Photo of Ciliegiolo by Fabio Ingrosso via Wikimedia Commons
The TTB (Trade and Tobacco Tax Bureau of the US government) recently approved the (red) Ciliegiolo grape variety for use on American wine labels. This means that we may soon be able to purchase varietally-labeled Ciliegiolo wines produced and distributed in the US!
The name Ciliegiolo translates (in Italian) to small cherry and is said to indicate the cherry-like aroma of the fresh grapes. Ciliegiolo has been determined to be related to Sangiovese, and is most likely the result of a natural (once-upon-a-time) cross of Sangiovese and Calabrese di Montenuovo (a red grape, native to Campania that is also assumed to be a parent of Sangiovese).
There are currently about 7,600 acres (3,100 ha) of Ciliegiolo grown in Italy. Most of it is found in Tuscany, but small amounts are believed to be growing in many other regions of Italy as well. It is assumed that only around 10% of the total plantings are used in PDO wines; most of the rest is used in IGT wines or makes its way into wines classified simply as “vino.”
Graphic via: www.sassotondo.it/en/ciliegiolo
Ciliegiolo is allowed for use in several IGT wines of Italy, including Toscana IGT, Veneto IGT, and Campania IGT. As such, it may show up in DOC/DOCG wines under the allowance that many such appellations have for small amounts of “other” grapes permitted to be used in the blend. For instance, in the Chianti DOCG, winemakers may include a “maximum 30% combined other grapes authorized for Toscana.” Ciliegiolo is listed a primary grape variety in a list of Italian DOC/DOCG wines—I counted 16, most of them somewhat obscure—to include the Amelia DOC (Umbria), Colline Lucchesi DOC (Tuscany), and Portofino DOC (Liguria).
Sassotondo Estate, located in Sovana, produces a 100% Ciliegiolo wine that is bottled under the Maremma Toscana DOC. The winery website describes the wine a “ruby red in color” and with aromas and flavors of “red fruits, plum, licorice, and the typical touch of ground white pepper.”
It will be fascinating to see how this Ciliegiolo grape fares in the US!
References/for more information:
- Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding, and José Vouillamoz: Wine Grapes. New York, 2012: Harper Collins Publishers
- Robinson, Jancis, and Julia Harding: The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th Edition. Oxford, 2015: The Oxford University Press.
- https://snarkywine.com/2018/07/22/ciliegiolo-jewel-of-the-maremma/
- https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-104-ciliegiolo
- https://italianwinecentral.com/variety/ciliegiolo/
Post authored by Jane A. Nickles…your blog administrator: jnickles@societyofwineeducators.org