Visiting Bolla on the Anteprima Amarone Tour

It is only fitting that this was the first winery I visited on the Anteprima Amarone Tour was Bolla since Bolla Soave or Valpolicella may have been the first Italian wine I ever drank back in the 1960’s in NYC.

Christian Zulian in the Cellar

The Bolla winery is located in San Pietro in Cariano in the center of the Valpolicella area. It was established in 1883 making it one of the oldest wineries in the zone. It has been under different ownership over the years and the current owner is Gruppo Italiano VIni. The exclusive partner for the US market is Banfi Vintners.

The Director of the Cantina, Christian Zulian, took us on a tour of the cellar. There were barrels of every size from barriques to barrels of more than 40hl and everything in between. Some old barrels went back to 1883.

Christian said that he was from Tuscany, had worked for Antinori, and had been at Bolla only a short time. Being an “outsider” he might have a different approach to the wines.

He took us through a tasting of the wines.

Valpolicella Cl. Sup. Ripasso DOC 2015 Made from 70% Corvina and Corvinone and 70% Rondinella. Vineyards are in the Valpolicella Classico zone located near the village of Jago. The soil is very stony, clay and limestone. Harvesting is by hand toward the end of September and takes place only when the grapes are perfectly ripe. The lots are vinified separately. The grapes undergo a cold pre-fermentation process for about 5 days, total contact with the skins lasts about 20 days. It is stored cold for about 4 months before undergoing the ripasso process. Christian said this process entails fermenting the wine on Amarone must for about 20 days to increase color, aroma, body, complexity and fruit flavors. The wine is aged for about 9 months in first and second passage barriques and then transferred to larger barrels for about 3 months. The wine remains in the bottle for one month before release. This is a modern style ripasso, clean but full with hints of dark fruit and wild berries. Sugar 8.5 g/l

Christian explained in detail the law concerning the production of Ripasso. In short, because of the process for every bottle of Amarone produced, the winery can produce two bottles of Ripasso. 

Valpolicella Cl. Sup. Ripasso 2014 “Le Poiane” DOC made from 70% Corvine and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and other local varieties. The vineyards are mainly located in the Jago and Crosara areas of the Negrar locality. The limestone-marly hill soil is surrounded by the typical dry stone walls known as marogne. These calcareous stone walls create terraces.

The grapes are picked when they are perfectly ripe. At the end of February when the Amarone is drawn off the ripasso process takes place. The wine is aged first in barriques and then in large barrels for about 12 to18 months. Then in bottle for another 3 months before it is release. This is a complex wine with hints of dry fruit, spice and black pepper. Sugar 4.5 g/l

Amarone dellla Valpolicella “Rhetico” Classico DOC 2010, 85% Corvina and 15 % Rondinella. The training system is pergola Veronese on the hills of the valley of Negrar. The soil is Calcareous marl marked by the marogne. The most loosely clustered and ripest grape bunches are hand picked and taken to the drying loft where they remain for about 120 days under optimal conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilation. Christian said the drying process, known as appassimento, increases the sugar content, polyphenolic and aromatic compounds in the grapes. At the end of January, the dried grapes are soft pressed and put into fermentation tanks, where alcoholic fermentation takes place after cold pre-fermentation maceration. This gives the wine more complexity. There is a slow fermentation at a controlled temperature 18 to 20C for about 3 weeks.

The wine is aged in barriques of different origin and toastings for 36 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. This is a wine with intense and complex aromas with hints of ripe red berries and a touch of vanilla and chocolate. Residual sugar 7.5 g/l

Amarone della Valpolicella “Le Origini” Riserva DOCG 2010 made from 75% Corvina and Corvinone, 25% Rondinella. Training system is the Veronese pergola. The vineyards are located in the high Marano and Negrar valleys. Carefully selected grapes gathered on trays and transported to fruit sheds to dry for about 120 days. The grapes become raisin like and this enriches the sugar concentration of the grapes to 24 to 25 degrees Babo and the polyphenol and aromatic compounds. Pressing at the end of January is followed by pre-fermentation maceration at 5C for about 7 days. Then begins a slow fermentation for 25 days at a controlled temperature, followed by another 5 days of post-fermentation maceration, which gives high glycerin, and this gives smoothness, balance fullness and complexity. Christian said the wine is aged in small oak barrels, partly new and partly used once previously, then 36  months in 4,000 to 7,ooo litter, big oak barrels

 

This is a complex wine with hints of cherries, jam and liquorice with notes of spice and cedar.

Sugar 8.5 g/l and the alcohol is 16.6%.

I have had this wine before on several occasions and always enjoyed it. However, if I understood him correctly Christian said he was going to give the wine more aging in barriques made from American oak!

 

I also tasted:

Soave 2015 This was an excellent example of classic Soave.

Barrel sample of 2016 Valpolicella

Bardolino 2015 light and fruity and a great food wine, as was the Valpolicella 2016 sample from the barrel.

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012 This is their entry level Amarone and it was very good.

Anteprima Amarone Valpolicella Tour

After I made reservations for Naples and Rome, I was invited to the Anteprima Amarone Valpolicella Tour in Verona. It would mean I had only one week between trips!

I decided to attend anyway. Verona is a fascinating city, the food is very good and then there is the wine. I would be able to taste the wines of Valpolicella, visit the wineries and speak to the producers again at the dinners. When one has the opportunity to visit Italy, one goes.

The Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, founded in 1924, sponsored the event. The members include viticulturists, winemakers and bottlers from the Valpolicella wine production zone, a territory that includes 19 municipalities in the Verona area. Over 80% of the producers are members.

