Reviews

Cracking the Schioppettino puzzle
July 2009

Italy is an amazing place in terms of viticulture.

Don’t believe those who call themselves ‘Italian experts’ but can juggle only with a couple of dozen of varieties from the Apennine peninsular. One can live in Italy all his life, be professionally involved with wine, and yet stay in blissful ignorance of hundreds and hundreds unsung local ‘heroes’ which grow throughout the country. But don’t get me wrong as I do not call for another extreme and proclaim that all autochthonous varieties are equally good. They need to be analysed individually, above all from the point of potential for quality wine production.

Having received an invitation to attend the Schioppettino di Prepotto event several weeks ago, I had no idea neither about the grape nor the wine. Schioppettino is a red variety, Prepotto is a village in Friuli, right on the border with Slovenia. Schioppettino di Prepotto name is built in the same way like Brunello di Montalcino or Sagrantino di Montefalco, highlighting a precious link between the wine and its place of origin.

Last year Prepotto producers obtained special status for Schioppettino in their area. The tiny commune was formally recognised as a dedicated Schioppettino microzone within DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli. In other words, if we draw a parallel with Burgundy, Schioppettino wines received a village appellation which is called DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli Schioppettino di Prepotto. (It should be made clear that other varieties are also allowed in Prepotto, but they fall under DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli production area. Only Schioppettino labels can mention the name of the commune). First bottles with a new name will appear on the market next year (the law was passed with the 2008 vintage which is currently being aged in the cellars). Local producers’ association decided not to wait until next year and organised a two day event, first in its kind, with a programme of tastings for journalists and a celebration for wider public.

I won’t report too much from the press conference which was held with local politicians in an enthusiastic provincial manner. Well, Italian winemaking is inseparable from politics, and the fact that Prepotto winemakers won over local and regional authorities can only be viewed as a victory. Regrettably, Schioppettino was not presented in full glory (despite “Schioppettino V.I.P.!” status, as the event was called). Professor Carlo Petrussi from Cividale Agricultural School, a former viticultural consultant for the producers’ association, made a good presentation about natural and climatic features of the area, but, generally speaking, people who heard about Schioppettino for the first time were no wiser about the variety and the wines after the press conference.

After two days in Prepotto, after conversations with producers, tasting wines and further investigation, I dare present my findings on what Schioppettino is and what one may expect from it.

Schioppettino name comes from the Italian verb scoppiettare which means to crackle. In the mouth, thinly skinned grapes pop very easily. By the way, the Slovenian name — Pokalça — also reflects this particular sound feature of the grape.

Schioppettino in Italy is also called Ribolla Nera (Black Ribolla), but, according to local producers, there are no common genetic links between Schioppettino and white Friuli grape called Ribolla Gialla. The name only reflects similar shape of bunches.

Schioppettino is generally recognised as a native of Friuli. Moreover, its origin is directly linked to Prepotto and Albana (a hamlet one kilometre away from Prepotto), in the Judrio Valley. First documental evidence about Schioppettino wines from this area is dated 1282. It states that the area between Prepotto and Albana then was already largely planted to vineyards.

Borderland winemaking was complicated by political plays and military conflicts for centuries. Frontiers moved, authorities changed, but the greatest blow for Schioppettino came from phylloxera. Although the antiphylloxera committee in Friuli recommended to renew the cultivation of Schioppettino in 1907, after the cure was found, the plantings in the 20th century came almost to naught.

In attempt to resurrect the variety, Prepotto producers petitioned local authorities for a formal approval of Schioppettino in 1977. Ten years later Colli Orientali del Friuli area became DOC, and Schioppettino was listed among allowed varieties for wine production. Schioppettino di Prepotto producers’ association was formed in 2002 and succeeded in getting a subzone status for its Schioppettino vineyards.

At present Schioppettino plantings throughout Friuli account for some 70 hectares. Prepotto vineyards are estimated at around 30 hectares. The variety is also cultivated on the other side of the border in Slovenia. Schioppettino is listed in the US National Grape Register — Californian winemaker Randall Grahm is known to be experimenting with it.

Professor Carlo Petrussi describes Schioppettino as a difficult, capricious variety that demands certain habitat. Vines are very vigorous both in terms of vegetative growth and fruit. They demand more time and efforts from a wine grower. Winged Schioppettino bunches are up to 30-35 cm long and weigh up to 3 kg. One of the winemakers compared large Schioppettino berries with large olives. Because of their thin skin, berries are prone to rot, especially mildew.

In order to achieve quality results, Schioppettino needs to be cultivated with a firm hand. New production rules in Prepotto limit yields to 7 tonnes per hectare which can give the maximum wine output of 49 hectolitres. Average yields for new vineyards must not exceed 1,55 kg per vine. In the context of vigorous Schioppettino, these measures are quite restrictive.

Capovolto used to be a traditional training system (shoots are bent down instead of growing up), but after numerous experiments the producers’ association recommends Guyot system, with minimal density of 4,500 vines per hectare. Green harvesting is practiced in summer, after which only 3-4 bunches remain.

