Wine Review: Exotic Italian Varieties

Although I love Italian wines, there is still so much more to experience and learn. I tried 10+ different Italian varieties that I had little to no experience with prior. Why aren’t these wines more popular? 

Italian Wine Popularity & Diversity

For better or worse, most people experience a highly French influenced wine industry. French varieties, winemaking and styles dominate the market in large and small wine making countries. Italy is arguably the only large, well-known wine producing country that still sticks to its own traditions and varieties rather than succumbing to French influence.  However, some regions like Tuscany use a lot of French varieties, and more Italian producers use new French oak barriques than before. 

That being said, there are so many unique Italian varieties beyond the popular Nebbiolo in Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco, etc.), Sangiovese in Tuscany (Chianti, Brunello, etc.) and Pinot Grigio in northeastern Italy (actually from France but the Italian style is more popular). Even many wine lovers outside of Italy don’t bother to explore these lesser known grapes and regions or they simply aren’t readily available in their countries.  Is it because these varieties are not particularly unique or is it simply too much added information for consumers to learn? Check out the background descriptions and tasting notes below to get my impressions of 10 alternative Italian wines. 

Even after having tried these 10 wines, there are still so many more lesser known Italian varieties out there. Plus, there are even more well-known ones that I didn’t mention such as Primitivo, Montepulciano, Aglianico, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Negroamaro, Corvina (and other varieties found in Amarone/Valpolicella wines), Glera (Prosecco), Lambrusco, etc. Not to mention, there are all the regions and subregions with various styles, terroirs and varieties. Plus, there are varieties that are the same but have different names depending on the region. Hence, I’m going to keep on exploring. 

Lastly, despite the popularity of Italian wines, you don’t often find Italian grape varieties grown outside of Italy unlike French varieties. There are many reasons for this, but it seems like many would be more suitable for other countries that are getting warmer with climate change since many parts of Italy have a dry, warm climate.  I for one would like to see more Italian grapes outside of Italy. You can read about Chile’s versions of Sagrantino, Teroldego, Refosco, Aglianico and Barbera. 

 

Tasting Notes

Wines listed in the order we drank them.

Whites:

2020 Cecchi Torrebona Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Vernaccia is Tuscany’s top white grape. It’s the only Tuscan white grape with its own DOC. The Vernaccia wine grape was written about as early as 1276 in San Gimignano’s records and in Dante’s Divine Comedy. The name comes from “vernaculum”, which means “of the place” or “common” or “indigenous” and is the root of ‘vernacular’ in English. 

Vernaccia 90%, other white grape varieties 10%.  Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are common other grapes allowed (up to 15%) but they don’t specify. Vinified and aged in stainless steel. 

Savory nose, herbal. Simple, easy drinking palate. Medium acid. Not far off from a standard Sauvignon Blanc. Our Italian friends say this is typically drunk with grilled Mediterranean fish. 87

2020 Fratelli Alessandria Favorita Langhe

100% Favorita (Vermentino). Vermentino is sort of Italy’s version of Sauvignon Blanc, but it has different names in different regions. Although I’ve had Vermentino from Italy and France before, I’ve never had the Piedmont version although locals insist Favorita is its own grape. 

Fermented and aged in steel tanks.  

Reticent nose, but a touch of white flowers, citrus and herbal notes. Palate is medium-low in acid. Smooth and simple. Kind of boring. I expected more acidity, crispness. 86

2019 Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT Trentino-Alto Adige

100% Manzoni, which is a hybrid between Riesling and Pinot Bianco. They tend to make full-bodied, fresh, spicy and floral dry whites. 

Biodynamic. Fermented with skins in cement tanks and then 7 months in Acacia casks and perhaps some in clay amphorae. ~20,000 bottles made. 

Spicy nose. You get oak and minerality. Palate is elegant, but more body than the previous with medium acid. Apple/pear fruit.  A complete white. Could improve with short-term aging. However, not sure there’s enough acidic structure to support long-term aging as it faded and left mostly oak notes a few days later. Slightly bitter. Or do white wines also have awkward stages like reds? 91 

2019 Marco de Bartoli Grappoli del Grillo Sicilia 

100% Grillo, one of the primary grapes in fortified Marsala. Typically a fresh, light wine, Bartoli makes a more structured, complex version. 

Fermented with indigenous yeasts at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Aged in neutral French barrels for 12 months with fine lees kept in suspension from battonage (stirring). 

A creamy, rich wine but still good acid. Reminds me of more expensive Chardonnay. A couple days later,  honey and white flower notes emerge. 92

2014 Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Vigne Niche Etna Bianco Sicilia

100% Carricante from 60 year old vines on volcanic soils 600-650 meter above sea level. Carricante is a high acid grape that has been growing in Etna, Sicily for centuries. 

Low temperature fermentation in various sized French oak and then aged in French oak barriques for 10 months. ~666 cases made.  

