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Maremma masterclass report: In the zone
In our Febuary issue we highlighted the relatively untapped potential of Tuscany’s Maremma region. And recently, we co-hosted a masterclass in London with Zonin, and found out why the family had pioneered the area. By Patrick Schmitt MW
At the start of this year, before we had been invited to co-host a masterclass with the Zonin family, we were looking at which Italian fine wine region to profile for our February edition of the drinks business.
Having discussed the options, we decided against focusing on the country’s leading Bs – Brunello, Barbaresco and Barolo – even though they are home to so many increasingly soughtafter brands. We also opted to bypass Chianti Classico – another area on the rise – as well as Etna DOC, despite the fashionability of ‘volcanic wines’.
Instead we chose to look closely at the Tuscan coastal area of the Maremma – and it was sheer coincidence that a few months later we should be working with one of Italy’s most important winemaking families to shine the spotlight on this same region for key figures in the UK trade. Why did we select Maremma for the pages of db? Although the fine wine reputation of Bolgheri – a village in the region – has been established for decades, the wider Maremma is less illustrious, but is a fast-changing, youthful area attracting a lot of investment from the new and established winemakers of Italy.
It’s also a place that is producing wines of great critical acclaim. And it’s an unusual region for Italy, because it employs Bordeaux grapes in a country that’s so rich in native varieties – although Maremma produces exceptional results with Italian vines too.
But why did Zonin 1821 choose to present the wines of Maremma to a London audience? For the company, it is “the other Tuscany”, and a “new frontier”, with great potential to produce fine wines with distinctive characteristics. It also offers this family business the option to make something with a French influence in Italian soil.
Furthermore, while the high-quality Bordeaux blends may have put the region on the map, Maremma has rapidly built a reputation with Vermentino – one of the most popular white varieties from Italy today. So, the Zonin family, which has estates in the finest terroirs of Italy, saw the potential of Maremma, and in 1999 they acquired a property at the foot of the hills of Montemassi, called Rocca di Montemassi. At a masterclass in London’s Asia House on 24 April, seventh-generation Zonin family member Francesco Zonin explained what motivated the group to make the investment, focusing initially on the area’s history.
“Maremma is a recent place for Italy,” he began, pointing out that it was a swampy area that only became suitable for agriculture after Mussolini cleared and drained it.
UNIQUE TOPOGRAPHY
Key facts: Maremma
Maremma runs north to south from Livorno down to Grosseto, along the Tuscan coast. Although ancient Etruscans and Romans drained the area to practise agriculture and viticulture 2,000 years ago, the fall of the Roman empire led to the refilling of the swamps in the area as the drains broke. The area was drained again under the rein of Mussolini in Italy, and mining and agriculture were the primary industries of the Maremma until the end of the 20th century. The topography of Maremma ranges from white sandy coastline and flat low-lying marshes to steep hills and forests. Soils vary from volcanic, to clay and black rock. Grapes range from Italian varieties including Sangiovese, Vermentino and Grechetto to international varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.
The region was also famous for mining, and in particular, a horrific accident in 1954, which took the lives of 43 coal miners on the present-day site of the Rocca di Montemassi. “There was mining and swamps; nothing high-end or fancy,” said Francesco of the region, before explaining why Zonin 1821 saw the viticultural potential in the area.
Indeed, he said the climate, the topography and the soil make Maremma like no other place in Italy. Describing the region as hilly, and subject to “constant wind” coming from the Tuscan coast, he said that while it was a warm area, it was moderated by sea breezes. As for the soils, he said a key feature of Maremma was the iron-rich clay, before commenting, “Maremma is unique because of the hills, the influence of the sea, the constant wind, and the soil, which is very rich in minerals.”
Consequently, the family purchased a 430-hectare property in Montemassi, and planted 160ha of vines, which are primarily comprised of Sangiovese and Vermentino, but also Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Viognier.
