After having identified the aromatic imprint of the different terroirs, the second phase of the study, initiated in 2017 together with the University of Verona, studied the origins of some of the compounds that define the aromas and their evolution in Amarone wines.
Verona, March 2023 – It was in 1964 that Renzo Tedeschi decided to vinify separately the grapes of the Monte Olmi vineyard. Today, that pioneering instinct that believed in a chemical code that allowed for the expression of “a sense of place of a wine,” is being further researched this time by his children Antonietta, Sabrina, and Riccardo.
The continuity between past and present that is integral to the Tedeschi family has now been captured in a recently released brief documentary (*), which the children have dedicated to their father since it is he who has passed on to them the same love of the territory along with the passion to produce wines that retain its imprint.
The scientific proof of the existence of a chemical code that has been transmitted to the wines by a specific terroir has been made possible thanks to innovative tools used by researchers, motivated by the deep interest of wine producers to understand not only the mechanisms underlying aromatic differences but also how longevity is influenced by the location of vineyards within different zones of the same production areas.
In 2021, after the Tedeschi family presented the initial results from a study initiated in 2017 in collaboration with Prof. Maurizio Ugliano and the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Verona on the aromatic character of grapes and wines from a single vineyard and the principal factors involved in their expression, today further results are being shared that provide greater detail on the definition of the aromatic signature of a wine.
A particularly intriguing aspect of the study has to do with understanding the origin of some of the compounds that define the aroma as well as what role they play in the aging of Amarone. As stated by Riccardo Tedeschi, enologist: “Having identified the aromatic imprint of a single vineyard parcel as well as having verified that the aromatic imprint remains invariant from a qualitative point of view irrespective of how the vintage year has progressed, this new phase of the research will allow us to understand how the aromatic imprint evolves over time.”
“Using samples of Amarone obtained from the Monte Olmi vineyard and taking advantage of the years-long collaboration that the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona has had with the University of Bordeaux and Federico II of Napoli, we have been able to demonstrate the high content of certain terpenes which to date have been little known, which could be responsible for the sustained aromatic freshness across time, and as a result, the longevity of a wine,” explains Maurizio Ugliano.
The identification of the aromatic imprints of each terroir has led to the adoption of a strategy for analysis that is relatively complex, involving the use of 4-5 different methods of analysis of the aromatic fraction. This is necessary because a wine’s aroma is an extremely complex mix made up of several hundred substances of which only a certain number contribute to the perceptible aroma. In fact, some of the compounds that contribute to the aromatic signature are not present in the grape or in the young wine but become evident only with aging.
“Notably, this study has demonstrated that some Amarone, including those from the Tedeschi winery, can be distinguished by the presence of odorous substances that have complex olfactory characteristics. Among these, cineole is particularly interesting given that it supports the expression of balsamic notes that at times can call up the smell of eucalyptus leaves,” underscores Ugliano. If a wine is to develop these characteristics over time, it is important that the grapes contain certain compounds, which are aromatically not very odorous and as such can sometimes be missed by researchers, but which in the weakly acidic environment of the wine slowly produce cineole. In other words, the process involves a reserve of aroma precursors that over time is capable of endowing the aromatic profile of the wine with new characteristics. “The interesting aspect is that grape drying, particularly in the case of the Corvina varietal, helps the formation of specific aromatic precursors that in turn support the development of the balsamic scents through mechanisms that we do not yet fully understand,” adds Ugliano.
New methods of analysis fine-tuned by the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona have also brought to light the contribution of dimethyl sulfide, a compound found in Italian red wines that has been little studied to date, but which contributes to the aromatic signature of wines. When this aromatic compound reaches an elevated concentration it gives the wine an odor that calls up truffle and forest floor, however, in low concentrations it supports the expression of odorous notes of black fruits and black currant. This compound is practically absent in young wines but with aging increases significantly and is considered a key aroma in the aging bouquet of red Bordeaux wines as well as Syrah wines of the Rhone valley. “Over the course of our study, we have encountered high levels of dimethyl sulfide in wines obtained from grapes with a particular profile containing nitrogenous substances, clearly a reflection of the plant-soil interaction. It seems legitimate, therefore, to consider this compound as one of the key factors in the aromatic expression of the terroir of a wine. In the case of the terroirs studied, the vineyard Fabriseria and a specific parcel within the Maternigo estate have been most associated with the development of dimethyl sulfide during the aging of the wine,” concludes Ugliano.
For Riccardo Tedeschi, “the study confirms, once again, that the Amarone is a true terroir wine in that it is the terroir that permits the production of wine with complex characteristics, body, and elegance that are different from any other. Our job remains to select the most suitable vineyards and work the grapes such that we release their maximum potential.
