Tintilia - Molise’s Native Son?
…The “Rare Grape” series continues…
This one is a REAL rarity, and part of the reason that it is so rare is the region from which this grape variety comes, Molise, is probably the least visited by Italians and non-Italians alike. Molise (Italy’s second smallest region after alpine Valle d’Aosta) sits on the south-central Adriatic coast, south of Abruzzo (from which it seceded in 1963) and north of Puglia. This also happens to be the region from which my paternal grandparents come, but that is another story…
Tintilia’s origins, and even its precise identity is still uncertain. Until formal genetic testing was done several years ago, Tintilia was believed to be synonymous with a Sardinian (and prior to that, Spanish) variety called Bovale Sardo (which is likely, on the strength of the similarities of the names, related to another fairly obscure Spanish variety called Bobal). Genetic tests eventually conclusively proved that Bovale and Tintilia were not only NOT the identical cultivar, but hardy related at all. Despite this clean break with Bobal, Tintilia’s origins for some scholars are still linked with Spain. First, the word “tinto” in Spanish refers to red wine, whereas the word “rosso” and its permutations hold the same place in Italy. Further, Molise, which for a long time was contained within the greater orbit of Naples, which in turn had begun to be dominated by the Aragonese Bourbon dynasty in the early 1700s, is another sign pointing to the variety’s possible Iberian roots. But despite these indications, no conclusive connection with Spain has ever been established, and even if it were, there is no “Tintilia” currently growing anywhere in contemorary Spain. And after several conversations with Tintilia growers (including the proprietor of the estate whose wine is featured below), there was a strong consensus that Tintilia is native to Molise or at least a highly adapted/mutated version of a rare or possibly even extinct “foreign” variety. A bit of wishful local pride might be at work here, but at least for now Tintilia belongs exclusively to Molise…
The Molisan landscape is, apart from a narrowish strip along the Adriatic coast, very hilly to very mountainous. And despite it’s relatively southern placement on the length of the “boot”, due in part to this lanscape, as well as the patterns of cold winds that come from Eastern Europe, Molise is frequently amongst the coldest places in all of Italy during Winter. And likewise, summers are long and hot. In short, Molise’s climate is fairly harsh, but not surprisingly, Tintilia is well equiped to weather it. It is very resistant to Winter freezes as well as Summer droughts, and it is a tough target for most of the common vine diseases. Tintilia is also a fairly bountiful yielder, and it is slowly becoming the Molise’s signature variety (something that Molisan viticulture had always lacked), so all in all, growers like it, which makes its survival and even proliferation that much more likely.
In the glass, Tintilia is highly pigmented with an often purple/blackish caste. It often shows complex aromas of spice mixed with a lightly aromatic quality, flavors of licorice, vanilla bean, and wild berries, and is always accompanied by a considerable tea-like tannic structure. Tintilia pairs well with egg pastas with meat sauces, grilled red meats (especially lamb), dried sausages and salamis, and sheeps’ milk cheeses.
As always, if you pick up this or any other Tintilia wine (good luck with that), please post your tasting notes here as comments.
TOM CIOCCO
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I found Two. Wine library has one called “Cipressi Tintilia Macchiarossa”, and the other (not at WL) is called “Tintilia” and produced by Agricola d’Uva Angelo. I haven’t tried them.
Comment by Nick G — September 22, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
Hey Tom!
Thanks again for illuminating us on this fascinating obscure varietals.
Just a historical correction. You mention “Further, Molise, which for a long time was contained within the greater orbit of Naples, which in turn had begun to be dominated by the Aragonese Bourbon dynasty in the early 1700s”. No argument with the first part of the sentence, but the second is a bit mixed up.
It’s true that Aragon dominated the Kingdom of Naples from 1453 before joining Castille to form what nowadays we know as Spain. So the Aragonese really dominated Naples but from the mid 1400s. The Bourbon dynasty, of French origin not Aragonese, didn’t come to the Spanish throne until much later in the early 1700 after the Spanish Succession Wars where Naples was given to Austria as part of the peace settlement. The same Bourbon dynasty is continued today on the throne by today’s Juan Carlos I. It’s true that in 1743 Carlos III Bourbon, beforethe King of Spain, reconquered the kingdom for Spain when it was know as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This domination lasted until the reunification of Italy by Vittorio Emmanuele.
But enough of this. Let’s enjoy some unknown Southern Italian wines!
Salute!
Carlos
Comment by Carlos Gomez-Moreno — September 24, 2007 @ 10:10 pm
Now there’s a coincidence. We’re currently being encouraged to import some Molise wines from Cantine Cipressi, and in the new year we just might. I’ll certainly be requesting samples. The Molise wine that we’ve had up until now comes from a rather anonymous concern and is all Montepulciano, but I’ve always liked it and often wondered what ‘the real thing’ was like. I look forward to next spring and finding out!
Comment by Julian — September 26, 2007 @ 5:56 am
Hello, dear Tom.
Very well done…yes, we are still waiting for a definite answer on its origin. The University of Molise is working on it and we keep our fingers crossed. But, I am afraid, I have to contradict You when You say “there is no Tintilia currently growing anywhere in contemporary Spain”. A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for news on internet and found it is cultivated in the Canarian Islands, in particular in Tenerife. Now, it is true that, for what I could understand, it seems not to be an autochthonous variety but, You can find it there!
The second thing I would like to point out is the sentence in which You say that despite its geographical position, “Molise is frequently amongst the coldest places in Italy during winter” and also “Molise’s climate is fairly harsh”…well, I do not think You have ever been here! We have a lovely mild climate during most of the year but, of course, we do have some months during which You feel winter! Maybe what You say about the climate was true when Your grandparents left Molise but not now…have You ever heard of “global warming” (unfortunately)?
Anyway, I agree with You when You say that pairs well with grilled red meats…definitely true! You can feel a strong taste of pepper on Your tongue!…
Why do not You come to Molise and visit us?
CANTINE CIPRESSI
C.DA MONTAGNA
SAN FELICE DEL MOLISE (CB)
We will be happy to drink with You a nice glass of Tintilia…
Aurora.
Comment by Aurora Cascitelli — September 26, 2007 @ 7:08 am
Aurora-
Very interesting regarding the connection to Tenerife…And while you say that Tintilia does not seem to be native to Tenerife, it seems unlikely that it was carried all the way from little, isolated Molise to Tenerife, which may point once again to the vine’s Spanish origins, but there also is lots of Charbonneaux in California, and a fair amount of Cinsault grows in Kazakhstan, so stranger things have happened!
As far as the weather in Molise, clearly you live there and I don’t but I do have to say that the one time I was there in February it was COLD - An old friend of mine lived in Sepino. He had a cousin that live near Pietrabbondante. Gianluca (this friend) wanted to take us there to see the Samnite ruins, but his cousin said that the roads were way too snowy and icy to risk it…clearly this was just one instance, but for lots of non-Italians who would look at Molise’s location on the “boot” and think that the weather might be more like Puglia than Umbria or Toscana…but as you know, it depends on WHERE in Molise you are - the differences in climate between Termoli and Capracotta for example are HUGE due to the influences of the Adriatic Sea on Termoli versus the elevation of Capracotta…
I’d love to come back to Molise (last time I was there was 1990!). If I do, I’ll definitely call before I stop by.
TOM CIOCCO
Comment by Tom C — September 26, 2007 @ 9:45 am