Acknowledging that Bolgheri is already “very well known”, he said that the bigger Maremma area enjoys a similar climate, but different soils. He also stressed the large scale of the region. Stretching for most of the Tuscan coast, it covers an area from Liguria to Lazio, which, Francesco explained, makes “it hard to define”, and “hard to choose a leading variety”. By way of example, he said that the soils at his Rocca di Montemassi were much more similar to those found within Brunello di Montalcino than they were around the famous Maremma village of Bolgheri. Recalling his first sight of the Montemassi farm 18 years ago, he said that “there were sheep everywhere”, adding, “Maremma was not on the map in the wine industry”. He also said that he was “moved to manage the estate sustainably”, because “it didn’t need anything” – referring to the application of chemical fertilizers and fungicides. This was both because the soils were rich, and the climate was almost entirely free from moisture. “It is one of the driest places in Italy, and we have more sunlight per year than anywhere else.”
Continuing, he highlighted the specific characteristics of Rocca di Montemassi: “The climate is always mild, much milder than Chianti Classico, because we have the influence of altitude and the sea, and the wind is constant, so even if in summer it is 40°C, you don’t feel it.”
SENSE OF POTENTIAL
Francesco ZoninBut, if the area was devoted to grazing sheep, how did Francesco and his father sense its potential for vines? “You need to be a pioneer,” he began. “And the soil was right, the climate was right, the microclimate was right, we just needed to step forward and invest, and there is no other way to know if you are right than to plant a vineyard and wait at least 10 harvests – then you will know if you were right or wrong.”
For Alessandro Gallo, technical director of Rocca di Montemassi – who joined Francesco in London to present the Zonin wines from the Maremma – Zonin was certainly right to invest in this coastal part of Tuscany. Born in Piedmont, and an employee of the Zonin family since 2004 at its Chianti Classico estate, Castello di Albola, it was not until last year that he took on the responsibility for the group’s Maremma property too.
“I have worked for Zonin for a long time, but last year the family decided to extend my position to Maremma and I fell in love because the place is unique: there is something different about the earth, the hills and the sea, and not a lot of people know about it, even in Italy.” He continued: “The area is warm but not humid, it is very dry, and what Francesco’s father saw in this place – apart from the sheep – was the water, because there is a big lake, which means we can water the vineyard.
“So we have the combination of sun, water, and mineral-rich soil: the three important things for the maturation and the quality of the grapes.” Turning his attention specifically to Vermentino from the area, he spoke about the freshness in the wine made using this grape, which is surprising considering the warm nature of the climate. “Vermentino from Maremma is crisp, mineral, aromatic, light and very nice for an aperitivo, and it is also very food friendly,” he stated.
HIGH-END WINES
Podere San Cristoforo
Podere San Cristoforo is a much smaller estate in Maremma that is owned and managed by Francesco’s cousin, Lorenzo, and run according to biodynamic farming principles. It has been cerfified organic since 2008. Acquired by Lorenzo in 1999, it is different from Rocca di Montemassi in that Podere San Cristoforo is closer to the sea, and situated in a flatter area on top of an ancient river bed, while it was bought with established vineyards. On behalf of his cousin, Francesco recalls the existence of 40-year-old vineyards, the best of which are planted with with indigenous white varieties, such as Vermentino and Malvasia. Today, Podere San Cristoforo focuses mostly on Sangiovese, but Lorenzo was the first in Maremma to produce a 100% Petit Verdot.
Pointing out how particularly well adapted it is to warmer climates, Francesco added: “When you talk about Tuscany, people immediately think of Chianti Classico and Montalcino, which produce wines that are high end and delicate, but you need to think that in June in Chianti Classico it is 25°C-28°C and 30°C-31°C by August. Then by October it is 12°C. But drive one hour west to Maremma and in June it is 32°C- 35°C, and even hotter in August. Vermentino adapts so well to a warmer climate. It has the texture and the acidity and freshness of a wine from Fruili or Veneto, yet it is grown in an area where the climate is like Puglia, Sicily or California.” Alessandro then said: “We believe a lot in Vermentino, which is why we have 30ha at Rocca di Montemassi.
Francesco then continued the comparison with Chianti Classico, but used the example of Sangiovese. “You don’t get the spice of Chianti in Maremma, where you get more red fruit, which dominates the wine, and if you were to chew a berry [at harvest time], you would find that you could chew the seeds of Sangiovese in Maremma, but with Chianti Classico, you cannot – the tannins need time to mature in the wine.” Alessandro then defended the use of French grapes in the Italian soil of Maremma. “We produce a blend of international varieties that takes the name of the estate – Rocca di Montemassi – because we think these grapes show the terroir of Maremma – a wine that gives power, strength and elegance as well.
