Cirò Classico

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The appellation zone extends across approximately 9,000 hectares along roughly 15 km of the Ionian coastal strip, reaching some 10 km inland into the hilly hinterland sheltered by the slopes of the Sila.
• The territory is occupied entirely by Pliocene sediments resting on a Paleozoic crystalline basement, with a gradual transition to the Miocene via conglomerate outcrops.
• On the hill ridges, soils are mainly sandy or conglomeratic, shallow to moderately deep, with evidence of hydromorphism within 50 cm and a moderate presence of soluble salts.
• On the ancient river-terraced surfaces, moderately deep soils of medium texture and sub-acid reaction are found, with a clay-accumulation (argillic) horizon.
• The 2002 zoning study revealed that certain areas — including Feudo, La Ponta, and Vallo — have a calcareous clay composition, with limestone absent in the surrounding zones.
• The climate ranges from sub-humid to sub-arid, with a marked summer water deficit and a summer concentration of thermal efficiency; rainfall is concentrated mainly in autumn and winter, peaking in October and reaching its minimum in June.

• Cirò derives from a wine known as Krimisa, most likely named after the Greek colony of Cremissa, where a temple dedicated to Bacchus stood and wine was offered as a gift to victorious athletes at the Olympic Games.
• To revive this ancient tradition, Cirò was served as the official wine at the Olympic Games held in Mexico City in 1968.
• The wine's sensory character is accentuated by the minimum three-year ageing required for Cirò Classico, which imparts a more developed spice character and a fuller, more complete palate.
• The traditional training systems of alberello and counter-espalier, refined through generations of grower experience, help preserve aromatic precursors that are sensitive to high temperatures.

• Cirò Classico presents a ruby-red colour, with an intense and complex nose characterised by red-fruit notes and spiced nuances.
• The palate is full-bodied, harmonious, and persistent, and with the minimum three-year ageing required for Cirò Classico it tends to become increasingly velvety, with a more developed spice character.

• The mineral content of the skeleton-rich soils influences the fermentation processes of Gaglioppo, Magliocco, and Greco Nero musts, imparting a characteristic savouriness to the wines.

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

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-03209
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela Vini DOC Ciro e Melissa