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
Timorasso - One of Italy’s “biggest” whites
The rare grape series continues…
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We’re reaching deep down into the deep bag that is the collection of native Italian grape varieties by featuring a truly unique white grape variety called…Timorasso…
Timorasso hails from south-eastern Piedmont, and more specifically, from the Colli Tortonesi (the hills around the small city of Tortona) which is bounded by the Langhe, The Monferrato Hills, and the Oltrepo` Pavese regions. Timorasso is not THE rarest of rare Italian grape varieties, but it probably sits in the “second tier” of rarities. Currently, only about 17 hectares (42 acres) of land is planted to Timorasso by about 15 different producers. But despite its rarity nowadays, Timorasso once was widely planted throughout Piedmont and Liguria, but due to the variety’s propensity to abort its flowers, propagation of the vine becomes very difficult, and even then, this tendency dramatically reduces yields. For many farmers of the past, these flaws were simply too much to brook, consequently, it was ripped up and replaced by more cooperative and productive varieties.
Physiologically, Timorasso has exceedingly thick skins, an attribute that may have almost single-handedly saved it from complete extinction. In the often wet and cold areas where Timorasso grows, possessing such thick skins goes a long way to warding off all forms of rot and mold. Further, these thick skins, if one chooses to macerate the must on them, can lend the wine a highly structured, almost “tannic” quality. Further, the berries, when fully ripe, are very sweet, and therefore Timorasso can and does produce very full-bodied, highish alcohol wines.
In the glass, Timorasso really shows its novel character - it is big-bodied, dense, and sapid with a powerful “nervosity” in terms of mouth feel, and with age (Timorasso ages well and with ever more development year after year), a prominent roasted hazelnut character. On the olfactory side, it is not a wine that demonstrates lots of obvious “fruit” flavors, though permutations of citrus fruits and pears are often cited descriptors. More prominently, Timorasso tends toward an intense, “twangy” minerality, white spices, green licorice, and dried wildflowers.
Timorasso pairs well with strong, salty appetizers, “noble” birds like turkey and guinea fowl, and strongly flavored fish, as well as any dish cooked with large amounts of herbs, beans, or vegetables.
As always, please post your tasting notes for this, or any other Timorasso wines (good luck with that!) here as comments. One further note - the wine below is listed as a “Derthona” - this is a new designation for Timorasso from Colli Tortonesi - just FYI…
TOM CIOCCO
Dornfelder - Germany’s great red hope?
The “RARE GRAPE” series continues…
This might come as a shock to some of you, but Germany does make red wines - granted they are few and far between, but regions like Baden,and the Pfalz in the southwest, and the Ahr further north and east are just as well known for their red wines as their whites. The more southerly climes and more hours of sun in these regions allow growers to cultivate traditional, uncrossed red grape varieties like Lemberger (a.k.a. Blaufrankisch) and Spatburgunder (the German name for Pinot Noir - yes, Germany makes Pinot Noir, and some pretty damned good ones at that), but the problem even in these warmer regions is consistency. Though global warming may make this phenomenon a thing of the past, German red wine makers always had difficulty fully ripening their red varieties with any real consistency. Certain particularly hot years could yield wines with enough color, weight, and alcohol to make them universally appealing, but all too often when Mother Nature caught a little cold, the results were often thin, pale, and pinched - wines that were more like roses than reds, and were consumed locally for reasons more having to do with local pride than for the ultimate quality of the wines.
And then there’s Dornfelder (sounds like the title of a scrapped Woody Allen movie script, no?). As I alluded to above, Dornfelder is not a “natural” variety. Dornfelder was born in Germany only in 1956 to a single (agronomist) parent named August Herold who crossed two other hybridized varieties, one called Helfensteiner, and the other called Heroldrebe (Herold’s “child” as well as the name clearly illustrates). But despite all the good efforts of dedicated scientists, hybrid grape varieties tend to be ultimately underwhelming. They nearly always display the storied “hybrid vigor” that crossed varieties often possess, and in fact, this is often the primary reason for their existence in the first place, but no matter how carefully this or that charteristic is selected for, the final result is quite unpredictable, so many crossed varieties exist nowhere else than in a genetics bank. No grower that doesn’t have to deal with crossed varieties does so willingly, but historically, Germany’s only chance to make red wine was via this route.
All that being said, and though not perfect, Dornfelder stands out as one of the most succesful modern crossings. First, Dornfelder yields very deeply colored juice even in cooler vintages. This is a big plus for for a place whose reds can perhaps best be described as a bit wan. The second plus to Dornfelder are yields. Also due to the often chilly German climate, those that make wines from uncrossed Vitis Vinifera vines can’t make very much wine - the place’s climate just naturally reduces yields. No such problems with Dornfelder - harvests are bountiful. Third, Dornfelder ripens quite early, so any chances of getting burned by an early frost are dramtically reduced. Finally, true to its crossed roots, Dornfelder is indeed highly resistant to most of the major vine diseases.
So what’s it like in the glass? As already stated, Dornfelder wines are deeply colored - often a sultry, purply garnet color. The wines always show a fresh acidity, and also react quite well to moderate amounts of wood aging that can add another level to the wines. Flavor/aroma-wise, Dorfelder is often said to possess a velvety “sweet” texture with flavors of exotic spice, berries, and a violet-y florality. If I had to make a specific comparison to another, traditional wine, I’d say Dornfelder most resembles one of the big cru Beaujolaises like Morgon or Moulin-a-Vent.
As might be inferred from the similarities to serious Beaujolais, Dornfelder wines pair well with dry salamis and hams, as well as grilled fresh sausages, chicken, and rabbit, and soft-ripened cow’s milk cheeses as well as herbed goat cheeses.
