By Christopher Whinney
For millennia the wines of Italy have been famous for their exciting diversity and excellence, and its vineyards and grape varieties renowned in Roman time are still flourishing today – beside innovative newcomers. Nowhere is this more evident than in the great red wines of the peninsula’s heartland. From the fog-draped Langhe hills of Piedmont to the sun-baked slopes of Umbria and the medieval hilltops of Tuscany, three grapes — Nebbiolo, Sagrantino and Brunello — tell a story that is inseparable from the landscapes, traditions and people that shaped them. These are not wines that are both demanding and deeply rewarding – for the impatient. They are wines for those willing to wait, to wonder, and ultimately, to be astonished. both demanding and deeply rewarding.
BAROLO
‘The King of Wines’
As a producer of fine red wines, this region of Italy is possibly unequalled. The 1,600 ft Langhe hills provide the slopes, shelter, soil, sunshine and humidity that bring the Nebbiolo grape – from which derives one of Piedmont’s most important wines – to perfection in Barolo. The Nebbiolo takes its name from the fog (nebbia) that characterises the area in the autumn, producing wonderful, mellow views.
“Overwhelming” and “uncompromising” are terms often used to describe Barolo. After fleeting scents of fruits or flowers, the aroma turns to powerful tar, liquorice, coffee, leather etc. For the uninitiated, the palate can be a real struggle! Off-putting though the high level of tannins and acidity can be, they promote Barolo’s prized feature: its expansive and velvety texture, the result of a lengthy ageing process: 5 years minimum for a Riserva, ideally 10 years.
Barolo excels in the context of the region’s cuisine – among the best in Italy – as the perfect complement to game, roast and red meats, rich casseroles and pungent cheeses. With every mouthful there is something new to be discovered – one of the hallmarks of a great wine.
SAGRANTINO
Distinctive characteristics
Sagrantino is one of the oldest grape varieties in Italy. It is grown only around Montefalco, south of Assisi, in Umbria. This walled hill town, its slopes covered with vineyards, is known as the ‘balcony of Umbria’. It enjoys panoramic views across a wide valley from Assisi to Spoleto. Like most surrounding towns it has Roman foundations and churches with superb frescoes.
Sagrantino grapes were used in Roman times, and have distinctive characteristics. When young, Sagrantino is tough and tannic, but softens relatively quickly with age, and after five or more years develops into a very dark red wine of quality and distinction. Locally it is usually decanted before serving as, like many of central Italy’s more complex red wines, it needs ample time to ‘breathe’.
A WINE BEST FORGOTTEN
Magic of Sangiovese
The gesticulations said it all. The grower, a small barrel of a man with white hair and rough callused hands, and the sommelier, groomed, manicured and handsome, stood looking across vineyards of immaculately tended Sangiovese grapes, engrossed in animated conversation.
“Troppo violente,” the sommelier winced, “I never decant a Brunello.”
“So your customers have to wait for the wine to ‘open’ whilst their dinner gets cold?”
“Of course. I keep some bottles at room temperature. The wine will open in the glass”
“Not ideal”
“No, not ideal.”
“But you get to sell an expensive bottle of wine…”
“An expensive bottle of your wine…”
The argument would go on for hours.
High in the hills of southern Tuscany, around the walled medieval town of Montalcino, a localised clone of the Sangiovese grape, Brunello, produces Italy’s most expensive red wine. Properly aged and served ‘there is the unmistakable sense of being in the presence of greatness’. Five years in oak barrels before the first bottles are sold – it needs another ten years or more before the tannins soften and the wine matures. Twenty years would be better. Only then will you discover why this wine is so revered…
“Decanting allows the wine to oxygenate, but too suddenly, and you miss the sensation of it actually ‘opening’ in the glass.”
“So they wait… How long are they going to wait?”
“With great wines you must have patience. Respect.”
“But the wine has been waiting 20 years in the bottle and people drink it before it has time to breathe – they lose all respect for the wine.”
“Of course.”
“So how long before you drink it do you open a Brunello?”
“Well two hours, maybe a little longer.”
“So when people come to your restaurant and order a bottle at the table, do you serve it?”
Brunello is a wine best forgotten. Recently, when clearing junk from a storeroom, I found beneath the debris some bottles that had been there for 15 years… buried treasure, indeed!
