Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ferences that did not appear to be related to a
viral infection, suggesting that the two are
actually two closely related but distinct varie-
ties. Incredible as it may seem, there are report-
edly at least thirty biotypes of
Morellino
in the
Scansano area alone; but unlike in other areas,
such as Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Mon-
tepulciano, or even the Pisan hills, very little
work has been done to evaluate the various
types of Sangiovese growing there. According
to Crespan, Calò, Giannetto, Sparacio, Storchi,
and Costacurta (2008), another
Morellino,
Morellino del Valdarno, while identical to
Puglia's Negrodolce, has a parent-offspring
relationship with Sangiovese.
Other Sangiovese-Something or Sangio-
vese-named varieties have been identifi ed: San-
giovese Polveroso Bonechi is actually Ciliegiolo,
and Brunelletto and Sangiovese Forte have
been proven to be distinct. Brunelletto is char-
acterized by medium-small berries, medium-
early ripening, and good concentrations of
polyphenols. Another biotype of Sangiovese is
apparently found in northern Lazio, around the
lake of Bolsena near Gradoli, called locally
Greghetto Rosso. Over the years I have asked
Andrea Occhipinti (of the Occhipinti estate)
about Greghetto Rosso, and though he's not
convinced about its synonymity with Sangio-
vese, he admits the two share many features in
common. However, his Greghetto Rosso has a
large, conical, and compact bunch, and even
though it ripens late, like Sangiovese, it rarely
falls prey to common grapevine pests, not even
botrytis.
Recent research has been looking into still
more Sangiovese-named or Sangiovese-Some-
thing varieties. The list includes Brunellone
(usually thought to be identical to Ciliegiolo,
but it appears there actually exists a distinct
Brunellone variety), Casentino, Chiantino,
Prugnolino Dolce, Prugnolino Medio, and
Prugnolino Acerbo.
istry, with a whopping 102 different ones: many
have very different morphological, phenologi-
cal, and enological characteristics. Ironically,
the one that producers believe almost always
makes the best wines is T-19 (where T stands
for Tebano); but it is a diseased clone, virus-
affected, and therefore planting it is not offi -
cially allowed. Of course, that doesn't stop any-
one in Italy. Even more ironic is that both T-19
and R-24, another worthwhile clone, are of
Emilia-Romagna origin, which clashes a tad
with those who uphold the superiority of Tus-
can Sangioveto. For example, R-24 (also known
as Medio Predappio; while clone R-10 is known
as Grosso Lamole) is viewed as a very good
clonal choice, as its wines are characterized by
lovely bright ruby-red hues and fl oral, earthy
aromas and fl avors, with plenty of spicy red-
berried nuances. T-19 yields even deeper,
richer, and more complex wines. My hunch is
that if the Sangiovese grapevines from Emilia-
Romagna have such a poor reputation today,
this has less to do with their intrinsic qualities
than with a paucity of truly gifted winemakers
in the Sangiovese di Romagna wine-production
area. A big problem for all Sangiovese wines
has always been that clonal research into the
variety began in earnest only toward the end of
the twentieth century; prior to 1960, practically
nothing had happened. Most clonal selection
work had been done by private estates, fi rst by
Biondi Santi (one of the fi rst wine families in
the world to have a clone named after it, the
BBS-11) and later by Col d'Orcia and Isole e
Olena. The latter is owned by Paolo De Marchi,
one of Italy's greatest winemakers and produc-
ers, and his selection of Sangiovese, known as
Selezione De Marchi (performed in collabora-
tion with the famed Guillaume nursery of
France), is one of the best to this day, and
estates line up for the vines.
In 1988, the Chianti Classico Consortium,
in collaboration with the Universities of Pisa
and Florence, launched the Chianti Classico
2000 project, which, though heavily criticized
by some for employing less than accurate meth-
odologies, did have the benefi t of providing the
Revenge of the Clones
Currently, Sangiovese has the highest number
of clones registered in the Italian National Reg-
