Molise

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The region has a predominantly mountainous and hilly territory, with 55.3% mountains and 44.7% hills over an area of 4,438 km².
• The relief features narrow, elongated summits of convex shape, separated by deep valleys with slopes that can undergo intense erosive processes, including badlands (calanchi) formation and landslides.
• The geological substrate consists of marly-calcareous formations from the Paleogene and sandstone and marly-sandstone formations from the Miocene.
• The average annual temperature ranges between 13.5 and 14.8°C, while average annual rainfall is between 696.8 mm and 1067 mm, about 60% of which falls in autumn-winter.
• The massive Matese and Mainarde ranges consist of stratified and/or massive platform limestone and dolomitic limestone rocks of Triassic-Cretaceous age, with rugged forms and steep slopes cut by deep valley furrows.
• Vineyard land must lie at an altitude of no less than 5 metres above sea level, in an area covering communes in the provinces of Campobasso and Isernia across lower, middle and upper Molise.

• Molise winegrowing was already known in Greek times, with a wine called Paetrutianum, and Pliny praised a wine produced from a vine called pumula in the Isernia area.
• The Controlled Designation of Origin for the wines "Molise" or "del Molise" was recognised by Decree of the Ministry of Agricultural Policies of 18 May 1998, with the specification amended on 1 June 2011.

• The wines of the appellation, in all their styles, show good alcohol content, high phenolic concentration, marked freshness and pleasant, evident notes perceptible both on the nose and in retro-nasal aroma.
• All the wines of the appellation show a modest acidity level, due to the natural decrease in acidity of the grapes at proper ripeness.

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-A0575