Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Tonda. I don't know of anybody else who has
published similar results; the same study also
stated that Fortana and Canina Nera are identi-
cal, which is also refuted by many experts.
In general, Malbo Gentile is characterized by
large, loosely packed, pyramidal bunches with
one or two wings, and medium-small, round,
dark berries. There are three clones: VCR 68,
VCR 69, and VCR 70. The fi rst of these is char-
acterized by the particularly thick skin of the
berries; therefore this is the clone most suited to
air-drying and the one often used to make
sweet,
passito
wines. Independent of clone or
biotype, Malbo Gentile is a very interesting, if
diffi cult, variety to work with. Eraldo Tura, the
viticulturalist at the Istituto di Stato per
l'Agricoltura e l'Ambiente-Persolino, believes
that “it's a hardy grape; for instance, in 2002
when it rained practically nonstop from August
to October, Malbo Gentile was the only variety
producers in the area were able to pick and use.”
From a viticultural perspective, Malbo Gentile
seems to grow better at or above four hundred
meters above sea level, in
terroirs
that allow it to
better preserve its natural acidity. It fl owers
early, but this is not a problem in this relatively
warmer part of Italy where spring frosts are
rare; instead, it tends to drop its leaves immedi-
ately in droughty conditions, and so deleafi ng
requires care. Malbo Gentile can also suffer
from fl oral abortion and reduced productivity,
since the male fl ower has downturned, curved
stamens and is therefore unable to self-pollinate
(unlike cultivated varieties that are hermaphro-
ditic). It follows that Malbo Gentile requires a
pollinating species (just as Lambrusco di Sor-
bara does); the best co-planting varieties are
Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Maestri,
Ancellotta, and even Marzemino, but these
vines must be planted within three to fi ve rows
of the Malbo Gentile vines, or the effi cacy of
cross-pollination efforts is greatly diminished.
Malbo Gentile grows almost everywhere in
Emilia-Romagna, if in sporadic plots: it can be
found in the provinces of Piacenza, Modena,
Reggio Emilia, and Forlì-Cesena. In total, there
are about ten hectares in the region.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Historically, in Emilia, Malbo Gentile wines
were never produced as monovarietals but were
used as blending agents, while 100 percent
pure efforts were, and are, more common in
Romagna. Today, DOC or IGT wines to look for
are Colli di Scandiano e Canossa (a sparkling
version is allowed) and Ravenna Rosso, but
Malbo Gentile is also used in various
Lam-
brusco
blends, such as in some Lambrusco
Grasparossa and Reggiano Lambrusco wines.
Importantly, there are a preponderance of old
Malbo Gentile grapevines that produce
extremely dark and tannic wines: indeed, these
are some of the most tannic wines you'll ever
taste, and so some producers have taken to leav-
ing a little residual sugar behind to buffer the
palate sensation of brutal tannic strength. In
my view, if whoever named this grape
gentile
was thinking of the wine it made, then he or
she had a well-developed sense of humor.
The sine qua non of a good Malbo Gentile is
an intense note of blackberry on both nose and
palate, turning to a blackberry syrup when the
grapes have been late harvested or air-dried.
I'm not sure that wines made with Malbo Gen-
tile are complex enough to ever rival the world's
best, but they certainly are different and
unique, and when well made have smooth,
magically mouthcoating textures. The sweet
versions are perfect with chocolate desserts and
aged blue cheeses.
Malbo Gentile doesn't just pose problems in
the vineyard but presents enological challenges
as well. The grape is naturally rich in polyphe-
nols, and so shorter maceration times and
avoiding high fermentation temperatures are
necessities: for example, skin to juice contact
today is typically twenty days instead of the
forty of decades past (and even twenty seems
too much to me); pumping over and rack and
returns have to be performed judiciously, for
these techniques risk pushing the overextrac-
tion envelope. Not surprisingly, new oak is
used quite a bit to try and smoothen the wine
further via controlled oxygenation; usually
most producers will let the wine mature for