Petrussa estate has vines, obtained after strict massal selection, with bunches weighing around 700 grammes, but this is an exception. Exceedingly low yields for Schioppettino (like for any other variety) are questionable as they do not guarantee healthy vines and quality wine. As Anna Muzzolini from Grillo puts it, “you can’t make Schioppettino produce 0,5 kg of grapes”. A common sense should prevail above everything else.

New microzone is meant to highlight unique characteristics of Schioppettino that grows in Prepotto. What is so special about the Prepotto area that allows to single it out from others?

The administrative area of Prepotto lies in the south-east of Friuli in Udine province and shares a border with Slovenia. Its flat and hilly lands with a total area of just over 30 square kilometres are spread along the Judrio river which flows from the north to the south. It takes about half an hour to get to the sea. Prepotto, Albana and Centa are historic cultivation centres of Schioppettino, but its vineyards can be found everywhere in the area.

According to Carlo Petrussi, narrow, closed, fresh, well ventilated Judrio Valley provides a set of natural and climatic conditions in which Scioppettino is able to yield grapes with inimitable characteristics. Dry, fresh wind that regularly blows along the valley protects grapes from rot. Its influence is particularly marked during the ripening period, when sharp day and night temperature variations ensures good accumulation of aromatic components for the wine.

Despite a limited size, Prepotto soils are heterogeneous — alluvial, marl, sandstone which can be covered with a fine layer of clay or gravel brought by small tributaries of the Judrio. The hills in Centa are particular. They consist of red clays originating from iron-rich marl. There is more marl (friable sedimentary rock in between clay and limestone) in Albana. The soils to the south of Prepotto where the valley widens are rich in alluvial strata.

Not that long ago one could find fizzy, sweetish Schioppettino which didn’t fully ferment in autumn and restarted fermentations in spring. Fortunately, they now remain history. Now vinification is dedicated to producing dry red wines. New rules for Schioppettino di Prepotto specify the aging period — minimum 12 months in oak barrels, and the date of release on the market which is after September of the second year after the harvest.

Large barrels are not prohibited for aging, but barriques are the recommended size. To the praise of Prepotto producers, oaky aromas and flavours are not the dominant feature in wines. Schioppettino has medium body and is not rich in tannins. In order to preserve natural characteristics of the grape, aging takes place in used or partly new and partly used barrels. The rules dictate minimum one year of barrel aging. Some wineries leave the wine for longer, up to 2 years — if the winemaker is careful, longer aging doesn’t negatively affect the fruit in the wine. The norms don’t specify the period of bottle aging, but it may soon become obligatory to leave Schioppettino for another year in bottles.

Some Prepotto winemakers use appassimento technique by obtaining some must from dried grapes and then adding it to the wine. Appassimento is not particularly popular for Schioppettino as it deprives wine of primary fruit and freshness, but some winemakers believe that blending in a small part of passito wine (up to 20%) results in more concentrated, structured and complex wines.

Present rules allow up to 15% of other red varieties grown in the area, in Schioppettino di Prepotto. Once new vineyards are productive, the share of supplementary grapes must go down to 5%.

The Schioppettino di Prepotto producers’ association counts 33 wineries, thus at least 33 wine versions exist. As Schioppettino production involves more labour, and an average size of wineries is small (those who own 20 hectares of vineyards are giants, Schioppettino plots on average measure one hectare), there is no point in making low quality wines. Like in other areas, wines range from unpretentious and easy drinking to those where winemakers want to accentuate structure and concentration.

If one is to look for a wine where major Schioppettino features can be read plainly, Antico Broilo offers a good example. This is a wine with limpid dark cherry colour, medium intensity aromas of red berries and ground pepper, medium body, fresh, supple flavours of cherries, red berries, bright spice and light nuances of roasted coffee beans, silky tannins and spicy finish of medium length.

Schioppettino di Prepotto is indeed distinctive, with such signature traits as moderately intense aromas and flavours, medium body, flavours of cherries and berries, light notes of roasted coffee beans or dark bitter chocolate and very expressive notes of ground black pepper. I tend to think that Schioppettino doesn’t gain much from aging. More structured examples can evolve for 10-12 years (as proved in 1994-2003 vertical tasting of La Viarte and Petrussa), but the greatest pleasure comes from wines with three to five years of age.

Light tannins and supple fruity-spicy flavours make Schioppettino an appealing drinking proposition. Just like Pinot Grigio is a fashionable alternative to Chardonnay, Schioppettino offers an excellent replacement for Merlot. At least, if I am to choose a nice everyday wine from Friuli, and the choice is between Merlot and Schioppettino, I will opt for the latter.

Good wines of medium intensity: Antico Broilo, Grillo, Pizzulin
Wines with more concentration and structure: La Viarte, Petrussa, Vigna Petrussa, La Buse dal Lof