Open to interpretation
Within Emilia Romagna, Pignoletto was established as a DOC in 1978 in three subzones: Colli d’Imola, Modena and Reno. Unusually, it does as well in the rich soils of the valleys as in the poorer terrains of the hills. In the gently rising pre-Apennine hillsides south of Bologna, where fields, woods and vineyards are interspersed with dramatic limestone outcrops, Colli Bolognesi Pignoletto was granted DOCG status in 2010 in recognition of its potential to produce more territorial wines in this area, then the boundaries extended in 2014.
Today, about 1.5 million bottles are produced within the DOCG. In ancient times, these were lands used by the Etruscans. It is in the DOCG areas and in the Colli d’Imola within the DOC zone that Grechetto Gentile’s potential for ageing and complexity – even in the sparkling versions – has been revealed.
Giacomo Savorini runs the Consorzio Colli Bolognesi, one of two consortia that deal
with Pignoletto. ‘This patchwork of varied and unusual geological configurations offers our producers – many of whom run small, artisanal wineries – the chance to interpret Grechetto Gentile in personal ways, giving it a range of character that you don’t find in the plain.’
Maurizio Vallona, the aforementioned producer, is one of these. So is Federico Orsi, whose farm in the Colli Bolognesi includes animals, crops and vines and is being cultivated using biodynamic methods. His vision for his Pignoletto wine is unique.
‘What I love about Grechetto Gentile is what I call its rusticity,’ he says, as we skirt the pig field to reach his vineyards. ‘This grape has thick skins, is high in polyphenols and is extremely versatile, and it has adapted well to the type of agriculture we practise. In addition to still, frizzante and spumante versions, it can make passito and late-harvest wines too.’
Orsi prefers to macerate the grapes for his Pignoletto and is making a pét-nat-style wine that ferments using spontaneous yeasts and is unfiltered, with practically no added sulphites. ‘Grechetto affords us this possibility and, despite not having high acidity, the wines always remain structured but fluid and saline. As we’ve seen, it also has the potential to age well and increase in complexity in good years, and this too makes it very unusual.’ Orsi has become a beacon for the grape and is a popular figure on the natural wine circuit.
For now, Grechetto Gentile is a grape in progress. It is being successfully produced on a large scale in sparkling versions – much of which is consumed within the region of Emilia Romagna – and has shown that, in the hands of producers with vision, it can lift itself into individuality. I look forward to seeing what else it’s capable of.
DSally Easton MW, who contributed to the recommendations, is a widely published wine writer, educator, judge and consultant, publishing her own work on www.winewisdom.com