Assisi

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The altitude of the vineyards ranges from 180 to 750 metres above sea level, with a general aspect oriented toward the west-southwest.
• Compared with the century average of 897.54 mm of rainfall, the decade 1991–2010 recorded a mean increase in annual precipitation to 937.1 mm, particularly during winter.
• Over the last five years, the mean maximum temperature for the summer period reached 31.46 °C, with a mean temperature of 24.0 °C, representing a slight increase relative to historical values.
• The geological unit is underlain predominantly by continental clastic deposits such as lacustrine sands and scree, with outcrops of travertine and marly-arenaceous lithotypes, and slopes of between 5 and 15%.
• The steeper soils, situated at elevations below 750 metres above sea level, are hillside and foothill in character, heavily gravelly and, in extreme cases, of high stoniness.

• The 1459 statute of the commune of Assisi devoted its fifth book, 'De damnis datis', to the protection of the vine, establishing strict rules against theft and damage to vineyards and setting out procedures for authorising the harvest.
• A manuscript dated 1598 discovered in the notarial archive of Assisi, compiled by the notary Giovanni Maria Nuti, records instructions on winemaking, including rules for racking wine and the use of grape pomace to produce a second-quality wine.
• The appellation of origin was recognised by Decree of the Ministry of Agricultural Resources of 5 May 1997, at the conclusion of a long history in which the vine has been the principal crop of the territory of Assisi.

• The red wines display a vivid ruby-red colour with a purple rim, shading toward garnet red in more aged wines, with floral aromas and fruity notes of cherry and raspberry, sweet spices, and chocolate.
• On the palate, all the red wines show normal acidity, good structure with a complex finish, and pleasurable tannins.
• The white wines based on Grechetto have a characteristic straw-yellow colour with greenish highlights, with delicate aromas of jasmine, white peach, and apple.
• On the palate, the white wines are warm and supple, with a mineral note and a finish that is mentholated and lightly bitter.

• Soils with a limited content of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, are poorly suited to intensive cultivation but are well suited to quality viticulture capable of imparting particular vigour and complexity to the wines.

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-A0837