types encountered in Siena Province (see chart directly below) while Bonini and Sani and Amato and Vallatto, respectively, provide soils distribution in Chianti Classico by percentage and by location.

As shown in the preceding charts, the region possesses a diversity of soils: marl (San Casciano Val di Pesa); calcareous clay (Greve and all zones at lower altitudes); sandstone (backbone of Chianti Mountains); limestone (central and southern portions of the district); and tufa (around Castelnuevo Berardenga). When limestone and sandstone are found in alternating layers, that soil is called Galestro. Clay-limestone mixes are called Albarese. According to Berry Bros & Rudd, "The sandy alluvial soils of the lower sites yield fuller, meatier wines while the limestone and galestro soils of the higher vineyards deliver finer, more ethereal examples" (bbr.com).

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Chianti Classico's Bibbiano: The longest-standing monument to the Sangiogenius of Giulio Gambelli

Vigna del Capannino, the primary Cru vineyard of Chianti Classico’s Bibbiano estate, is planted to Montalcino-origin Sangiovese grosso vines acquired in the 1950s with the assistance of the Sangiovese master Giulio Gambelli. 

The Bibbiano property dates back to 1089 but grape growing only came to the fore with its acquisition by the Marzi brothers in 1865. The Gambelli-Marzi relationship began in 1942 while the former was employed at the Enopolio in Poggibonsi. Gambelli was invited to go hunting at the estate with then owner Pier Tommasi Marzi, beginning a relationship that would redound to the benefit of the estate for many a year thereafter. Nesto and di Savino stipulate that Gambelli considered the Marzi relationship as the most consequential of his career.

Bibbiano has had two significant transformations in the post-war period, the first significantly influenced by Gambelli, the second led by Stefano Porciani.

Post-WWII, Marzi and his son-in-law Alfred Merroccheri embarked on a project to rebuild the vineyards and winery. They joined the Consorzi in 1948 and, between 1950 and 1970:

• Constructued a large wine cellar
• Planted 20 ha of specialized vineyards
• Planted 10 ha of olive groves
• Totally modernized the equipment.

Gambelli provided assistance while still employed at the Enopolio and Bibbiano subsequently became his first client when he left to become a consultant. He contributed to Bibbiano in terms of decisions on new systems, aging methods, and wine style and bouquet (He was also been responsible for procuring the Sangiovese grosso cuttings from Sant'Angelo Scala in Montalcino for the 1950s planting of the Capannino vineyard.). Gambelli's wine style called for traditional Chianti Classicos fermented in glass-lined, non-temperature-controlled cement vats and aged in Slavonian botti.

By 1999 Bibbiano was being managed by Tommaso and Federico Marzi and the vineyards were, according to Nesto and di Savino (Chianti Classico):

• Old and in need of replanting
• Many of the vines had died
• Some were so old that their production was too low from an economic point of view
• Others had been poorly trained and were too old to withstand the stress of retraining
• The remaining vines were so weak that they needed to be green-harvested twice so that the fruit could mature

The brothers called on Stefano Porciani for assistance in revamping the estate. Stefano had been the Technical Director of the Chianti Classico Consorzio from 1992 to 2001 and had managed the operation of the Consorzio's Chianti Classico 2000 project. With his base of knowledge accumulated from that project, he began replanting vineyards, with the Bibbiano Capannino vineyard the first in line.

Capinnino was not dissimilar to many Montalcino vineyards in terms of temperature (14 - 15.3 ℃), average rainfall (60 - 70 cm), exposure (southerly), and soil (clay-dominant), so the previously planted Sangiovese grosso was a good fit for the replantation. In 2009 the vineyard was planted with "the organic genetic material that Gambelli had selected in Montalcino." The rootstocks utilized were the clay-philic 775 and 779 Paulsen. Vine density was updated to 5000 vines/ha, the rest of the estate replanted, and an underground drainage system installed to round out the vineyard modernization. The entire project was completed in 2012. The current-day estate is illustrated in the chart below.

I recently tasted the 2016 vintages of the estate’s Gran Selezione wines made with grapes sourced from its two cru vineyards: Vigne de Montornello and Vigna del Capannino. Both of these wines are fermented over 33  days in cement vats, with délestage, aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels, and 6 months in bottle. These wines still adhere to the Gambelli principles except that the cement vats are now temperature controlled and French oak barrels precede Slavonian oak barrels in the aging schema.