Petit Verdot grows very well in the area, it is smoother and more gentle in general, with spicy notes, and Cabernet Sauvignon gives shoulders and elegance to the wine.” But Maremma, he added, is “one of the few areas in the world where Petit Verdot is grown and presented on its own. We have found that the Petit Verdot is most consistent vintage to vintage, whether hotter or colder or more or less rain, and the second most consistent is Cabernet Sauvignon, then Syrah, then Cabernet Franc, while the Merlot is sometimes good, sometimes less so.” He then said: “If I were asked what wine best represents our unique microterroir, I would say it is a blend with a beautiful link between Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and a bit of Merlot or Cabernet Franc, depending on the vintage.”
PHENOMENAL SYRAH
Alessandro GalloHe also explained why Rocca di Montemassi grows Syrah. “A few years ago we worked with [the late wine consultant] Denis Dubourdieu, and he advised us to plant Syrah, because, even in a poor vintage, you can add Syrah to spice up a wine, and we found that the Syrah was phenomenal.” Summing up, Francesco said: “We are on the right track with Petit Verdot, and we still need to work on Syrah.” And for the future – are there other grapes he would like to try? “A grape like Tannat could be interesting,” said Francesco, “because being a pioneer is always a good thing.”
A tasting of the range produced by Rocca di Montemassi – and Podere San Cristoforo (an estate in the region that is owned and managed by Francesco’s cousin, Lorenzo) – highlighted the character of Maremma’s wines. Importantly, the samples sipped by the attendees of this London event showed how the area was home to something both fine and distinctive. Furthermore, with unusual blends incorporating native grapes and French varieties, Maremma has become a playground for a leading winemaking dynasty such as the Zonin family.
From the varietal Viognier to Petit Verdot, or the blends of Sangiovese with Syrah, this part of Tuscany is like no other. It is a place unshackled by tradition, with the terroir for a new type of Italian fine wine.
THE WINES
The following wines were presented at a masterclass moderated by The Drinks Business in London’s Asia House on 24 April
1. Rocca di Montemassi
Calasole Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2016
Varieties: 100% Vermentino
ABV: 12.5%
Trade price: £11.27
2. Rocca di Montemassi
Astraio Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2014
Varieties: 100% Viognier
ABV: 13% Trade price: £16.49
3. Rocca di Montemassi
Astraio Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2011
Varieties: 100% Viognier
ABV: 13% Trade price: N/A
4. Podere San Cristoforo
Luminoso Maremma Toscana
Vintage: 2015
Varieties: Vermentino, Trebbiano and Malvasia
ABV: 12.5% Trade price: £18.65
5. Rocca di Montemassi
Le Focaie Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2015
Varieties: 100% Sangiovese
ABV: 13.5%
Trade price: £10.78
6. Podere San Cristoforo
Carandelle Sangiovese Maremma Toscana
Vintage: 2015
Varieties: 100% Sangiovese
ABV: 13.5% Trade price: £20.63
7. Rocca di Montemassi
Sassabruna Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2014
Varieties: 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Syrah
ABV: 13.5%
Trade price: £15.70
8. Rocca di Montemassi
Sassabruna Maremma Toscana DOC
Vintage: 2010
Varieties: 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Syrah
ABV: 14%
Trade price: NA
9. Podere San Cristoforo
San Cristoforo Petit Verdot Toscana
Vintage: 2011
Varieties: 100% Petit Verdot
ABV: 14%
Trade price: £35.70
10. Rocca di Montemassi
Rocca di Montemassi Maremma Toscana IGT
Vintage: 2011
Varieties: 45% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 15% Merlot
ABV: 14%
Trade price: £28.80
11. Rocca di Montemassi
Rocca di Montemassi Maremma Toscana IGT
Vintage: 2011
Varieties: 45% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 15% Merlot
ABV: 14%
Trade price: N/A
12. Rocca di Montemassi
Rocca di Montemassi Maremma Toscana IGT
Vintage: 2008
Varieties: 45% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah and 15% Merlot
ABV: 14%
Trade price: N/A