Moscadello di Montalcino
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Mediterranean climate with continental overtones: an intermediate position between the sea (40 km) and the Central Apennines (100 km).
- Heterogeneous soils: arenaria (including mixed with limestone), alberese, and galestro, with textures ranging from sandy to clayey.
- Soils low in organic matter and calcareous in nature: they encourage restrained vigor and limited yields in Moscato Bianco.
- Mid-hillside zone free from fog and late frosts; frequent winds ensure optimal vine health.
Human factors
- Pietro Aretino mentions Moscadello as early as 1540, and Vatican documents of 1591 attest to production at the Abbey of Sant'Antimo.
- Francesco Redi celebrates Moscadello in 'Bacco in Toscana' (1685): 'Del leggiadretto/del sì divino/Moscadelletto/di Montalcino'. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Product characteristics
- Color: pale straw yellow in the Frizzante, deeper in the Tranquillo, golden yellow in the Vendemmia Tardiva style.
- Musky and balanced on the nose; sweet and harmonious on the palate in the Tranquillo, lively mousse in the Frizzante, enveloping richness in the Vendemmia Tardiva.
Terroir / wine link
- Soils low in organic matter, calcareous, and subject to water stress induce restrained vigor and limited yields in Moscato Bianco.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
- eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1440
- Official trade body site — Consorzio del vino Brunello di Montalcino