I received a listing of over 80 wineries that I could choose from to visit. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I visited 10 Wineries: Bolla, Bertani, Villa Canestrani, Villa Crine, Vigneti di Ettore, Roccolo Grassi, Massimago, Fidora, Cantina di Soave and Marco Mosconi.

The Valpolicella appellation is located north of Verona. It borders Lake Garda to the west and is protected by the Lessini Mountains to the east and north. It covers the Verona foothills area, which is part of the eastern Alps. The vines are traditionally pergola-trained according to the typical “pergola Veronese system.”

The main grapes are Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella and to a lesser extent Molinara. All of them are strictly indigenous and found only within the Verona province.

At the wineries I tasted Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Superiore, Amarone della Valpoilcella and Recioto della Valpolicella.

On Friday night there was a dinner with all the participating wineries. I could choose the wines that I wanted with dinner and had a chance to speak to the producers at my table.

On Saturday morning there was a blind tasting of the 2013 Amarone with sommelier service. There were about 80 wines, both barrel samples and those already bottled.   After the tasting, representatives of the participating wineries gathered in another room with their wines and I was able to taste any of the Amarone wines that I missed.

It was a very interesting and informative event and I am glad that I went. For me the highlight was tasting a broad range of Amarone, one of Italy’s great wines.

Next time I will report on the wineries I visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valpolicella: Background and the Influence of Altitude

with Olga Bussinello and  Alberto Brunelli

The Wine Media Guild’s November tasting and lunch featured 13 Valpolicella wines. These wines express their terroir and go well with food, qualities that I always look for in a wine. What’s more, they can be drunk young. Fresh and fruity, Valpolicella wines have hints of red fruit and good acidity. They are vinified in stainless steel and aged for a short period in stainless steel, and a few see a short period in wood. At under $20 they are a real bargain.

The speakers at the event were Olga Bussinello, director of Consorzio Valpolicella who spoke about the Consorzio and Alberto Brunelli Consorzio Valpolicella Oenologist, who spoke about the wines.

Tha Consorzio per la Tulta dei Vini Valpolicella is an association of grape growers, wine producers and bottlers in the production area, which includes 19 municipalities of the province of Verona. The Consorzio represents more than 80% of the producers that use the Valpolicella appellation.

The Valpolicella appellation is located north of Verona. It borders Lake Garda to the west and is protected by the Lessini Mountains to the east and north. It covers the Verona foothills area, which is part of the eastern Alps. The vines are traditionally pergola-trained according to the typical “pergola Veronese system.”

The main grapes are Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella and to a lesser extent Molinara. All of them are strictly indigenous and found only within the Verona province.

Valpolicella Superiore is made from select grapes grown in the best locations and is aged for a minimum of one year. It has a higher alcohol content and lower acidity then Valpolicella.

Alberto divided the wines into three groups. The first group was selected for the altitude of the vineyards.

Alberto said altitude plays an important part because it allows for grapes to develop complexity in terms of structure, acidity and flavors. It influences daily temperature range, the key factor for acidity, accumulation of anthocyanins and polyphenolic potential. Of course altitude is also responsible for retardation of ripening and consequently for the harvest.

He then said altitudes on the tasting sheet referred to a winery’s location and main vineyards, but wineries frequently have vineyards located at higher altitudes (as Monte Zovo). As you see on the map the Stefano Accordini wine, the wines did not make the tasting, has the highest vineyards at 520 meters, but Monte Zovo has the highest individual vineyard at 800 meters.

The Wines: 

Monte Zovo Valpolicella DOC 2014 made from Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella. Vineyards at 260 meters. The hillside vineyards located in Tregnago (eastern Valoplicella) are at 600 meters. The wine is fermented in steel to maintain the expression of the fruit. The wine has red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of sour cherry and good acidity. This is an everyday wine, which goes with a number of different foods. 

This is a family run winery in Verona. All the grapes come from their 140 hectares of vines located in Valpolicella, Bardolino and Lake Garda. One vineyard is at 850 meters making it the highest vineyard in the Verona area. The vineyards will be fully converted to organic by 2018.

Vigneti Villabella Valpolicella DOC Classico “I Roccoli” 2014. Made from 60% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 15% Corvinone. Vineyards at 140 meters. Training system is traditional Veronese Pergola. The soil is limestone mixed with clay and harvest is in the beginning of October. Fermentation takes place in contact with the skins for 12 days at a controlled temperature. The wine remains for a time in stainless steel to preserve the fruitiness and freshness of the wine.

The winery is located at Calmasino in the province of Verona, in the heart of the Classico zone, on a hillside overlooking Lake Garda. They have 10 hectares of vineyards that are organically cultivated and another 13 which are being converted to organic cultivation.

The wine has a fruity bouquet with hints of cherries and raspberries and a touch of violets with good acidity and soft tannins.

Buglioni Valpolicella DOC Classico “Il Valpo” 2015. Vineyards at 80 meters. Made from 60% Corvina 25% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella and 5% Croatina. The soil is dark, clayey and fertile with a high content of gravel, deep and drought resistant. The training system is double pergola with 2,500 plants per hectare. Harvest is by hand in early October.

There is a crushing and pressing of de-stemmed grapes. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature and maceration of the must for 10 days in contact with the skins, with daily pumping over. Malolactic fermentation takes place. The wine is in steel tanks for 6 months and 2 months in bottle before release. It has a fragrant and intense aroma of cherries and wild red berries with good acidity. It is a wine to be drunk young.

The winery is located in Corrubbio di San Pietro in Cariano in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico zone.

Next time microclimate variations: The influence of Lake Garda