Wine from Abruzzo in London

Masterclass on wines from Abruzzo

I think I speak English pretty well, but I confess that when I walked into the building of the Haberdashers Company in London I had no idea what haberdashers do, I will keep your curiosity alive if you are also in the dark and stimulate you to do a little research!

Whatever the original purpose of the hall of the haberdashers, the UK Sommelier Association used it for an instructive and fun event on wines from Abruzzo, on the Adriatic coast of Italy.

I attended a masterclass by Peter McCrombie and spent a little time walking around the tables of the many producers who came all the way from Italy to let us taste some hidden gems.

Peter began by highlighting how Abruzzo is a land that suited to viticulture, and experienced a qualitative jump ahead in recent years. More focus now on local varieties after some attempts at introducing international grapes. There are 2 main production areas: inland mountains and coastal. Lots of parks in Abruzzo some 30% of land, great for the environment but it takes land away from viticulture. Until the renaissance vines were mostly found in the Peligna Valley but now whole region. 

Some 34,000 hectares of vineyard keep about 250 producers busy making wine, two thirds of which is now exported. The Consorzio was founded in 2002 and it now counts 200 members. Chieti is the main winemaking province in Abruzzo, followed by Pescara. Most vineyards use the pergola training to protect the berries from the scorching sun, some cordon.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo requires 90% Montepulciano grapes and max 10% sangiovese is allowed, it is a tradition that goes back to the 1600s.

Pecorino was almost extinct back in the 90s, it has now enjoyed a great revival for its intense bouquet. After sangiovese montepulciano is the 2nd most planted variety in Italy. Pair with hearty pasta arrosticini, "If it grows together it goes together" as Peter pointed out...

The masterclass was flanked by a guided pairing led by UKSA Course Director Federica Zanghirella who illuminated those of us lucky enough to attend on the tricky pairing of Abruzzo wines with salami, which is difficult because salami is fat (requires acidity) and salty (but salt does not pair well at all with salt). So it is essential to find the right balance in the wine. (Not much we sommelier can do about the salami!)

Tasting notes from the masterclass:

1. I Fauri
Pecorino
A savory wine.
Score 88

2. Fonte fico

Same as above

3. Ficcanaso Rabottini
Trebbiano

Intense aromas complex long
Score 89

4.Masciarelli trebbiano
See above
Score 93

5. Bossanova 

Cerasuolo
Lower tannins, light color typical of this grape.
Fresh, could drink slightly chilled
Could go well with non-spicy Asian food
Score 89

6. Barone Cornacchia
Montepulciano
Smooth perfect balance
Score 89

7.Faraone
Montepulciano
Deep Ruby red. Spicy full bodied
Fruit concentrated maybe a little jammy
Score 85

8. Nicodemi
Moderate intensity
Smooth long
A bit jammy
Score 87

Tasting notes from selected producers I met in my walkaround

Marramieri
Trebbiano base
Fruits, balance, mod complex
Score 88

Anima
30yo vines
Complex and smooth
Score 92

Pecorino
Round mod long
88

Altare trebbiano
Good body, fresh, intense
Score 90

Cerasuolo rosé
Fresh citrussy
85

Montepulciano base
Steel and some used barrique
Fruity a bit on the rough side
83

Incanto
Montepulciano
Acciaio and 1 yr bottle
Mod complex and long
Might benefit from bottle aging
Score 87

Inferi
Barrique nuova
Intense complex and long
Still needs more time
92

Masciarelli

Pecorino
Intense mod complex and long
88

Blend pecorino trebbiano cococciola
Intense complex full bodied
93

Trebbiano
45yo vines
Complex nutty flavors and good bite some grip fragrance, complex and long
93

Montepulciano di base
Round, velvety
mod complex long
89


Marina cvetic 2020
Long complex majestic
Cd benefit from longer aging
92

Fontefico

see brochure my wapp
Pecorino
SMOOTH balanced waxy
88

Montepulciano glou glou
Easy does it, fresh suggested to drink chilled
85

Cocca di casa
Montepulciano
Natural fermentation
Then split wood cement and steel and then mix again
Fresh, intense, very long
A little more bottle aging

