Campogrande Cinqueterre Bianco 2009
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Antonio Bonanni‘s parents and grandparents used to made wine as many families in the Cinque Terre did since hundreds of years. They taught him how to cure the vines on the rocky soil. After years of travelling around the world he decided to come back to his village to continue the work of his familiy and restore the vineyards of his forefathers. He has a particular experience in the art of constructing the dry stone walls and the terraces where the vines are cultivated.
Elio Altare is a leader of the revolutionary changes in wine-making in the Barolo zone. But despite his success he remained connected to the rural tradition and he is proud to look personally after his vineyards and the wine in the cellar. This is one of the reasons why he strictly limits the number of bottles. In addition to his red wines in Piedmont he has now a white wine and a sweet wine in his portfolio. He has chosen the small region of the Cinque Terre where the wine was famous since many hundred years, to understand the potential of this great forgotten terroir.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
Forming a crescent along Italy’s northwestern Mediterranean coast, Liguria is one of the country’s smallest regions. Though its ports, Genoa and Savona have welcomed foreign influence for centuries, the region today is experiencing a fresh interest in its own indigenous varieties. Liguria commits large efforts to the white Vermentino (also called Pigato) and the red varieties Rossese, Sangiovese and Dolcetto (also called Ormeasco in Liguria).
Liguria has no shortage of dizzyingly steep, coastal vineyards. On its eastern end in Cinqueterre, Vermentino grows along cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. On its west, bordering France, terraced, seaside vineyards are home to Rossese di Dolceacqua, Liguria’s powerful yet highly aromatic red.