Colli d'Imola

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The decarbonated soils of the foothill plain are very deep, flat soils with medium texture, good oxygen availability, and high water-holding capacity.
• The slightly calcareous soils of the Apennine margin display gently rolling terrain with slopes of 3–12%, rising to 20–35% on more deeply incised sections, and may be subject to waterlogging.
• The calcareous soils of the lower Apennines, locally associated with badlands (calanchi), are typically found at elevations between 130 and 380 metres above sea level, with slopes ranging from 7 to 35%.
• The calcareous soils of the lower Apennines, with both dip-slope and counter-slope aspects, derived from the Marnoso-arenacea formation, are typically found between 110 and 430 metres above sea level, where viticulture reaches its upper limit.
• The climate ranges from a heat summation of approximately 2,000–2,200 degree-days on the Winkler index near the Via Emilia down to approximately 1,500–1,600 degree-days in the highest viticultural areas.

• Viticulture on the hills of Imola is documented from the medieval period, and by the fourteenth century Albana is cited as a prestigious variety alongside Trebbiano, Maligia, Garganega, and Verdea.
• In the eighteenth century, hydraulic land reclamation of the plain and the spread of sharecropping (mezzadria) led to the adoption of the mixed-cultivation vine training system (piantata), while on the hillsides specialised vine cultivation persisted, with a preference for white varieties.
• In 1885 an experimental winery was founded to study the varieties grown in the territory and to develop wine-related industries, thereby promoting quality viticulture.

• In valley floors and cooler soils, light white wines can be produced — possibly with a light spritz — showing floral aromas and notes of under-ripe yellow fruit such as green apple.
• Among the red wines are relatively full-bodied examples, rich in well-ripened fruit aromas and even spicy notes, particularly in Cabernet Sauvignon.

• The calcareous soils of the lower Apennines associated with badlands (calanchi) display high pedological variability and a marked climatic influence; the red wines they yield are full-bodied, deeply coloured, and rich in fruit and spice aromas.

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-A0290
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Vini di Romagna