The variety Ciliegiolo is becoming more popular in Italy. Have you tried it yet?
Ciliegiolo
Ciliegiolo (pronounced: cheeli-oh-JOL-oh) is a red variety almost exclusive to Italy. Some say it came from Spain, but it’s also closely related to Sangiovese. Therefore, it may have developed in Italy.
The name comes from the Italian word for “cherry,” which describes the characteristics of this variety. It typically produces a soft, fresh wine made for early consumption.
It’s not a common variety in Italy, but that’s changing as producers are looking for ways to soften and brighten up their wines for earlier drinking to keep up with current consumer trends. In fact, prior to the bottle I’m reviewing here, I had only tried it in blends in small percentages with Tuscan Sangiovese. However, monovarietal versions are becoming more popular in Tuscany, Liguria, Umbria and Lazio.
In my exploration of Italian varieties, I was surprised to find a Chilean monovarietal version of this grape. Not surprisingly, it comes from Gillmore who specialize in Italian varieties in Chile. They also make monovarietal Sagrantino, Aglianico, Montepulciano and Vermentino from Maule.
Tasting Notes
2020 Gillmore Ciliegiolo del Maule Loncomilla
Gillmore is the only Chilean producer I know that produces this variety. In fact, this is the only time I’ve ever seen it grown outside of Italy. Dry-farmed. Stainless steel fermentation. 8 months in oak barrels. 1,625 bottles made.
The nose exhibits red and purple fruit with some violet. The palate shows cherry fruit, soft tannins, vibrant acidity and a touch of spice. Medium-bodied. It’s nice and zippy on the palate, but the alcohol is high which makes it less compatible with peppery or spicy food since the alcohol may accentuate the heat. Would work well with savory pasta dishes or pizza, but less so with pepperoni pizza or Arrabbiata sauce pasta for example. The high alcohol is actually a characteristic of the variety. A good value everyday wine at $14 or so. 90
Conclusion
Although I haven’t tried a monovarietal Italian version of Ciliegiolo, this Chilean version matches a lot of the typical characteristics of this variety. I imagine some Italian versions are lighter and even more red-fruited, but it depends on the producer and region. Hopefully, I’ll be able to try some Italian versions soon to compare. However, besides production being almost exclusive to Italy, distribution of Italian versions is also limited outside of Europe. Overall, I find it a bit more interesting than Dolcetto so far, and it could serve a similar role in Tuscany as Dolcetto in Piedmont as an everyday wine while you’re waiting for your nice Sangiovese to age.