I tasted the two wines with the Orlando BBF tasting group and then at home the following evening.

The 2016 Montornello Gran Selezione showed sweet plum, wax, and a clayey note on the nose. Sour cherry on the palate, along with a balsamic note. Saline with a metallic note. Aggressive tannins. Long, sour, chalky finish.

The 2016 Vigna del Capannino Gran Selezione was elegant on the nose with sweet fruit, prominent hymenaea courbaril, which faded into the background with residence, richness, and neutral shoe polish. A full, round mouthfeel. Balanced. Silkier tannins than encountered in the Montornello. Juicy. Blackpepper-driven finish.

The cuttings for the Capannino vineyards were secured from Sant'Angelo in Montalcino, the subzone which Kerin O'Keefe identifies as the hottest and driest of the Montalcino subzones. In their book Chianti Classico, Nesto and di Savino identifies the west and southwest portions of Chianti Classico as being the warmest in that region and the Bibbiano location in Castellina places it squarely into warmer territory. These wines were good but did not exhibit head-turning complexity.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

The physical aspects of Sangiovese terroir: Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino, as is the case for fellow DOCG Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, falls fully within the boundary of Chianti’s Colle Sensei DOCG. That is not all that the two regions share; they are also both sources of high-quality Sangiovese wines. I have previously described the physical characteristics of  Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and will conduct a similar exploration of Brunello di Montalcino in this post.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG’s wine production zone is largely coincident with the borders of the commune of the same name. The region extends over 2450 ha of a square-based hill whose lowest point is 150 m, rising to 630 m at its peak.

The climate is Mediterranean with moderating effects from the sea (40 km away), the surrounding rivers, elevation, and Mt Amiata to the southwest. The climate zones run from north to south. (According to Monty Waldin (Brunello: The many crus of Montalcino, Decanter, 3/19/15), 30 - 35% of Brunello is sourced from the cooler grounds north of the town (yielding paler Brunellos) with the remainder from the warmer south (darker colored, more overtly fruity, savory wines)). Precipitation occurs mostly in the spring and late autumn with average annual rainfall of 700 mm. There is potential for snow at elevations above 400 m. Steady winds allow for the growth of healthy vines while the presence of Mt Amiata to the southwest provides a barrier against storms and hail.

Landscape and Soils

The continued eastward movement of the Northern Apennines has resulted in the creation of a number of long (up to 200 km), narrow (up to 25 km wide), NE – SW-oriented structural depressions on the western side of the mountains in the Tuscany region. These depressions are bounded by normal faults along the margins and subdivided into basins by transfer zones/faults.

Source: Brogi, et al., 2013, Figure 1.

The Siena-Radacofani is one such basin (Past works have referred to them as two separate basins but recent scholarship have "highlighted a common structural evolution, with tectonic features extending from one basin to the other" (Martini and Aldinucci, November 2017).). It is bordered to its left by the pre-Neogene (pre-23 million years ago (mya)) bedrock of the Montalcino Ridge and the Neogene-Quaternary (23 mya to present) magmatic rocks of Mt. Amiata, and to its right by the pre-Neogene bedrock of Mt Cetona and the Cetona Ridge. 

The pre-Neogene rocks of the basin are primarily composed of two superimposed thrust units (Martini, et al.):

·       Tuscan Unit

o   Lower portions range in age from Triassic (252.2 mya) to Oligocene (33.9 mya)

o   Exposed rock consists primarily of shelf components and turbiditic, poorly cemented sandstones (Macigno)

·       Ligurides

o   Range in age from Cretaceous (146.5 mya) to Eocene (33.8 mya)

o   Consists primarily of basinal silaceous limestone and argillaceous limestone (marlstone).

Source: Martini, et al.

The Siena-Radicofani Basin began to form on the pre-Neogene substrates during the middle Miocene and “a thick sedimentary pile accumulated mainly during the early Pliocene." The turbiditic sandstone associated with the Tuscan Unit of pre-Neogene rocks appears to be the major contributor of sand for the basin. Other substrate rocks contributed pebbles, limestone cobbles, metamorphic detritus, and some sand.

