I already imagine many of you, dear readers, after having simply read the title of this editorial, have made an expression of disappointment, even wondering why Merlot and Chardonnay can truly be deserving of praise. I imagine, not least, other readers who, reading the same title, agree with me and think – certainly yes – Merlot and Chardonnay are both deserving of praise. These two varieties – to tell the truth, not the only ones – are in fact among the most divisive in the discussions and preferences of wine enthusiasts. There are, in fact, those who see them as the absolute evil of enology, because of their enological characteristic of “homologizing” the sensorial qualities of a wine, while others recognize them extraordinary elegance and finesse. One thing is certain: Merlot and Chardonnay are distinguished by their enormous personality, such as to never go unnoticed when they are part of the composition of a wine, alone or blended with other grapes.

 After all, it is certainly not a fault to have a great personality, rather the responsibility goes to those who associate them, so to speak, with shy and modest grapes. It is evident that, in these unfortunate cases, Merlot and Chardonnay unequivocally prevail without giving any chance – at least, very little – to the unfortunate blend companions. As far as I'm concerned, Merlot and Chardonnay are two very great varieties, capable of producing wines of magnificent class and elegance. This does not always happen, of course, as these two varieties – just like all the others – in order to reach levels of excellence, require the existence and scrupulous adoption of equally excellent conditions. When this does not occur, Merlot and Chardonnay are capable of creating trivial, ordinary wines, even boring and without any emotion, except the fact of being however recognized for some sensorial characteristics which always accompany them. More than possibly blaming Merlot and Chardonnay, it is wiser to attribute the responsibility to those who have used them in such an inappropriate way.

 Because, let's face it, for years, indeed, decades, these two varieties have been used everywhere in the world with the hope of performing an enological miracle, as if they were endowed with who knows what magical properties such as to transform any wine into gold. Is a wine too thin? Without character and personality? Does it have faint aromas? Too edgy? No problem: just add Merlot or Chardonnay – according to style – and enjoy the magic. This has happened – and continues to happen – in every wine-producing country in the world, even in those in which the climate and soil are clearly not suitable for the qualitative cultivation of Merlot and Chardonnay. It is true these two varieties have a surprising ability of adaptation and that, for better or for worse, their presence in a wine hardly goes unnoticed. This does not mean their contribution is always positive or decisive. In some cases, after a quick tasting, in addition to being disappointing, is even “ridiculous” and inappropriate.

 This last and unfortunate case is not only recurrent in many wines produced with Merlot and Chardonnay, but it is also evidently the cause of the prejudices against these two varieties. In this regard, it could be made a virtually endless list of wines in which Merlot and Chardonnay are used – alone or combined with other varieties – with decidedly “trivial” results and which invade the wine scene of every country in the world with results that do not honor neither Merlot nor Chardonnay, much less their territories and producers. A phenomenon that began at the dawn of the 1900s – outside France, of course – when what were later called international varieties were introduced in many wine-producing countries of the world and, among these, Merlot and Chardonnay, of course. In Italy, up until a few decades ago, they were even defined as “ameliorative varieties”, with the firm belief their presence was enough to transform, or rather improve, any wine thanks to a magic of extraordinary excellence.

 When cultivated with high qualitative criteria, in suitable environmental and climatic conditions, vinified with no less high enological quality – ladies and gentlemen, hats off – Merlot and Chardonnay are absolutely and flawlessly capable of creating enological monuments of absolute class, finesse and elegance. If, at this moment, you are imagining that I am, in some way, alluding to, for example, Bordeaux and Burgundy, yes, certainly and unquestionably yes, you have imagined very well. I do not intend to say these two territories are the only ones in which Merlot and Chardonnay are capable of making great wines, as there are many wine-growing territories in the world in which these two varieties – thanks also to the right environmental and technological conditions – have largely proved peaks of the highest excellence. Will it perhaps be a coincidence, however, that wherever Merlot and Chardonnay are cultivated, with the intention of making wine, it is always and inevitably looked to Bordeaux and Burgundy as examples and references to “imitate”?

