Alpine Italy
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Alpine Italy Where the landscapes of northern Italy rise towards its dramatic mountain borders, the wines come with as many accents and cultural influences as the local communities. Simon Reilly takes us on a tour of the regions, and recommends 15 fascinating wines WHEN MOST PEOPLE think of the Alps, wine is In Alto Adige, cooperatives such as Cantina not the first thing that springs to mind – Terlano and Cantina Andrian produce a wide après-ski aside. But wine lovers whose Italian range of quality wines at every price point. cellars stop at the rolling hills of Langhe or Entry-level wines like Cantina Andrian’s Tuscany are missing out on some fascinating Vernatsch red and Pinot Bianco are precise wines. There are delicious wines to be found and food-friendly, offering great value. At the from Valle d’Aosta (Italy’s smallest wine- top end, Cantina Terlano’s top crus are growing region) in the west, travelling world-class, complex wines, aged in oak and through Alto Piemonte and Valtellina, to Alto then held in bottle for 10 or more years before Adige in the east. being released when deemed ready to drink. The expanse of Italy’s Alpine region, and In Alto Piemonte, a group of producers from the merging of cultures created by its Biella has formed the Associazione Vignaioli mountain borders with France, Switzerland Colline Biellesi. The passionate spokesman for and Austria, results in a great diversity of wine this group is Luca De Marchi of Proprietà styles. Yet the dramatic landscape they share Sperino (son of owner Paolo, who also owns brings similarities too. Italy’s best Alpine Isole e Olena in Tuscany). He says: ‘If only one wines all offer freshness, minerality, acidity person makes good wine, it only benefits one. and complexity in abundance. If we all make good wine, it becomes a good area and that is better for everyone.’ Working together The logistical challenges the Alpine conditions Nebbiolo’s various guises create seem to bring the winemakers together. Nebbiolo is well represented in the Alps, but is Across the region, cooperatives feature strongly. chameleon-like, known as Spanna in Alto Rather than the stereotypical idea of co-ops Piemonte, Chiavennasca in Valtellina and selling the local mouthwash by the litre, these Picotendro in Valle d’Aosta. are producing serious, high-quality wines. Sitting in the shadow of Monte Rosa, the Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema is second highest mountain in the Alps, to the one of only two producers in the small Carema west and north of Milan, the Gattinara DOCG DOC on the border of Alto Piemonte and Valle in Alto Piemonte is the birthplace of Spanna, d’Aosta. It produces only two Nebbiolos, a an ancient clone of Nebbiolo. Elring and black-label Classico and a white-label Riserva. Kathrine Astrup, majority owners of the Nervi I’d quite happily drink the Classico with lunch estate, are Spanna’s official cheerleaders. They and the Riserva with dinner for the rest of my bought the estate in 2011 after falling in love days. While the Classico is softer and lighter with the wines of Gattinara during family ski Views over Carema than the darker, more serious Riserva, both holidays in the Italian Alps. from the vineyards of have a beautiful balance of cherry sweetness, Kathrine says: ‘Spanna was historically Cantina Produttori refreshing acidity and freshness. deemed to be better than Nebbiolo as it ➢ Nebbiolo di Carema 54 | Italy 2017 • DECANTER ALPINE WINES Moving east, Valtellina lies along the Adda A special Nebbiolo style native to Valtellina River in north Lombardy and is home to real is Sforzato. Similar in style to Amarone, it’s a mountain Nebbiolo, known as Chiavennasca passito wine made from partially dried grapes. locally. The sloping vineyards at Ar.Pe.Pe. Although many producers use heated cellars, estate (Arturo Pelizzatti Perego) are so steep at Ar.Pe.Pe. the grapes dry on the vines. Being that cable cars are used to harvest the grapes. at the mercy of the elements, Isabella only The work is manual and hard. Committed to makes Sforzato around three times a decade. quality, Ar.Pe.Pe. has been a family estate since 1860 – Isabella Pelizzatti Perego and her two Native grapes brothers took over from her father, Arturo, Italy’s Alpine regions are a great source of who decided to make wines in 1984. Isabella little-known but interesting native varieties. says his stubborn belief in producing quality, Beginning with whites, in the DOCG of Caluso was better suited to the climate. Normal Above: aged wines, released when ready to drink, near Turin, Erbaluce is used to make dry table Nebbiolo loses concentration in the acidic soils Isabella Pelizzatti existed from day one: ‘He didn’t sell any wine wines with taut acidity and great minerality, and heavy rain, but Spanna thrives.’ Despite Perego of Ar.Pe.Pe. for six years. It just sat in the cellar, waiting.’ excellent traditional, Champagne-method this, Spanna was gradually replaced by higher with her brothers Guido This ethos continues: the current vintage of sparkling wines, and delicious late-harvest yielding clones of Nebbiolo such as Lampia. (left) and Emanuele Ar.Pe.Pe.’s two riservas is 2007. The vineyards passitos. Caluso producers of fine Erbaluce (in Nervi has been working with the University of are only 2km apart, but the difference in terroir all three formats) to look out for include: Cella Turin to develop Spanna clones from old vines Left: cable cars on the shines through. Sassella is the dark, brooding Grande, La Masera, Cieck and Orsolani. in an effort to increase the proportion of the steeply sloping brother to its soft and seductive sister, In Trentino-Alto Adige, the white grape Spanna vines on its estate. Nervi produces an vineyards of Ar.Pe.Pe. Grumello. In all, eight different cuvées are Nosiola – which is traditionally seen as a excellent estate Gattinara, as well as two estate in Valtellina produced but – understandably given the blending variety (see ‘Unusual grapes’, p10) single-vineyard crus, Molsino and Valferana, harsh geography – only four of those on – was almost extinct in the early 1970s, when typified by finesse, elegance and structure, average are produced each year. ‘Which ones?’ Giuseppe Fanti decided to start bottling a with great acidity and minerality. says Isabella. ‘That depends on mother nature.’ 100% Nosiola wine in the foothills of the ➢ Reilly recommends: best of the Italian Alpine region Orsolani, Cuvée Tradizione There is great energy on the peppery From steep, south-facing vineyards at orange peel spice. After resting for 12 Les Crêtes, Fumin, Valle spice are followed by tart fruit flavours of 1968, Spumante, Caluso, finish that leaves your palate so refreshed about 600m, this has lovely aromas of months in large oak casks, fruit flavours d’Aosta 2012 94 damsons and griotte cherries. This is full Piedmont 2009 93 you can’t stop yourself smacking your peaches, but you can also smell the wet combine effortlessly with soft tannins £24.95 Exel of energy and is very easy to drink. £20.80 Mille Gusti lips. Drink 2017-2020 Alc 13.5% stone minerality. A lovely waxy texture and mouthwatering acidity to create the Very dark, almost black in Drink 2017-2021 Alc 13.5% 1968 refers to the year reveals white grapefruit and pepper most drinkable wine imaginable. colour. Brooding and spicy, Orsolani’s first sparkling Pojer e Sandri, Nosiola, Dolomiti, leading to refreshing saltiness on the Drink 2017-2028 Alc 12.5% with dark fruits and a touch of Rivetti & Lauro, Dell’Orco, Erbaluce was produced. Trentino-Alto Adige 2015 91 finish. Nicely balanced despite relatively polish on the nose. Deliciously Sforzato di Valtellina, Toasted notes integrate £17 FortyFive10° high alcohol. Drink 2017-2019 Alc 14.5% Nervi, Gattinara, Piedmont tart berry fruit on the palate Lombardy 2011 92 perfectly with pineapple and 100% Nosiola. A heady concoction of 2011 95 leads to a very long finish that £30.36 Vinissimo lime flavours, all combining pepper, minerals and limes, underpinned Ar.Pe.Pe., Buon Consiglio, £24 Raeburn has a pleasing sourness to it. Made from partially dried to create a seamless mouthful by a subtle smokiness through to a long Grumello Riserva, Nebbiolo that’s blended from Drink 2017-2025 Alc 13.5% Nebbiolo. Floral nose of dried of freshness, richness and tension. finish. Unique. Drink 2017-2018 Alc 12% Valtellina Superiore, all of this estate’s vineyards. roses. Powerful and intense Delicious. Drink 2017-2020 Alcohol 13% Lombardy 2007 98 A lovely, sweet fruit nose of Proprietà Sperino, Uvaggio, cherry sweetness is balanced Cantina Terlano, Terlaner £44 Tutto red berries and watermelon Coste della Sesia, Piedmont 2012 94 by a dry finish. A wine made Cantina Produttori Valle Isarco, Classico, Alto Adige 2015 90 Nebbiolo that’s been aged for with notes of spice. So smooth £24.99 Bentley’s, Drinkmonger, Harrogate for cheese, preferably Italian. Aristos, Sylvaner, Alto Adige 2014 92 £15.50 Astrum, Bottle Apostle, four years in oak and three and elegant on the palate, Fine Wine Co, Hedonism, Richard Granger, Drink 2017-2025 Alc 14.5% £21.95 Slurp Field & Fawcett, Highbury years in bottle before release. with acidity and soft tannins Scarlet Wines, The Wine Reserve, Whole Foods A slightly reticent nose of peaches leads Vintners, Jeroboams, The Solent Cherry sweetness melts into on the long finish giving it Blend of 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Vespolina Cantina Andrian, Bocado, Vernatsch, to a lovely texture, with salty stone Cellar, WoodWinters refreshing acidity, creating a great balance. Drink 2017-2026 Alc 13.5% and 10% Croatina.