Ortrugo: An Exciting Discovery

One learns interesting things at Vinitaly.

One evening this April I was tasting Ortrugo in the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna's stand, when Marco Lusignani began to present his wines. He happens to be in the Colli Piacentini, and the first wine he poured was an Ortrugo. He said the varietal was introduced to the Colli Piacentini by a barbarian who had cuttings in his saddle bag: The man liked the countryside enough to stop and plant his cuttings, which the locals referred to with a dialect word that sounds like "Ortrugo," and means "The other grapes."

Twenty years ago, continued Marco, the grape was still referred to simply as "the other grape." And it might have vanished from the pale, had a winemaker who was planning to replant his vineyards not decided to first try vinifying it in purezza, or by itself, as they used to. He liked the resulting wine, replanted with the varietal, and was quickly followed by others.

Ortrugo is produced in westernmost extension of Emilia Romagna, the Colli Piacentini, and as such does not enjoy the status of being a distinct appellation. Rather, it is bottled as Ortrugo Colli Piacentini, and can be either Fermo (still), Frizzante (with a light sparkle), or Spumante (fully sparkling). It can also be either Secco, dry, or Abboccato, sweet. In terms of composition, Ortrugo must be at least 90% Ortrugo, with the remaining 10% non-aromatic white varietals. In terms of yields, the vineyards can be farmed to a maximum yield of 120 quintals of grapes per hectare, which translates into a maximum yield of about 84 hectoliters of wine. Alcohol levels are about 11%, which makes for wines that are light and easy to drink.

Freshly bottled Ortrugo is quite mineral, easy to drink, and quite enjoyable; though it can be good in he still versions, I found myself preferring the sparkling versions. With a few months of bottle age, Ortrugo gains intriguing dried apple accents that are quite different from the green apple one encounters in Prosecco, but no less interesting.

The Ortrugo tasted at Vinitaly:

Cantine Mainetti
Cantine Mainetti Il Cavallo Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Pale brassy white with greenish highlights and fine perlage. Bright savory nose with greenish accents and spice, and underlying bitterness. On the palate it's it's light and bright, with fairly rich savory minerality that gains creamisness from the sparkle, and flows into a clean fresh finish with savory slightly greenish accents. It will drink quite well.
2 stars

Ferrari e Perini
Ferrari e Perini Ortugo Frizzante Selezione Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Pale greenish brassy white with green reflections and fine perlage that settles. The bouquet is bright, with clean fresh vegetal accents and some floral overtones, also some hints of petroleum and underlying bitterness. Nice balance. On the palate it's it's fresh and bright, with lively minerality and fair warmth that flow into a clean fresh savory finish with sparkle again conferring creaminess. Pleasant, and will work nicely as an aperitif or A Tutto Pasto
2 stars

Villa Rosa
Villa Rosa Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Secco Frizzante 2008
Pale greenish brassy gold with bright highlights and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, and vegetal, with bitter cut flowers and savory accents; the impression is deft. On the palate it's full, with a creamy feel coming from the sparkle, which flows into a clean fresh savory finish with some greenish notes. It will be a nice aperitif, and will also work well with egg or cheese based dishes.
2 stars

Loschi Costa Muta
Loschi Costa Muta Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante 2008
Fairly rich brassy gold with golden reflections and fine perlage that settles. The bouquet is fairly rich, with clean heather and spice mingled with greenish accents and hints of honeydew melon. On the palate it's rich, and fairly full, with clean deft minerality supported by some sweetness and sparkle, which confers creaminess, and flows into a clean bright mineral finish with peppery notes from the sparkle. Pleasant, and will be nice as an aperitif or with foods. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Torretta
Torretta Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Secco Frizzante 2008
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fresh and clean, with bright honeydew melon and sweetnessmingled with some minerality and delicate greenish accents. Pleasant. On the palate it's full, with a fresh creamy mouthfeel from sparkle and floral honeysuckle and honeydew melon laced fruit that flows into a clean fresh rather savory finish. Pleasant, and has quite a bit to say.
2 stars

