Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The most significant geological layer for the Buttafuoco area is the Messinian, characterised by pale yellow marls with calcareous lenses arranged with precise continuity.
• The soils of Montescano, Castana, Canneto Pavese, Pietra de' Giorgi, and Cigognola belong to the Messinian formation described for the production zone.
• The area covers exclusively the first hillside belt, with elevations ranging from 150 to 350 metres and slopes that can approach 35%.
• The subsoil of the area consists predominantly of silty-clay limestone rocks, and the soil has a coarse-to-medium texture with little gravel content.
• Rainfall in the Buttafuoco communes ranges between 800 and 900 mm per year, with a gradient that increases with elevation and decreases from east to west.
• The area is subject to the effects of the föhn wind, which promotes a reduction in air humidity by increasing evapotranspiration and reducing soil moisture.

• The name Buttafuoco derives from the dialect phrase «al buta me al feug», meaning 'it sprouts like fire', referring to the grape varieties Croatina, Barbera, and Uva rara and to the red colour of the wine.
• The wine, initially a style within the DOC Oltrepò Pavese established in 1970, was elevated to an independent DOC with its own production regulations in 2010 by the Ministerial Decree of 3 August.
• The Club del Buttafuoco Storico brings together producers under shared rules for single-vineyard wines with a minimum of three years of ageing, restricted yields, and self-monitoring systems.

• The wine presents a deep ruby colour with violet highlights, tending toward garnet with ageing, and an intense, clean, penetrating, and vinous bouquet.
• On the palate it shows great body, owing to its structure and good alcoholic strength, with relatively low total acidity and a pleasing balance between dryness and roundness.

• The excellent ripening of the grapes ensures maximum varietal expression, yielding structured and complex 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-A0978
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepo Pavese