Cortona DOC

The Cortona area of Tuscany landed on everyone's radar with the Frances Mayes book Under The Tuscan Sun.  Since then people have been flocking to the town and the surrounding area.

The Cortona DOC is located in the Tuscan province of Arezzo and more specifically in the Cortona commune (municipality/township).  In order for a wine to be labeled Cortona DOC, the grapes must come from this specific area of Tuscany and only certain varietals are allowed.  Besides Sangiovese, which is the red varietal found throughout Tuscany, Syrah has a huge presence in Cortona.

In a country with more indigenous varietals than any other, having an international varietal like Syrah as the backbone of a DOC is unusual.  The explanation however is very simple.  The Syrah vines have been in this area for centuries.  Long before the current wine law system.  French soldiers who had settled in this area brought the vines with them and those plantings thrived.  And along with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  In fact, the wine laws recently changed to reflect that.  Not long ago the allowable varietals in the Cortona DOC (red) were Sangiovese 40-60% and Canaiolo Nero 10-30%.  Both traditional Tuscan varietals.  The current regulations are Syrah 50-60% and Merlot 10-20%.  If a varietal is stated on the label then the wine must contain at least 85% of that varietal.

The Syrah's from this area are really great examples of the varietal.  With red and black berries, chocolate, coffee and white pepper, plus nuances of spices, tar and tobacco. The difficulty will be finding them outside of Tuscany.

The Wines of Lucca & Montecarlo

For the last 8 years, I've been splitting my time between Italy and Vancouver.  In Italy I live in Lucca which is in Tuscany.  I got my sommelier training there.  When studying as a Som in Italy, you need to know everything about Italian wines.  The region that I live in has 2 DOC rated wines.  Colline Lucchesi DOC ( the Lucchese hills) and Montecarlo DOC.

Montecarlo has a long history of quality wines.   The latin name for the Montcarlo area was Vivinaria or Vivinaia which means the wine road.  This referenced the road that crossed the Montecarlo hills.  Montecarlo was most famous for its white wines.  Between the 1400 – 1500’s, Montecarlo white wines commanded the highest prices in the Florence markets.  In 1408, Pope Gregory XII wanted only Montecarlo whites on his table and personally came to Montecarlo to taste the wines.

Montecarlo has been a DOC region since 1994.  It was one of the first DOC ‘s to allow International (French) varietals.  Trebbiano Toscano, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Vermentino and Roussanne are all allowed in the white blend while the reds can be made up of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Syrah, Malvasia, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The reason why the French varietals are permitted is simply that they have been here for hundreds of years.  During the Napoleonic period, French soldiers were predominant in the area.  Napoleon has ties to Lucca via his sister Elisa.  She settled in Lucca and was the one who brought the Magnolia tree to the area.  One of Lucca’s main gates, Porte Elisa, is named for her.  The soldiers brought with them vine cuttings and planted their favorite varietals in the area.  So, after existing for hundreds of years, it seemed right to allow them in the DOC.

The Colline Lucchesi DOC is more traditional.  Established in 1998, its wines are made up of more classic Tuscan varietals.  The whites may contain Trebbiano Toscano, Greco, Grechetto, Vermentino, Malvasia,  Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  While the reds are made up of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and up to 15% Merlot.

Trebbiano Toscano is the most common white varietal in Tuscany.  It is the same as Ugni Blanc which is used in Cognac production.  It isn’t the most noble varietal but it does produce a nice dry, crisp white wine.  Sangiovese is Tuscany’s most planted red.  Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti’s and Morellino di Scansano are all Sangiovese based wines.

In general, the wines from Montecarlo and Colline Lucchesi are meant to be drank young, especially the whites.  You can hold on to the reds for a couple of years if you want.  The whites are crisp with a nice level of acidity.  Perfect on a hot summer day.  The reds work well throughout the meal, from antipasto to steak.  They have an excellent quality to price ratio too.  The chances of finding these wines abroad are slim so it’s best to enjoy them while you’re visiting.

There is no better pairing to local food than local wine.