Aleatico is a red wine grape that ampelographers suspect may be a
mutation of the Muscat Blanc ŕ Petits Grains vine.
It is notable for being the primary grape in the cult wine
Aleatico di Portoferraio made in Elba.
It is grown most commonly in the Puglia and Lazio region of Italy.
In Chile is known as Red Moscatel. The grape has also been
cultivated at Mudgee in New South Wales and in California.
History
During his exile in Elba, wine made from Aleatic was reportedly a
favorite drink for Napoleon. |
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Ampelographers suspect that Aleatico maybe a dark skin of the
French wine grape Muscat Blanc ŕ Petits Grains which is part of
the extensive Muscat family of grapes, believed to be the oldest
family of Vitis Vinifera in the world. DNA profiling conducted at
Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige suggest that the
relationship between Muscat Blanc ŕ Petits Grains and Aleatico
maybe that of a parent-offspring rather than just a mutation.
Other alternative theories has the grape being descended from
Muscat noir. Historians also disagree on the wine's exact origins
with competing theories of the grape being brought to Italy by the
ancient Greeks or being native to then southern Italian region of
Pulgia.
During the 14th century, the Italian wine writer Pietro Crescenzi
wrote of wine being produced in central and southern Italy from
the Livatica grape which is today believed to be Aleatico. In
Elba, there is a long history of producing dessert wines from
Aleatico. During his exile on Elba, the Aleatico wines of the
island became a favorite drink of Napoleon. Napoleon was reported
to have said that Aleatico wines were his only consolation during
this time.Wine regions
Aleatico is most commonly found in Italy, primarily in Elba,
Apulia, Lazio, and southern Tuscany.[2] Smaller plantings of
Italian Aleatico can be found in Le Marche, Abruzzo and Sicily.[4]
Outside of Italy the grape can be found in Australia, California,
Chile, Corsica (though it is not permitted in any AOC authorized
wines[3]), Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
For most of the 20th century, Italian plantings of the grape had
been in decline but recent years have seen a spike of interest in
the variety. In Elba there is a Denominazione di Origine
Controllata e Garantita, the Aleatico dell’Elba Passito DOCG
dedicated to the production of passito style wines made from
Aleatico. Under Italy's appellation system, very few dessert wine
receive the highest designation of DOCG level making the Aleatico
dell’Elba Passito a rarity in Italian.
In Apulia, Aleatico is widely around the city of Bari and in the
southern Salento Peninsula. The style of Aleatico wines from
Apulia tend to be sweeter and richer in flavor than the wines
typically from Elba due to the warmer climate of southern Italy
and the potential for higher levels of sugars in the grapes. In
Lazio, Aleatico is found around Lake Bolsena where it has its own
Denominazione di Origine Controllata region of the Aleatico di
Gradoli DOC. This dessert style wine is produced from grapes grown
on the northwestern hillsides of the lake which partially overlaps
into the Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone DOC. In Apulia, there
is the Aleatico di Puglia DOC.
Wine styles
Aleatico is often used to produce dessert style wines. The grapes
may be dried or the wines could be produced fortified in a
Liquoroso style. The wines are typically aged at least 6 months
prior to release with Italian wines labeled as Liquoroso Riserva
requiring three years of aging, with at least 2 of those years in
wood barrels.
Aleatico wines are characterized by their sweet aromas of roses (a
trait they shares with Muscat Blanc ŕ Petits Grains).[2] Other
aroma notes common to Aleatico include various berry fruits and
lychees. Aleatico wines tend to have high alcohol content that is
balanced by the grape's acidity. |
