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From floods to fine wines: Romagna’s 2023 harvest
Filippo Bartolotta delves into how Romagna’s challenging 2023 growing season affected the Northern Italian region’s Albana and Sangiovese wines.
In Emilia-Romagna, 2023 saw a little over 8,300,000 quintals of grapes, which is a little less quantity then the previous year. A result which must be regarded as a brilliant achievement given the 2023 growing season was marked by mud-covered vineyards, hail, strong winds, and pest issues. Yet, the vines showed remarkable resilience. Production was slightly down, but still better than the national average. The Albana and Sangiovese wines turned out to be high quality, showing true progression in comparison to previous years.
Romagna Albana DOCG is stable, producing almost a million bottles a year, while Romagna Sangiovese DOC saw a drop from 10 million bottles to 9 million. Interestingly, the production of Romagna Sangiovese Sottozona (sub zone) wines has increased from the previous years, hitting over half a million bottles a year.
Romagna’s wine scene isn’t just about Albana and Sangiovese though. As a matter of fact, there are more bottles of Trebbiano produced, around 1.2 million, than of Romagna Albana. The success of sparkling wines all over Italy has reached also the hills of Romagna where the ‘Novebolle; brand is showing a significant growth.
Romagna overview
The Via Emilia, a Roman road built 2000 years ago by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, splits the Romagna territory in two: on the southern side, the Apennine mountains gradually rise, and on the other, a strip of plain that narrows as it approaches the city of Rimini and gives way to the Adriatic.
The region boasts of one DOCG, five DOCs, and four IGTS – the largest IGT is Rubicone, producing more than 90 million bottles per annum.
White grape varieties include Albana, Trebbiano Romagnolo, Biancame, Grechetto Gentile, Pignoletto, Bombino Bianco, and Malvasia di Candia. Red grapes include Sangiovese, Fortana, Ancellotta, Barbera, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.
Rubicone IGT:
Focus on Sangiovese
The 12 sub-zones (recognised in 2011, with an additional four added in 2022) have been pivotal in highlighting the unique characteristics of different areas for Sangiovese within Romagna. This has not only improved the quality, thanks to more detailed work carried out by the producers, but it will also provide consumers with better orientation and a clearer quality pyramid.
It is still too early to see these dozen climatic diversities clearly expressed in the glass, but while the appellation is gaining more maturity, recent estimates show Romagna Sangiovese Sottozona wines pushing for higher prices compared to Romagna Sangiovese Superiore, confirming the positive impact of these sub-zones. In our tasting notes you won’t be finding many of these wines as we’ll have to wait until autumn to fully assess the sub-zones and the Riserva.
Romagna Sangiovese taste test
DOC Romagna Sangiovese Noelia Ricci, Doc Romagna Superiore Il Sangiovese 2023
An enticingly red fruit driven wine with a wonderful peppery touch, hibiscus and balsamic hints.
Terre Cevico, DOC Romagna Verrucchio Tre Miracoli 2023
A floral driven Sangiovese with some pomegranate and cranberries and even a citrus hint, with a lovely finish of Mediterranean herbs.
Drei Donà, Notturno Romagna Sangiovese 2022, Predappio
Leather, earth, gunpowder. On the palate, the wine shows some wonderful acidity with flavours of pomegranate and blood orange, ending with a juicy, refreshing finish. Mineral notes and good sapidity.
Condè, Raggio Brusa Romagna Sangiovese Riserva 2022, Predappio
Violet flowers, cherry, cherry blossom. Mature nose with some floral touches. Currently the best, full of light – crisp, clean, and with great length.
Fattoria del Monticino Rosso, Frutti Rossi Romagna Sangiovese 2021, Riserva Imola
All red fruit – crunchy, seemingly simple, but actually complex, strawberries, reactive with unique freshness and very pleasant. Perfect tannins with great Mediterranean flavour.
Fattoria Nicolucci, Predappio di Predappio, Vigna del Generale Romagna Sangiovese 2021, Riserva Predappio
Incredible aromatic complexity, beeswax, forest fruits, dried strawberries, mineral with a touch of sapidity. Deep and long-lasting.
Podere La Grotta, Cleto, Ombroso, Romagna Sangiovese 2021 Riserva, Bertinoro
Strong mineral character, full of intense, crunchy red fruits, with depth and salinity together. Savoury, crunchy, and full of tension. Super juicy with plenty of fruit and minerality, and a touch of meatiness.
Tenute Tozzi, Iko. Romagna Sangiovese 2021, Riserva, Brisighella
Mineral, saline, plenty of red fruit, sapidity, tannic tension and rich juiciness.
Focus on Albana
Albana di Romagna, born in 1987, is the only DOCG (as of 2011 Romagna Albana) in the Romagna region. It used to cover almost 3000 hectares in the early 2000s, but it’s now just 800 hectares which generates an output of almost a million bottles.
Historically, every winemaker had at least a few rows of Albana. The grapes were harvested at different times. The first ripening at the end of summer yielded a dry and light wine. A second harvest in early autumn could result in a fuller-bodied white. But if left on the vines until late autumn (and then hung in drying rooms for further withering), they were used for a wonderful sweet wine, opened on special occasions or used as sacramental wine for Eucharistic celebrations.
Albana thrives in the geological formations of Spungone and Vena del Gesso Romagnola on soils with low clay content, helping it to develop body, aromas, and softness, while maintaining a consistently pleasant acidity.
Romagna Albana taste test
Fattoria del Monticino Rosso, Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2023, Imola
Anise seeds, cumin, almond. A rich, juicy palate with mineral and saline touches. An intense and pleasant white fruit and almond finish.
Fattoria Zerbina, Bianco di Separano Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2023, Marzeno
Candied cedar and petrol/mineral notes. A rich wine with creamy, Riesling-like acidity. Powerful without compromise, featuring lime zest, cedar, and lip smacking acidity.
Podere Morini, Settenote Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2023, Oriolo
Almond, marzipan, mandarin. Some floral hints. Rich, smooth, and rounded with good creaminess and an almost tannic quality. Yellow fruits, ripe peach with a floral finish.
Tenuta La Viola, Frangipane, Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2023, Bertinoro
A very austere wine, without compromise. Important tannins, acidity, and medlar-like texture, gritty cedar, lemon. Long and saline. Possessing great depth and strength.
Tre Monti, Vitalba Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2023, Serra
I love this wine with its apricots and lime juice, agave, and mango with a dash of candied ginger, acacia honey, propolis, and beeswax. The amazing traits about this wine are the acidity, creaminess, and a fibrous lemon curd palate.
Fattoria del Monticino Rosso, Codronchio Romagna Albana Secco DOCG 2022, Imola
Vegetal hints mix with acacia honey, straw and hay, candied cedar, a mineral strength that feels like putting a rock in your mouth along with ginger and papaya. Depth, length, sapidity, and a bit of sweetness.
Fattoria Zerbina, Scaccomatto, Romagna Albana Passito 2022
Bergamot, lemon leaf, candied fruit, dried figs and passion fruit with a delicious lemon curd sweetness polished by some intense lime acidity and an elongated saffron edge.
Related reading:
Sicilia En Primeur 2024: brightness and resilience
Amarone’s new wave: rethinking tradition
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