Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
intensity of the wines appears to increase if the
grapes are subjected briefl y to high tempera-
tures just before harvest, causing a mild
increase in free volatile terpenes such as gera-
niol and nerol. While late harvesting decreases
the total terpenic concentration, it increases
free specifi c fractions, through dehydration and
the dissolution of skin terpenes into the pulp.
However, true late harvesting is not possible on
Elba and Capraia due to the risk of autumn
showers, and so those sweet wines are made via
the traditional method of air-drying on shelves.
There are two schools of thought about air-
drying Aleatico grapes: traditionally, on Elba,
the grapes air-dried directly in the sun, but
more modern winemakers prefer to air-dry the
grapes in the shade so as to produce wines that
express fully the unique and very intense aro-
mas and fl avors Aleatico is capable of deliver-
ing. In both methods, the grapes are almost
always picked by the end of August, because
after that point Aleatico's leaves stop working
and the grapes tend to dehydrate directly on the
vine. Different estates champion different
sources and methods: for example the Tuscan
estate La Fazenda has planted clonal selections
of Aleatico, while Terre del Sillabo has chosen
to work with massal selections; La Fazenda air-
dries the grapes in the shade, while Terre del
Sillabo does not. Therefore, tasting the Aleati-
cos by these two producers allows you to decide
which winemaking method is more to your lik-
ing. Both methods produce sweet wines that
are some of the world's very best: the intense,
concentrated aromas and fl avors of spicy red
and black cherries, red roses, violet, lavender,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are absolutely
unforgettable. Keep in mind that, in my opin-
ion, the best aleaticos are made by small, pas-
sionate producers, while bigger outfi ts have, at
least until now, mainly gone through the
motions. Unfortunately, sweet Aleatico wine is
very expensive to make, since the bunches
carry few grapes (because of
millerandage
), and
so few producers really want to devote much
time and effort to it. That's another reason why,
in Italy at least, small, artisanal producers are
your best bet for a memorable Aleatico wine
experience.
Outside Italy, Aleatico's island affi nity is
further shown by its presence on Corsica,
where it's traditionally used to make Rappu, a
highly alcoholic aperitif wine. There are some
lovely Aleatico wines being made much farther
away. In California, Aleatico is grown at Serres
Ranch in Sonoma, where the grapes are dry
farmed on mainly loamy soils. These grapes
have been used by many wineries to make
standout Aleatico wines. Imagery Estate Win-
ery in Glen Ellen and Viansa in Sonoma are
two such estates; their Aleatico rosés are excel-
lent. La Piazza di Sonoma and Jacuzzi Family
Vineyards have also made thicker, sweeter, late-
harvest Aleatico wines. In Australia, Aleatico is
made by Di Lusso Estate in Mudgee (a lovely
wine in a very pretty bottle simply labeled
“Aleatico”) and Tizzana in the South Coast
Zone (Ambrose, a rosé; Tizzana also used to
make a blend of 80 percent Syrah and 20 per-
cent Aleatico called Tomasso). In Hilltops,
Freeman Vineyards grows Aleatico, and
includes just a small splash of it in a rather wild
blend of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Riesling,
and Sauvignon Blanc called Freeman Fortuna.
In Darling Downs, Rimfi re Vineyards used to
make an Aleatico
vin gris
(it even won a bronze
medal at the Australian Alternative Varieties
Show in Mildura in 2003) but I haven't seen
any bottles of the wine in a long time. Queen-
land's Riversands Vineyards made a wine I
never managed to get a hold of, once intrigu-
ingly called Dr. Seidel's Soft Red Aleatico
Moscato Rosso, now just Dr. Seidel's Soft Red
Muscat said to be made with “Black Muscat”
grapes.
wines to try:
For Elba, try: Acquabona***
(Aleatico Passito Riserva; the best producer of
sweet aleatico in Italy), Tenuta delle Ripalte***
(Alea Ludendo), and Mola**. For Capraia, try:
La Piana*** (Rosa della Piana, a head-turning,
delightful dry
rosato
), La Fazenda* (Passito),
and Terre del Granito* (Passito). For the Tus-
can mainland, try: Piandibugnano* and Buli-