 The enological versatility of these two grapes is evidently indisputable. Both are capable of excellent enological results obtained both in the vinification in inert containers and – and even better – in wooden ones, with a particular preference for small sized ones, such as the barrique. Moreover, in wooden containers, they are capable of great things also with fermentation and not only with aging. Furthermore, Chardonnay is an impeccable interpreter of classic method sparkling wines, always generous with superfine class, finesse and elegance. Again, if you were imagining me possibly alluding to Blanc de Blancs Champagne, you guessed right. For my part, I imagine some of you could object arguing that both Merlot and Chardonnay tend to excessively round their wines, therefore contributing to an annoying and boring sensorial homologation of their wines and those where they are used in blend with other grapes. True. After all, it is undeniable, since it is clear and evident, these two grapes have also a decidedly round character.

 However, they are also much more than their roundness, in particular when all the other organoleptic qualities they have are considered and respected, when they are cultivated in the right places and, above all, harvested at the right time. Needless to say, properly vinified. Because it must be said – well yes – both Merlot and Chardonnay, in addition to roundness, also have acidity and any wine, regardless of the style, which should lack crispness, would always and in any case be unbalanced and certainly not very agreeable. Indeed, absolutely unpleasant. After all, in case Chardonnay were roundness only, its use would be totally improbable – and with huge worldwide success – in so many classic method sparkling wines. We can certainly quibble about the way, or rather the ways, used in the vineyard and winery with Chardonnay and Merlot, very often questionable. This is something that, undeniably, is true not only for these two varieties, but to all of them. Moreover, to claim the mere use of two grapes, and not only Chardonnay and Merlot, can in some way and without further effort lead to the creation of a quality wine, is not only highly questionable but also the proof of improbable viticultural and winemaking skills of those who believe in it and are even convinced of it. This, however and in any case, does not in any way harm the real reputation and greatness of Merlot and Chardonnay. Two great grapes and mothers of great wines, magnificent examples of class, elegance and enological beauty.

 Two different and distant red wines, made in lands that have nothing in common – except of the fact they both belong to the same country – grapes that share no history, much less genetic similarities. Two territories that are distinguished by different landscapes, distant climates and environmental conditions, with the only common characteristic of being lands of great wines. Furthermore, both provide for the use of a main grape and the use of other varieties, however – also in this case – they are different grapes and with viticultural, enological and sensorial profiles that do not share any characteristic, except for having red berries. On the one hand, the suggestive mountain landscapes close to the Alps and lands bordered by rivers; on the other, no less suggestive views of the hills, in the boundless extensions of “green” and fertile and generous lands. In both cases places and soils suitable for viticulture, albeit with very different results.

 The wines we will examine in this month's tasting by contrast are produced in Valle d'Aosta and Tuscany, respectively in the lands spreading around Aosta – the capital city of the region – and in those of Montepulciano, in province of Siena. The first wine is in fact Valle d'Aosta Torrette, the most produced and consumed red of this region, in which the main protagonist is the Petit Rouge. The second is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, an important and historic wine of Tuscany, in which the personality of Sangiovese is mainly expressed. Both wines require – according to the respective production disciplinary – the use of many varieties, in addition to the main ones, and this is generally what occurs in most of the bottles produced in the respective territories. The tasting by contrast of this month, therefore, compares two wines resulting from the blending of many grapes, a characteristic which, without a doubt, contributes to enriching their respective personalities.

 In the interesting enological panorama of Valle d'Aosta, Torrette – both the denomination and the wine – occupies a prominent place. It is in fact the largest Denominazione d'Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin, DOC) in the region and is produced with the native variety Petit Rouge, the most common red berried grape in Valle d'Aosta, whose wines are among the most widespread and consumed in the area. The territory of the denomination spreads on the orographic right bank of Dora Baltea river in the municipalities of Aymavilles, Charvensod, Gressan, Introd, Jovençan and Villeneuve, while on the orographic left bank in the municipalities of Aosta, Quart, Saint-Christophe, Saint-Pierre, Sarre and Villeneuve. It is a territory in the center of the region which spreads around Aosta – the capital city of Valle d'Aosta – with a total area such as to represent the primary denomination by extension. The only style provided by the disciplinary for this area is red, mainly produced – as already said – with the autochthonous variety Petit Rouge.