Score 86

Nicodemi
LE MURATE Trebbiano
Immensely aromatic
Smooth long 

Score 90

Pecorino
Aromatic smooth long
88

Rose
Montepulciano
Few hours of skin contact
Again aromatic, smooth and ling
89

Amarone Calling in London

Amarone masterclass

Sponsorship of the  consorzio Valpolicella for today's event in London organized by the UK Sommelier Association with a masterclass led by James Goode. 2200 growers, 300 bottlers, 6 cooperatives make up the exclusive landscape of Valpolicella where amarone in produced. James argued that because of the reputation of this wine we think we know it but in fact recent developments are generous with surprises.

Amarone is one of 4 styles of wine produced in the area near Verona: Valpolicella Doc, Classic, Valpantena and amarone. Moderate continental climate moderated by Lake Garda which plays a fundamental role in the vineyards. 

Of the main varieties produced, corvina is the queen with 56%, followed by rondinella with 20% and corvinone with 16%. Smaller amounts of molinara.

Amarone must have between 45% and 95%of corvina or Corvinone also between 45% and 95%, while Rondinella can be used between 5% and 30% of the wine. It is used to give color. Molinara is the least used, between nothing and 10% and it is known to confer acidity and sapidity to amarone.

Pergola training mainly, with some 25% guyot.

Appassimento is the famous method used to make amarone: drying grapes on straw or hanging in dry rooms. Mostly but not always it avoid botrytis.

After a few months the grapes lose up to 60% of the water and this results in concentrated polyphenols, sugar and aromas.

 

Some producers these days use controlled humidity and temperature, traditionalists don't and argue that the true nature of amarone lies in the unpredictability of the uncontrolled process.

Grapes are dried until December at least and then pressed to start fermentation. 30 to 40 days of maceration  and finally aging for at least 2 years (4 for riserva) in wood.

Below my personal scores of the wines. IMHO most of these are way too young, but some lovers of more robust taste might like them now.

La Romiglia, amarone Valpolicella 2021

Powerful aromas for this robust wine, tannins need more time in bottle. Give it 5 years at least.

Score 88

International WIne Group, amarone Valpolicella "vivunt", 2021

A well balanced, long amarone, would benefit from at least 5 years in the bottle.

Azienda agricola Giampiero Borghetti, amarone Valpolicella classico 2020

Underipe, drink now if you like your tongue to be grated a bit, or else wait...

Score 86

Massimago, amarone Valpolicella "Conte Gastone 2020“

A sharp wine, quite un-amaronish, powerful tannins yet to be tamed.

Score 86

Corte Figaretto, amarone Valpantena "Brolo del Figaretto" 2020

A fruity amarone, fresh and long. An unusual style but an interesting one.

Score 90

Montezovo, amarone Valpolicella 2019

Oak confers a spicy taste, but good acidity moderates the sweet ending for this wine from an exceptionally good year.

Score 91

Colle Cerè, amarone Valpolicella classico 2019

A solid wine, well built, a "big" amarone, powerful, complex and long.

Score 93

Monteci amarone Valppolicella classico, 2018

This was a difficult year andmade for a fresher wine, red fruits are evident, a youthful amarone that will benefit from more bottle aging.

Score 87

Zymè di Celestino Gaspari, amarone Valpolicella classico 2018

A ready amarone, with a perfect balance good length and complexity.

Score 93

Falezze di Luca Anselmi, amarone Valpolicella 2018

A bit jammy, a mature wine, drink now.

Score 86

Cantina Colle Archi, amarone valpolicella riserva "IS", 2018

An austere amarone with a perfect balance.
Score 92

Pieropan amarone Valpolicella riserva "Vigna Garzon" 2018

An intense, long perfectly balanced wine.

Score 92

Camerani Corte S. Anna, amarone Valpolicella Valzzane 2017

Amazingly fresh, a bit rough.

