Mamertino

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The production zone runs along the Tyrrhenian coast between the Tindari headland and the Colli S. Rizzo di Messina, encompassing Capo Milazzo, with a flat coastal strip giving way to a hilly ridge where viticulture is most widespread.
• The climate is typically Mediterranean, with mild temperatures and rainfall concentrated in the autumn–winter period; however, the proximity of the sea and the moderating influence of the winds reduce both monthly and diurnal temperature ranges compared with other parts of the Mediterranean.
• Viticulture is concentrated on the slopes of the hillsides, interspersed with plateaux of varying extent, where the soils are of allochthonous alluvial origin with a medium-textured, predominantly clayey composition.
• In certain micro-zones clay constitutes the dominant physical component of the soil, contributing markedly to the distinctive organoleptic characteristics of the wines for which the appellation is valued and renowned.

• The historic name Mamertino has identified the production zone through loyal and consistent use, having been employed by various wine estates from the nineteenth century to the present day.
• In the pre-war period, Mamertino wine was classified among the typical wines of the Province of Messina by ministerial decree of 23 September 1942.
• The Riserva style, applicable to both white and red wines, requires grapes with a higher minimum natural alcoholic strength and a minimum ageing period of two years.
• As early as 289 BC, the Mamertines planted a vine variety in the territory of Milazzo and its surroundings for the production of Mamertino wine, which Julius Caesar later served at the banquet celebrating his third consulship and mentioned in the De Bello Gallico. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The Roman geographer Strabo ranked Mamertino among the finest wines of his era, while Pliny placed it fourth among 195 wines. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The production regulations state that the wines of the appellation display pleasant, harmonious, characteristic, and elegant aromas, with potential fruity, floral, and vegetal notes typical of the source grape varieties.
• The production regulations specify that all the wines display balanced physicochemical characteristics that contribute to their overall palate harmony.

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-A0783
• Official trade body site — Consorzio di Tutela del Mamertino DOC