Citrusy. Minerally. But subtle on the nose and elegant, slightly oily on the palate. Don’t sense the oak much at all. It’s a good wine, but a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more complexity to this given the age. Perhaps it was better younger with more fruit and intensity. I revisited it a couple days later. More secondary and tertiary notes were prominent with caramel, spice, toasty notes as well as bitter almond. The wine also gained more body and texture but lost acidity. I’m still not sure how much I like aged whites. In this case, I imagine I’d prefer it younger when it was at its most minerally and acidic. 90

2013 Cos Pithos Bianco Sicilia  

100% Greganico. This is also called Garganega in other parts of Italy, and it’s most famous for being the major component of Soave in northern Italy. The best tend to be aromatic wines with medium acid.

Biodynamic, skin-contact wine aged in amphorae buried underground like with Georgian wines. 

Orange color. Reticent nose. Not the most vegetal orange wine but definitely orange in character. Leafy, spicy, savory apple cidery palate with good acid. Probably the oldest orange wine I’ve ever had, so perhaps that mellows out the bitter notes you often get. Nose opened up a few days later, so I’ll give it an extra point. I would probably mistake the nose for a light, savory red if tasted blind. 90

Reds: 

2020 Castello di Verduno “Basadone” Pelaverga

Pelaverga is a rare grape from Piedmont, typically made in a light, fruity style. 

Organic farming. Fermented and aged for 9 months in stainless steel. 

Light in color. Fruity red fruit wine. Light, soft tannins. Sort of a light Barbera. Probably better slightly chilled. 88

2018 Borgogno Langhe Freisa 

Freisa is generally light in color, but acidic with rustic tannins. Once popular in Piedmont, it’s now only about 2% of the plantings. 

Spontaneous fermentation in large concrete tanks. 10 months in large Slovenian oak. Borgogno is considered a traditional producer of Barolo with a long 250 year history. 

Smoky, bacon nose. Spice. Some tannins but it subsides with food. Dark red berry fruit. Some, camphor, heat at 14.5%. Definitely the most rustic of the reds. 88

2020 Masseria Li Veli Askos Susumaniello Salento Puglia

Susumaniello is a rare (only 125 acres in Italy), ancient grape from Puglia. It is related to Garganega (white grape in Soave) and Uva Sogra. The name comes from the local dialect word somarello, which means donkey. Most likely they called it this because donkeys carry heavy loads, and this high yielding grape created heavy loads. It’s typically a high acid, high alcohol wine with some tannins featuring red and dark fruit. 

Vinified and aged 9 months in French oak barriques. 

Spicy and floral nose. Baking spice. Licorice. Ripe dark and red fruit on the nose and palate. High alcohol, but holds it well. Medium soft tannins. Medium acid. Reminds me a bit of some of the Primitivo from this region with the fruit, spice and high alcohol. At the same time, it’s more complex than most Primitivo. 91

2011 Azienda Agricola Barbacarlo di Lino Maga Barbacarlo Oltrepò Pavese Rosso DOC (Lombardia) 

A blend of around 50% Croatina, 30% Uva Rara, 20% Ughetta. Lino Mago’s wines are cult wines among wine geeks. Only around 400 cases are made. With over 80 years experience making wine here, he makes his wines as his father did. Farming with no chemicals. Hand-harvesting. Spontaneous fermentation. No temperature control. Aged in large botti that have been the same since WWII. Minimal sulfur added.

Croatina, as the name implies, most likely came from Croatia. It’s a difficult grape to grow, so it is often only used in blends. It’s a spicy, high alcohol, tannic grape yet with a smooth, floral character. Uva rara is also called Bonarda locally (not the same as in Argentina). It’s usually a fresh, aromatic grape that’s low in acid. Ughetta (also called Vespolina) is typically a light, floral and spicy wine. 

A bit cloudy. Looks unfiltered. Ripe but elegant yet still structured with tannins leftover. Medium acid. A touch of earthiness, licorice, spice but mostly about ripe fruit. Quite primary at 11 years old with a touch of tertiary notes peeking through. Still not at the dried fruit stage. There was a touch of carbonation/secondary fermentation, but it faded quickly. I thought it would be more rustic, but it’s super smooth yet with tannins to age longer. I believe this was a riper year overall and I’ve read that there can be some vintage variance with this producer, which is normal for traditional producers who let the terroir and vintage shine as opposed to manipulating the wine to taste the same every vintage. 91

Conclusion

Italian wines as a whole tend to be high in acid; They are wines meant to go with their local food. The whites are often light and fresh. The reds can have a rusticity and spiciness to them. They aren’t afraid to show their terroir despite some producers choosing to use more new oak French barrels to make the wines more in an international style. With these 10 wines, you get wines along that spectrum of traditional to more international along with the added uniqueness of the lesser known varieties. 

The Manzoni and Grillo stood out the most among the whites. I thought both found that balance between traditional and modern. The Barbacarlo and Susumaniello were the two most interesting reds. They were riper, darker and less acidic than say a Sangiovese or Nebbiolo, but they wouldn’t be confused with a New World modern wine either. 

As far as being faithful to the variety, I couldn’t answer that since I haven’t had most of these varieties before. However, all of them spoke to a sense of place despite the various winemaking methods used. It’s no surprise that conversations at our tasting quickly turned to people recalling their time in these regions, which authentic wine and food can do. In contrast, drinking a generic Cabernet Sauvignon from any country may not evoke the same feelings even if the quality was more or less the same.