Score 86

Sparkling wines from Burgundy

Crémant de Bourgogne masterclass organized by Bourgogne Wines today with Laura Kent, proud Ambassador of this wine in London. CdB is well known, and considered by many (excluding producers of Champagne perhaps!) to be a more affordable alternative to Champagne. In this class we will try and determine if that is true.

The following is based on her presentation today, for which I am grateful.

For starters, some numbers: CdB represents 12% of the wine production of Bourgogne and this number is growing. Last year some 22m bottles were sold. By way of comparison, 61% of Bourgogne wine consists of the iconic chardonnay white wine and 27% is red and rosé.

CdB may be produced throughout Burgundy (and parts of Beaujolais) and its vines keep some 2800 hectares of vineyards busy growing grapes for 22m bottles, about 44% of which is exported.

The history of CdB goes back to the middle ages, to the 13th century to be precise, when the first mention appears for "effervescent" (frémillants) wines. But it is only in the 18th century, when bottling as we now know it becomes widespread, that natural effervescence, sometimes unintentional, becomes a common phenomenon and a new taste develops the the bubbles.

In 1818, with the Napoleonic wars over, wine production takes off again and specifically in the Côte de Nuits some of the finest cuvées are converted to sparkling production, most notably red!

In 1830 a certain François Bazille Hubert, a winemakers from Champagne, moves to Rully and starts the tradition of the classical method in Burgundy. Over the next one hundred years more and more vignerons follow his lead and in 1930 no less than 40 vineyards make crémant. 

In 1940, with the storm of war gathering in Europe, Simmonet-Fèvre and Moreau start making bubbles in Chablis. In March 1943, with the war in full swing, the appellation Bourgogne Mousseux in created. One would have to wait for another 30 years and in 1975 the appellation Crémant de Bourgogne is inaugurated for both red and white wines.

Strict control criteria are applied to the production of CdB, beginning with inspections in the vineyards and pressing centers, where a limit of 150kg for 100 liters of wine is applied. Grapes are harvested by hand with whole bunches. Quality control of the taste of the base wine follows and a second tasting of 100% of the final product is de rigueur as well.

Minimum of 9 months of aging on laths and 12 months after that prior to release.

Three categories differentiate the final product by quality: crémant, eminént (min 24 months on laths and another tasting) and grand eminént, the Formula 1 of CdB: a) only pinot noir and chardonnay are allowed (some gamay for the rosé); minimum 10% potential alcohol at harvest, only the cuvée (first 75% of press) is allowed; minimum aging is 26 months; wines must be Brut and the final product has to undergo yet another tasting.

And now let us go for some tasting ourselves.

Domaine Laurent Berger

Just 7 hectares of chardonnay in the mâconnais.

Almonds notes for a light yet balanced wine.

Score 82

Domaine manuel Olivier

25 hectares of chardonnay (50% of this wine), pinot noir and aligoté

A light wine

Score 80

Maison Louis Picamelot

Making sparkling wines since 1926

pinot noir, chardonnay and aligoté with some gamay

A dry wine, moderately complex, amaretto notes.

Score 84

Le Vignerons d'Igé

Making wines since 1927, now farms 190 hectares, mainly chardonnay.

A smooth fragrant wine with a final bitter touch.

Score 85

Maison Paul Chollet

Making CdB since 1955.

Concerto, a yeasty fragrant wine, balanced and moderately long.

Score 87

Maison André Delorme

Founded in 1942 in Rully.

A smooth wine with little effervescence.

Score 84

 Quatre-vingt-deux blanc de noirs

pinot noir and 20% gamay.

A balanced and long wine with unique cherry notes.

Score 89

Louis Bouillot

Crémant Eminent

Tradition here goes back to 1877 and now covers 140 hectares.

Another fragrant wine with good length and moderate complexity.

Score 88

Caves Bailly Lapierre

Crémant de Bourgogne éminent

Made from grapes collected from 400 growers

85% chardonnay and 15% pinot noir.

Good freshness, intense aromas of ripe cherries, long.

Score 91

Maison Albert Sounit

Established in 1943 and owned by a Danish family since 1993.

Crémanmd Grand éminent 2018

A creamy fragrant wine, very long.

Score 93