Fortana del Taro

Italy · IGP · Emilia-Romagna · 90 commune(s)

Styles

Natural factors

Flatland soils of clay composition with sand, calcare, and humified organic matter, especially near the Po and the Taro rivers.
Sub-continental climate with cold, damp winters, hot and muggy summers, and high diurnal temperature variation.
The zone is bounded to the north by the Po, to the east by the Enza torrent, to the west by the Ongina torrent, and extends southward to 300 m above sea level. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
The heavy, argille soils promote high acidity, moderate sugar levels, and low color extraction in the Fortana grape.
The notable pedoclimatic uniformity of the zone derives from the common geological origin of its soils.

Human factors

Already referenced in the 1400s in the Bassa Parmense, Fortana appears in a treatise by Agostino Gallo (~1500), and in the 1600s Tanara describes it as the queen 'of black grapes'. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Traditional training on the Pergoletta Emiliana has been replaced by cordone speronato, GDC, and free cordon systems (2,500–3,000 vines/ha) to curb vigor and yields.

Product characteristics

Alcohol levels are modest, rarely exceeding 7% developed and 9.5% total, with high acidity and moderate residual sugar.
Tanara (1600s) described Fortana as the queen 'of black grapes for making good wine—wholesome, long-lasting, and generous'. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Terroir / wine link

Fertile, water-retentive argille soils promote high acidity, moderate sugars, and low color in the Fortana grape, yielding a wine that rarely surpasses 7% developed alcohol.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.