 This grape, in accordance with the production disciplinary, must represent at least 70% of the composition, while any complementary part can be made up of red berried varieties allowed for cultivation in Valle d'Aosta. The production of this wine therefore provides for two distinct winemaking models and, of course, both interesting and allowed by the production disciplinary. There are in fact producers who prefer, probably also for traditional reasons, the choice of using a blend of grapes, while others interpret this wine through the exclusive use of Petit Rouge. The result is evidently different, despite the personality of the primary grape however remains evident and dominant even in the presence of other grapes. The aging, according to the disciplinary, must be at least 5 months, a practice producers tend to do mainly in inert containers, however there are also wines aged in cask. This last procedure tends to round the typical crispness of the wine and, if done excessively, can deprive Valle d'Aosta Torrette of its characteristic sensorial expression of flowers and fruits.

 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano represents one of the main and most important pillars of the enological history of the province of Siena and Tuscany. It is among the oldest wines in Italy, so much so that it boasts written citations dating back to before the year 1000, mentioned in a document dated 789 in which the cleric Arnipert offers the church of San Silvestro or San Salvatore in Lanciniano sull'Amiata, a vineyard near the castle of Policiano. The Roman historian Tito Livio also stated that in 55 BC, the ancient Gauls arrived in Italy after having tasted the wine of these lands offered by Arunte or Arrunte, an Etruscan from Chiusi, not far from Montepulciano. In both cases, it is difficult to suppose if the wines of Montepulciano of those times were similar to those we know today, especially the grape varieties used, but they clearly witness the long enological history of these lands, recognizing to its wines – already in those remote times – excellence and quality.

 The protagonist of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is Sangiovese – also known locally as “Prugnolo Gentile” – the most common red berried variety cultivated in central Italy and also found in other regions of the country. In accordance with the production disciplinary, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is produced with at least 70% Sangiovese, while the possible complementary part can be made up of other varieties allowed for its production, defined in a list including as many as 85 grapes, both white both red. In this regard it should however be observed that, besides Sangiovese, the most used varieties for this wine are Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo, a combination which is certainly to be considered the most historic and common one. This great wine from the province of Siena – recognized by the Italian quality system as a Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, DOCG) – requires a minimum aging period of 24 months, of which at least 12 in wood. For the production of the “riserva” style, the minimum period is set at 36 months and, also in this case, at least 12 in wood.

The color of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

 The wines we will examine in this month's tasting by contrast, according to the respective production disciplinary, provide for the minimum use of 70% of a variety, with the possible addition of other complementary grapes. Although the producers of both wines sometimes choose to use only the primary variety – Petit Rouge for Valle d'Aosta Torrette, Sangiovese for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano – our choice is in favor of bottles produced with many grapes. As for Valle d'Aosta Torrette, our choice is in favor of a bottle made with Petit Rouge as well as – possibly – Fumin, Mayolet, Vien de Nus and Cornalin. As for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, we choose a bottle produced with the classic composition of Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo. As for the aging of the two wines, for Valle d'Aosta Torrette we will choose a bottle aged in steel tanks, necessarily in the cask for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. In both cases, we choose wines belonging to the most recent vintage and poured into their respective tasting glasses at the temperature of 18 °C (64 °F).

 We can now start our tasting by contrast and, after having poured the wines into their respective glasses, let's proceed with the evaluation of appearance, that is how the wines can be seen by the eye in terms of color and transparency. The first wine we examine is Valle d'Aosta Torrette, therefore – by tilting the glass over a white surface – let's observe the base, where the thickness of the wine is greater. The wine produced with a prevalence of Petit Rouge shows a lively and brilliant ruby red color, moreover, by placing an object between the glass and the white surface, we can see a decidedly moderate transparency. Let's now shift our attention towards the opening of the glass, where the thickness becomes thinner, in order to evaluate the nuance of the color, in which the basic ruby red hue is confirmed. Let's now pass to the evaluation of the appearance of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and, by tilting the glass over the white surface, we observe its color. Also in this case we can see a brilliant and intense ruby red, probably darker than Torrette, as well as a moderate transparency and in any case lower than the previous wine. Nuances of the Tuscan wine show a ruby red color with a possible tendency to garnet.

