Aleatico di Gradoli

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The delimited zone extends over approximately 8,500 hectares of mid- and upper hillside on the northern slopes of the Vulsino volcanic district, in the province of Viterbo.
• In the northern and western parts of the zone, lavas such as phonolitic and leucitic tephrites predominate, along with welded and stratified scoria and lapilli beds alternating with weakly cemented ash layers.
• In the eastern and southern parts of the zone, the greyish leucitic tuffs known as those of Montefiascone predominate, with alternating layers of ash, volcanic sands, and lapilli, permeable both through porosity and fracturing.
• The vineyards are cultivated between 305 and 600 metres above sea level, with variable slope gradients and a general aspect facing west, south-west, and south.
• The climate features mean annual rainfall of between 775 and 1,214 mm, with slight summer aridity of 112–152 mm in July and August, and a mean temperature of between 12.4 and 13.8°C.

• The wine was presented in 1861 at the Italian Agricultural, Industrial and Artistic Exhibition in Florence by Mr Murzi Antonio of Orvieto.
• In 1929 the founding of the Cantina Oleificio Sociale di Gradoli gave fresh impetus to production, which went on to win awards including the Médaille Vermeil in 1932 at the Fiera del Levante in Bari and the Grand Prix in 1937 in Paris.
• According to local legend, the Aleatico vine is said to have sprung from the staff of a demon driven into the ground, upon which a lion slept. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The base wine style shows a garnet-red colour with violet hues, a nose with fruity notes typical of the variety, finely aromatic, and a palate of fresh fruit, soft, velvety, and sweet.
• The dried-grape (passito) style has a ruby-red colour with occasional violet highlights, an intense nose with fruity notes typical of the variety, finely aromatic, and a palate of ripe fruit, sweet.
• The fortified riserva style presents a more or less intense garnet-red colour, tending at times towards orange with ageing, and a characteristic aromatic nose derived from ageing in oak barrels.
• All the wines show, on the palate, normal acidity, barely perceptible bitterness, low astringency, and good structure, all of which contribute to their gustatory balance.

• The production regulations state that the area's climate, with excellent sunshine in September and October combined with a wide diurnal temperature range, allows the grapes to ripen slowly and fully, contributing to the distinctive organoleptic characteristics of the wine.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0689