Appasimento process in non-Amarone?

[Michael M]

I've always wondered about this, but don't know enough about winemaking to know whether, perhaps, it is actually done elsewhere. I'm referring the the process of making Amarone, a red, in the cooler region of the Veneto. Grapes are slightly dried, concentrating them in a way the shorter growing season won't. (Well, not exactly the same, but you know what I mean.)

I know that this must is used in Valpolicalla in the ripasso process, and I've read that some are trying this in the Friuli region (with refosco or pignolo).

But is there any advantage to trying this elsewhere, with other reds? Not dessert wines, but as a vinifying process to alter the final product? What would happen if someone did this in a longer growing season with fully ripe grapes...or do they?

[albiston]

But is there any advantage to trying this elsewhere, with other reds?  Not dessert wines, but as a vinifying process to alter the final product?  What would happen if someone did this in a longer growing season with fully ripe grapes...or do they?

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There is at least another Italian red made with the same method, Graticciaia from Agricola Vallone in Puglia, who use Negramaro grapes. Never managed to try this wine but I've heard very positive comments.

I vaguely remember that a few wine makers in Argentina were trying out wines made using ripasso, but I could be mistaken.

[Boris_A]

I believe the Valtellino "Sfurzat" (pure nebbiolo, "Sfurzat" literally meaning "fortified") is made by the same method, where the grapes get dried the same way on straw mats for a concentrated, dry red wine.

[Brad Ballinger]

Much on passito style wines (in Italy and other countries) in this article.

[Craig Camp]

I believe the Valtellino "Sfurzat" (pure nebbiolo, "Sfurzat" literally meaning "fortified") is made by the same method, where the grapes get dried the same way on straw mats for a concentrated, dry red wine.

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This is correct Boris.

[Craig Camp]

Winemakers play with the process all over Italy, usually to make sweet wines, but few do it as a regular practice when it comes to dry table wines. Amarone, Valpolicella Ripasso and Sfurzat are the most famed wines of this type that are also DOC.

[Andre]

Amarone can only be Amarone due to location, type of grape, part of bunch and methods of specific production under control for several producer.

Similar ideas canbe seen all over the world including Israel where a tiny producer by the name of Zauberman, dries his late harvest grapes in cold temperatures to produce 15.5 Alc. in his reds and sky rocketing his prices as much as 3 times.

[Marco_Polo]

Another great passito red is Sagrantino di Montefalco passito from Umbria. The vineyards surround Montefalco, a lovely hill town along the Roman Via Flaminia about 12 km south of Foligno. The Sagrantino is an indigenous grape that has a massive personality - lots of colour, extract and tannin, huge structure, and pronounced blackberry fruit and sometimes unusual wild and funky flavours. Sagrantino di Montefalco (or Montefalco Sagrantino) vinified in purezza can be an immense wine, huge in every way, sometimes well, just too damn huge and raspingly aggressive; blending with Sangiovese and Montepulciano tames the grape somewhat and so Rosso di Montefalco is often more rounded and harmonious, though by no means a lightweight alternative.

The passito version is a little known, true vinous rarity that should be sought out. The selected Sagrantino grapes are dried on straw racks for a period of two or three months in a process similar to the appassimento for Amarone and Recioto della Valpolicella. Only minute quantities of this sweet wine are produced, notably by the Antica Azienda Paolo Bea (handcrafted wines of the highest quality), Arnaldo Caprai (the zone's leading and most innovative producer), Rocca di Fabbri, Colpetrone, amongst others. At best the Sagrantino passito can display a deep luscious nose of wild fruits and berries, and the sweetness is offset by that underlying austere and rasping finish of the Sagrantino. In short, nothing like Recioto: nothing like anything else in the world for that matter. A unique rarity, a true vino da meditazione. Try it if you can get your hands on some.

MP

[Michael M]

Thanks for all the information, and a special thanks, Brad, for the very informative link.

[Andre]

Great info. Marco.

Will bve looking out for the wines mentioned.

Thanks for sharing.

[Rebel Rose]

Extremely interesting. Marco_Polo, I love the way you describe the wines. Now I'm dying to try Sagrantino in any incarnation.

[Marco_Polo]

Extremely interesting.  Marco_Polo, I love the way you describe the wines.  Now I'm dying to try Sagrantino in any incarnation.

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Why thank you, Rebel Rose. I hope you can find some Sagrantino di Montefalco, Rosso di Montefalco or the rare Sagrantino passito. Please let us know what you think when you get your hands on some.

...Grapes are slightly dried, concentrating them in a way the shorter growing season won't.  ... What would happen if someone did this in a longer growing season with fully ripe grapes...or do they?

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Just want to return to Michael M's original query about the appasimento process as I think there is a slight misunderstanding here about why this is done. Drying grapes is not undertaken because the season is short or because the grapes would otherwise be under-ripe, as this query seems to imply, no not at all. The word 'Recioto' comes from Venetian dialect 'recce' from Italian orecchio, indicating the ears or top shoulders of a bunch, which have received the greatest exposure and are thus richest in extract, concentration and sugar. Thus these 'ears' of the Corvina (mainly) are selected and snipped off from the main bunch early, while the skins are still wholly intact and when acid levels are slightly higher; these selected grapes are then carefully taken up to the well-ventilated hill lofts. Here they are laid out traditionally on large wicker trays known as tavoloni or else these days more commonly in smaller wooden pallets, then left to dry for a period of some months, usually until after Christmas. During this time, the windows of the lofts will be opened when a dry wind blows, but closed if there is humid or damp weather that would contribute to rot. But understand, these selected grapes are the best of the best, fully ripe already, and so the appassimento process is not to correct any deficiencies in sugar levels or to artificially complete the ripening process but rather to create a different, historic type of passito wine from semi-dried as opposed to fresh grapes, a type of wine, incidentally, that goes back to the days of the Romans or maybe even earlier.

Marc

[nimzo]

Try Jo Grilli in Australia for a great Cab/Merlot amarone style. retails in the UK for around $30 and worth every penny in my opinion.

[Andre]

But understand, these selected grapes are the best of the best, fully ripe already, and so the appassimento process is not to correct any deficiencies in sugar levels or to artificially complete the ripening process but rather to create a different, historic type of passito wine from semi-dried as opposed to fresh grapes, a type of wine, incidentally, that goes back to the days of the Romans or maybe even earlier.

Marc

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So what?

No Amarone in bad vintages?

Isn't the procedure taking place to add complexity, character and concentration?

[jbonne]

also worth noting that at least one U.S. winemaker is playing with appasimento.

Gino Cuneo is experimenting with a recioto (originally intended as a dry Amarone-style wine, but had too much residual sugar, as i recall) that, from early indicators, is coming along gorgeously.

not sure if anyone's attempted it in CA.

Edited October 19, 2004 by jbonne (log)