Below is a link to the two Dornfelder wines we’re currently stocking. As always, if you pick up one of these, or any other from elsewhere, please post your tasting notes here.
TOM CIOCCO
DR DORNFELDER, PLEASE REPORT TO THE DINNER TABLE - DR DORNFELDER
Gaglioppo - The real barolo of the south
…the Rare Grape Series continues…
Though there are small patches of the Gaglioppo (gal-YOH-po) in Umbria, Abruzzo, and even as far north as the Marche, the Gaglioppo grape is most closely tied to Calabria in the “toe” of the boot that is Italy. As one might infer from the title of this piece, Gaglioppo is a red grape variety. And before we continue, let me briefly explain what I mean by the title. There’s an old saw that often refers to another great grape variety from the south, Aglianico, as “the Barolo of the south”. Now there can be no doubting that Aglianico is indeed a noble variety that produces complex, powerful, and long lived wines (like Barolo), but so does Gaglioppo, and most importantly when making such a proclamation, Gaglioppo actually looks and tastes quite like Barolo (or a more simple Nebbiolo in it’s less ambitious incarnations) especially those wines produced in the Ciro` DOC, and Aglianico decidedly does NOT…’nuff said about this…
As with so many “ancient” grape varieties, especially ones that are situated in Southern Italy, there is some notion that Gaglioppo is originally Greek, but thus far there is no proof for this assertion. Recent genetic studies however do suggest a strong relationship to a rare Sicilian variety called Frappato.
Gaglioppo is a hardy variety, and is very well adapted to the exceedingly hot and dry conditions that prevail in Calabria. Despite this vine’s overall stalwart nature, it is a bit susceptible to the vine diseases oidium and peronospera, but because both of these maladies are mold-based, and because Calabria is so arid, these diseases are only problematic in very wet years which are a vary rare occurancc in sun-soaked Calabria.
Though there are other red varieties in Calabria, Gaglioppo is clearly the most important and widespread, it appearing in the Bivongi, Cirò, Donnici, Lamezia, Melissa, Pollino, San Vito di Luzzi, Sant’Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto, Savuto, Scavigna, and Verbicaro DOCs
Gaglioppo berry bunches are quite tightly packed, with a medium skin thickness. The vine’s production is fairly prolific, vigorous (lots of foliage), as well as predictable from vintage to vintage. Gaglioppo ripens fairly late (usually in the first week in October), but Calabria’s hot and dry conditions provide plenty enough heat and light to fully ripen the fruit. Currently, there are over 7,000 hecatres of land under the Gaglioppo vine.
In the glass, Gaglioppo is fairly light in color, often showing the “brick” tones so closely associated with Barolo, especially after a few years of bottle age. But despite the lightish coloration of Galioppo’s wines, it is quite strongly structured with formidable levels of both acids and tannins. In terms of flavors and aromas, Gaglioppo shows notes of licorice, “dust”, dried flowers, mixed berries, and a certain sappy, “vinous” aroma (sound a little familiar?).
Gaglioppo based wines pair very well with grilled chicken, rabbit, and spicy dishes when young. With some aging, Gaglioppo-based wines are good matches with roasted lamb and game.
Below are a few Gaglioppo-based wines. As always, please feel free to post tasting notes for these or any other Gaglioppo-based wines here as comments.
TOM CIOCCO
Groppello - a warmth from the north
…and the “RARE GRAPE SERIES” continues…
Today we take a short look at GROPPELLO. The Groppello variety is found in several pockets in north-central Italy, specifically in the provinces of Vicenza, Verona, and Treviso in Veneto, the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo in Lombardia, and various dispersed areas in the region of Trentino. Though fairly well-diffused, the variety’s original homeland seems to be at or around Lake Garda which straddles the border of the regions of Lombardia and Veneto.
The name “Groppello” seems to be derived from the local dialect word “grop” or “groppo” meaning “knot” or “node” which is a clear reference to the tightness of the berries in the bunches. As is the case with many varieties, there are a couple of distinct branches in the Gropello family. One of these is named Groppello Gentile. This sub-variety is used primarily in the production of rose` wines. The other side of the family is called Groppello di Mocasina. This vine yields wines with greater intensity and weight, and consequently is most often used in the production of red wines. Neither of the branches is more prevalent in one geographical zone than another, and in fact, both sub-varieties are cultivated in all of the grape’s growing zones, and at times, they are planted cheek by jowl, and are even blended together by some growers.
Groppello plays a role in three northern Italian DOCs: Riviera del Garda Bresciano in Lombardia, Breganze Rosso in Veneto, a varietal bottling called Garda Classico Gropello DOC, as well as a component in the Garda Rosso red blends that can also include Marzemino, Barbera and Sangiovese This wine is also produced in Veneto.
In the vineyard, Groppello is quite hardy with good resistence to both cold temperatures and most of the common vine diseases. Due to the variety’s very tight berry bunches however, Gropello can be somewhat prone to contracting molds in wetter years.
In the glass Groppello has quite a “warm”, rich, and round character a with medium acidity and good weight. The variety most often displays flavors and aromas of strawberries and spice.
Currently, we’re stocking just one Groppello (and I must admit, it’s the only pure Gropello I’ve ever tasted, or even know of - though I have encountered it before in the Garda Rosso blend), but this wine arrived at our doorstep TODAY, so I haven’t yet had the chance to make formal tasting notes…I’m planning however on getting them written over the weekend, so check back Monday for my impressions…in the meantime, I encourage everyone out there to pick up a bottle and beat me to the punch by posting YOUR tasting notes here in the comments field.
TOM CIOCCO