The basin emerged toward the end of the Early Pliocene and, after a general uplift, no younger sedimentary record is apparent. Magmatism has affected the southern portion since the early Pliocene and volcanic eruptions occurred during the Pleistocene (1.8 mya – 10,000 years ago). The chart below shows the impact of post-Paleogene depositional activity on the Siena sub-basin and surrounds, to include, specifically, Montalcino.

The following charts display the soils composition in Colli Senesi and its major sub-zones. While Colli Senesi and Nobile di Montepulciano are dominated by marine sands, Brunello di Montalcino shows conglomerates as the major soil type while Chianti Classico shows marly limestone and marls and turbidites.

Source: Table 1, Bonini and Sani 2002

In an effort to gain an even finer definition of Brunello wines, a sub-zoning proposal (spearheaded by wine writer and educator Kerin O'Keefe) -- with the nomenclature and relative characteristics indicated in the chart below -- has been advanced.

But all hands are not on board with this proposal. According to Waldin, "Vineyards zoned in less highly regarded spots may be penalized by the media and then by the marketplace." In a blog post, Stefano Cinelli Colombini, owner and winemaker at Fattori dei Barbi, states that sub-zoning only works on paper, given the diversity in Montalcino vineyards. In a response to one of the comments on his post he notes that, in mapped areas, soil and geography stays constant but weather and things associated with humans are changeable. "You cannot make a reliable map of quality areas," he says. 

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Il Colle Brunello di Montalcino: Another Giulio Gambelli production

In my most recent post on the life of the famed Sangiovese expert Giulio Gambelli, I tagged Montalcino’s Il Colle as one of the Brunello producers— joining estates such as Case Basse, Cerbaiona, and Poggio di Sotto — fortunate enough to gain access to, and incorporate, his thoughts and practices into their winemaking efforts. 

Il Colle was founded in 1972 with Notary Alberti Carli’s purchase of the medieval house and 11 ha of land that had once been a part of the Conti Costanti Colle al Matrichese property (The property was split back in the 18th century as a result of family inheritance and divisions.). 

Upon purchase, Carli immediately planted 3 ha of Brunello and 2 ha of olive groves, producing the first vintage of Brunello in 1978. The estate has since grown to 8 ha of vines with the purchase of the 5-ha Localita Podernova dei Campi in Castelnuova dell’Abate. The vineyards are farmed organically. 

Alberto died in 2001 and his daughter Caterina has been managing the property ever since. 

The estate produces a Rosso and a Brunello, blends of grapes grown in both locations. The Brunello is a made from a careful selection of the best bunches from both vineyards. The fruit from the original vineyard (480 m elevation) provides elegance, freshness, floral notes, and minerality while the southeastern fruit (230 m) provides structure, power, and color.

Giulio Gambelli has guided the family’s winemaking efforts since 1981. According to Caterina:

Giulio Gambelli has been the guide and inspiration behind the vines I produce. The simplicity and naturalness of his way of living and working have always accompanied me along with the belief that making a good wine requires a few simple rules: hard work in the vineyard, time, passion, and cleanliness.

The “Gambellian” winemaking practices employed by the estate include indigenous yeasts, long maceration on the skins, aging in Slavonian botti, and no filtering. Kerin O’Keefe has described the resulting wine as “... graceful yet structured Brunellos” and a “ pure unfiltered expression of Sangiovese.”

2014 Il Colle Brunello di Montalcino

The 2014 growing season was very rainy across the entire peninsula of Italy and, according to Il Colle, slowed down the ripening until mid-June. Mild temperatures in July and August, and sunny skies in late September and early October, ensured high-quality fruit and "beautiful days of harvest." 

The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 48 months in 30- and 50-hL, fine-grained Slavonian oak barrels.

Popped and poured. Concentrated florality, ripe blackberries, oiliness, and intense spice notes initially. Elegant, sensuous, complex. Interweaving of spice and elegant yet concentrated fruit along with talcum powder and dried herbs.  

Low-intensity dark fruit on palate initially along with bright acidity. Medium weight. Balanced. With time, earthy/woody character and tannins which evolve through structured to chalky coating to a silky state. Fruit gains intensity on the palate as it attains a sour cherry character. Bitter note leads into a spicy finish. A lovely wine.

©Wine -- Mise en abyme

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