In Italy we all know it, there are grape varieties that are very different from one another, maintaining their typicity and reflecting the territory they come from, with quality levels that in some cases reach excellence. These are grapes often born from native vines that survived the brutal attack of phylloxera and which, recently rediscovered before their final extinction, are returning with force to speak of our origins – recovering that cultural heritage rich in history but above all in flavors and aromas that would otherwise have been lost forever. However, the much-feared phylloxera did favor the introduction of international grape varieties into Italy, which have acclimatized well to our latitudes, also thanks to grafting onto American vine "rootstocks" far more resistant to that terrible insect than their European counterparts. An almost obvious example is the Chardonnay grape, which can be found in nearly every wine-growing region on the planet, yet always manages to deliver emotion – sometimes even greatness.
As the title of this article suggests, and following this brief introduction, what follows is a tasting description – opening a historical parenthesis – based on different wines born from the same grape: Chardonnay. It is not intended to be an academic description filled with technical jargon, but rather a journey from North to South Italy, where this variety manages to express itself in different ways while (almost always) maintaining its principal characteristics: finesse and elegance.
Chardonnay, according to some scholars, has Middle Eastern origins, while others believe it was born from a cross between Pinot Nero and Gouais blanc, a grape of Slavic origin used to blend with other wines. Chardonnay was long confused with Pinot bianco; indeed, in France, after the so-called "little ice age" of 1709, there was a chaotic reconstruction of vineyards where varieties such as Pinot nero, Gouais, and many other wild vines were intermingled, giving rise in the following century to spontaneous vine crosses. In 1870, the first census of grapes listed Pinot Blanc, Aligoté, Gouais, and Pineau Blanc; only later was Chardonnay's true identity discovered – born precisely from a spontaneous crossing. Its name derives from Chardonnay, a village of the same name in the Maçonnais in Burgundy, but another theory holds that this grape originates from Jerusalem, where it grows exceptionally well thanks to the clayey soils. The word Chardonnay has Hebrew origins. Upon returning from the Middle East, the first crusaders brought back a wine they called "Porte de Die," a translation of the Hebrew name "Shahar Adonay," meaning "the gate of God." Indeed, Jerusalem was surrounded by vineyards, and the holy city was accessed through gates that all led to the temple of God.
We begin this journey from Sicily, the southernmost region and great island, where the milder temperatures are not ideally suited to this grape – yet a producer like Baglio del Cristo di Campobello in Licata, in the province of Agrigento, has managed to coax it into something remarkable.
The wine in question is called Laudàri, a 2013 vintage that spends four months in barriques and twelve in bottle.
It presents itself well from the start; the deep straw color immediately suggests good development and structure, and on the nose there is a respectable complexity, with aromas recalling bread crust, citrus, linden, banana, and a pleasing minerality. On the palate, one finds the warmth of the southern land; it glides well across the palate, though it does not quite fulfill the promise of the nose.
Moving slightly up the boot, our second wine takes us to the Salento, in Puglia.
Cantele presents its Teresa Manara 2013 at 13.5% alcohol – a wine that in my opinion is best appreciated as an aperitivo, paired with lightly structured foods, given the delicacy heralded by its aromas of fruit and flowers: mandarin, green banana, jasmine, and hawthorn. A medium-bodied wine – a different kind of Chardonnay.
After the first two tastings, we move to the central regions and stop in Lazio, at the estate of Paolo e Noemi d'Amico, who offer us not one but two wines from our grape in question, produced in very different ways. Tasting them blind, it was not easy to determine which had seen wood aging and which had not – because the first, the IGT Lazio Chardonnay Falesia 2012, which did pass through wood, did not give the impression of a structured wine with the typical vanilla nuances of this style, and despite a sweet finish recalling honey, a good acidity and minerality were discernible. Tasting the second wine from the estate, the Calanchi di Vaiano 2012, the difference is immediately apparent from the color – a lighter straw yellow that does not veer toward any golden reflection whatsoever, perfectly preserving the characteristics of youth, confirmed by a slightly carbonic sensation on the palate accompanied by a notable sapidity, leaving no doubt about the use of steel rather than barrel.
In Tuscany, we are pleasantly surprised by the estate of Capannelle di Gaiole in Chianti, in the historic zone of Chianti Classico. James Sherwood (founder and shareholder of the Orient-Express Hotels Ltd group) presents the Capannelle Chardonnay 2011, which at thirteen percent alcohol has the credentials to be considered a mid-to-high-level wine – good complexity and finesse, a fairly broad bouquet where, alongside flowers, fruit, and toasty fragrance, distinct notes of cinchona and humus are clearly recognizable. This is certainly a wine with considerable aging potential.
The sixth wine comes from Castiglion del Lago in the province of Perugia – we are therefore in Umbria, at the estate of Sabrina Morami, who presents her Cardissa 2013 Chardonnay, which spends six months in wood and is bottled exclusively in magnum format for a total of 400 bottles per year. This is the wine she wanted to create for her fortieth birthday, and in the bottle we find good varietal correspondence, albeit with a more evident green component in harmony with aromas of aromatic herbs that likely grow in abundance in that environment, which benefits from the proximity of Lake Trasimeno.
The penultimate wine is from Alto Adige; here we are in Termeno, and we suddenly find ourselves at cooler latitudes, where vineyards climb steeply up the Alps and are worked with considerable difficulty. ELENA WALCH, however, has her vineyards on slopes that are not too extreme and benefits from excellent sun exposure, which guarantees beneficial day-night temperature variations for a perfect acidity-sapidity profile in her wines. We tasted the Cardellino 2013, which immediately reveals the clarity of its aromas unfolding in sequential fashion: citrus first (grapefruit), pineapple, golden apple (of which Alto Adige is rich), honey, herbs, butter, and bitter almond. Very well-balanced on the palate, with a long finish. The image that springs to mind is that of a well-organized drawer with everything in its proper place.
The tour ends with a Friulian wine from the Collio, produced by the estate TOROS. This 2007 Chardonnay, despite no longer being young, refreshes the senses with its vibrant acidity and a notable sapidity and very evident minerality – undoubtedly a legacy of Friuli's limestone soils. A persistent, pleasurable, and elegant wine that delivers citrus sensations of cedar, grapefruit, walnut husk, and medlar.
What was most interesting about this tasting was understanding how terroir influences and makes unique a wine born from the same variety – and above all from a grape that, when truly understood in depth, can deliver infinite satisfaction.
What do you think?
Log in to leave a comment