Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
cultivars.” A real shame, I'd like to add. Today
Mayolet grows on both sides of the Dora Baltea
River, from Saint-Vincent to Avise (but espe-
cially from Nus to Arvier), up to eight hundred
meters above sea level. There are currently
more than ten hectares planted to Mayolet.
Minutolo, Moscatellina, or Fianello (Fonseca,
who coined the latter name in 1892, is believed
to be the fi rst to have described the variety).
Lino Carparelli had heard of the variety and its
fi ne wine potential and had always wanted to
make wine with it. A longtime director of the
Cantina Sociale Locorotondo and then head
winemaker of the Torrevento estate, he knows
the vineyards and varieties of his native region
like few others. In 2000, he set out with local
old-timers and farmers to search for remain-
ing, forgotten vines of Minutolo and then
spurred researchers to better characterize an
aromatic variety that he realized could not be a
Fiano (which is a nonaromatic variety). In
2001, Calò, Costacurta, Crespan, Milani,
Aggio, Carraro, and Di Stefano established (via
ampelographic, isoenzymatic, and DNA analy-
sis) that Fiano and this aromatic variety were
distinct. In 2006, the name Fiano Minutolo
was agreed upon offi cially, as Minutola was a
synonym of Fiano used in the 1800s. However,
in 2009 an offi cial name change was proposed,
from Fiano Minutolo to either Minutolo or
Moscato Minutolo di Puglia (previous work by
Costacurta had shown a close family relation-
ship between Fiano Minutolo, Moscato di Ales-
sandria, and Moscato Bianco). Ultimately,
Minutolo was chosen as the new and offi cial
name of the variety.
Research performed at the Institute Basile
Caramia in Puglia has allowed the develop-
ment of two clones, CRSA-Regione Puglia B7
and B11. The fi rst has loosely packed bunches
and is not very productive, but the wine is
reportedly of better quality. Nowadays Minutolo
is found mainly in the Valle d'Itria in the prov-
ince of Bari. The success of this variety has
been such that plantings are on the increase all
over the region: Minutolo is now grown in the
provinces of Brindisi and Taranto too.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
There are numerous excellent DOC Valle
d'Aosta Mayolet wines made, plus the variety is
a bit player in the Torrette blend (which is at
least 70 percent Petit Rouge, so differently from
centuries ago, there's usually little Mayolet
included in modern versions). Monovarietal
Mayolet wine is exceptional and completely dif-
ferent from the fuller-bodied Torrette: light to
medium bodied, it has extremely refi ned aro-
mas of black currant and mountain fl owers,
with a lovely hint of cinnamon and white pep-
per. I am fi rmly convinced that everyone who
tries a well-made Mayolet wine for the fi rst time
will fall easy prey to its many very aromatic
charms. Unfortunately, due to the viticultural
diffi culties it presents, Mayolet risks disappear-
ing again, having already once come back from
the dead. Fortunately, there are a few quality-
minded, passionate, and dedicated producers
who will likely not allow a remake of that horror
movie.
wines to try:
Feudo di San Maurizio*** (per-
fumed and graceful, simply irresistible), Cave
des Onzes Communes** (a fantastic source of
inexpensive, well-made wines in general, but
they are apparently giving up on the variety), Di
Barrò** (Vigne de la Toule; also good, but less
perfumed), Cooperativa de Enfer* (Vin des Sei-
gneurs), and IAR*.
Minutolo
where it's found:
Puglia.
national registry
code number:
455.
color:
white.
Minutolo is an aromatic white variety grown
in Puglia since 1200, where it was believed to
be an aromatic Fiano subvariety. For this rea-
son, they called it Fiano Aromatico, Fiano
Which Wines to Choose and Why
There are monovarietal IGT Minutolo wines
made, and Minutolo can also be included in the
DOC blends Locorotondo and Martina Franca,
in which it is used to spice up more neutral