 The olfactory profiles of Valle d'Aosta Torrette and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano differ in many aspects, not all determined by the different grape varieties used for their production. Among the factors determining these olfactory differences – besides the respective grapes – probably the most important one is represented by the different vinification techniques and, in particular, the aging. Although the production disciplinary of Valle d'Aosta Torrette does not provide for the type of container to be used for the aging, the majority of producers choose to do it in inert containers, in particular the steel tank. Vino Nobile di Montepulcino, in accordance with its production disciplinary, instead provides for a minimum time of 12 months of aging in wooden containers. This difference, as we will see, affects the respective olfactory profiles, however it should be observed the main tendency in the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is to use the cask discerously in order to preserve the olfactory expression of the grapes.

 Let's take the glasses of our wines and proceed with the evaluation of the olfactory profiles, starting, as in the previous phase, from Valle d'Aosta Torrette. Let's hold the glass in vertical position and, without swirling, do the first smell, which will allow the evaluation of the opening. From the glass will be perceived intense and pleasing aromas of cherry and raspberry followed by dog rose. The combination of these three aromas is typical in the majority of wines produced with Petit Rouge and, of course, Torrette is no exception. Let's now swirl the glass – an operation favoring the development of the other aromas – and do a second smell. The profile of Valle d'Aosta Torrette is completed with strawberry, pomegranate, arbutus berry and plum, as well as violet, frequently followed by a sensation reminiscent of graphite. Let's now pass to the evaluation of the olfactory profile of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, starting from its opening. The glass offers us a sequence of completely different aromas from the previous wine, in which we recognize black cherry, plum and violet. After having swirled the glass, the profile of the Tuscan wine is completed with blueberry, raspberry and blackberry, as well as a pleasing sensation reminiscent of rose. It should also be paid attention to the aromas given by the aging in wood, such as vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and tobacco, totally absent in the wine from Valle d'Aosta.

 Let's now pass to the evaluation of the gustatory profiles of Valle d'Aosta Torrette and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, starting from the one produced with Petit Rouge. The first quality we evaluate is the attack, that is the primary gustatory sensations the wine expresses in the mouth at the first sip. Valle d'Aosta Torrette is appreciated for its crispness and direct character, with a pleasing acidity which finds balance in the effect of alcohol. The astringency is moderate and in the mouth are clearly perceived flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry, therefore expressing good correspondence to the nose. The structure of this wine is medium and, overall, it is very agreeable. Let's now pass to the evaluation of the attack of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and then let's take a sip. In the mouth we immediately perceive the effect of the pleasing crispness which joins the roundness of alcohol and of the aging in wood, with a more intense astringency than the wine from Valle d'Aosta. The structure is decidedly fuller and in the mouth are clearly perceived the flavors of black cherry, plum, raspberry and blueberry, confirming – also in this case – the good correspondence to the nose.

 We have reached the end of this month's tasting by contrast, let's therefore proceed to the evaluation of the final sensations the wines leave in the mouth after swallowing, in particular the taste-olfactory persistence. As in the previous phases, the first wine we will examine is Valle d'Aosta Torrette. After having swallowed the wine, in the mouth can be perceived a good persistence with a finish leaving intense and clean flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry, in addition to the pleasing sensation of crispness given by the moderate acidity. The finish of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is decidedly long as well and, after having swallowed it, in the mouth we can perceive a decidedly long taste-olfactory persistence. We also continue to perceive – intense and clean – the flavors of black cherry, plum, raspberry and blueberry, as well as the pleasing crispness – mainly given by Sangiovese – which is followed by the pleasing roundness of alcohol as well as the aging in wood.

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