Azienda Vitivinicola Lusignani
Lusignani Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante 2008
Pale brassy gold with greenish reflections, brassy highlights, andfine perlage. The bouquet is fresh, and fairly pungent, with greenish accents and some spice mingled with sea salt. On the palate it's full with fairly bitter dried apple and sea salt, while the sparkle adds a degree of creaminess, and it flows into a clean savory finish. It's a bit more mature than some (considering it was freshly bottled), with more apple and less minerality, and will drink well with foods.
2 stars

Viticoltori Arovatesi Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante Secco 2008
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is deft, with pleasant floral accents mingled with honeysuckle and some minerality. On the palate it's fairly rich, with green apple fruit supported by deft minerality and creaminess from the sparkle, which flows into a clean fresh mineral finish. Fairly direct, and will drink quickly; you may want a second bottle.
1 star

Podere Casale
Podere Casale Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Fermo 2006
Lively brassy gold with greenish reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish accents shot through by warmth and cedar, and also bitterness and wet leaves, the latter being unusual in a white wine, but working well. On the palate it's fairly rich, with dusky minerality supported by moderate citric acidity that flows into a fairly bitter mineral finish. Pleasant, and though I as a rule prefer the more sparkling interpretations of Ortrugo, it does provide a nice change of pace with respect to the "usual" white varietals. It will drink well with creamy dishes, for example vegetable or fish based risotto, and is a nice discovery.
2 stars

Castelli del Duca
Castelli del Duca Ortrugo Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections. The bouquet is delicate, with rich minerality laced with citric fruit and heather and sea salt. On the palate it's full, with deft slightly greenish minerality supported by moderate acidity and slight greenish tannic notes that flow into a clean mineral finish. It's pleasant, and will work well as an aperitif, or with foods. I'd have liked a little more tightness to it, but it is quite versatile, with considerable character, opening nicely on the nose to reveal some honeydew melon too.
2 stars

I liked the Ortrugo I tasted at Vinitaly enough to ask the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna to organize an Ortrugo tasting, which took place in June 2009. I tasted an additional 16 wines, 11 of which were Frizzanti and another 3 Spumanti. I tasted them by degree of sparkle, but for clarity's sake have grouped them by winery.

As a general impression, I think a little sparkle contributes to Ortrugo. The still wines ten to be somewhat more direct and less agile, and therefore less interesting. This said, the remaining wines:

Cantina Valtidone
Valtidone Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Brut 2008
Lot 08 338
Pale brassy gold with some delicate greenish highlights and fine perlage. The bouquet is delicate, with fairly rich pressed apples -- not green so much as almost cidery, and also some bitter almond and a degree of pleasant airiness. Inviting. On the palate it's deft, with lively tart apple fruit supported by clean bright acidity and sparkle; it's quite welcoming in a direct up front sort of way, and will work quite well as an aperitif or with foods, ranging from egg based dishes (a frittata for example) though vegetable soups and risotti, and on to creamy white meats, be they fish or fowl. In short, versatile, and the bottle will go quickly.
2 stars

Valtidone Luceo Ortrugo Vivace Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 09111
Pale brassy yellow with greenish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with some floral accents -- heather -- supported by creamy dried apple; it brings to mind the dried apples prepared by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Pleasant, and with further sniffing some savory notes emerge that provide definition. On the palate it's fairly light, with clean dried apple fruit supported by mineral acidity and some spice, and flows into a crisp mineral finish with dried apple underpinning. It revolves around savory freshness, and will be pleasant as an aperitif, or lightly chilled with friends far from the table. At table, it will work well with lighter entrees. Pleasant, and will go quickly.
2 stars

Valtidone Armonia Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 09029
Brassy slightly greenish gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and fades. The bouquet is fresh, with savory sliced, partially dried apple supported by sea salt and bitterness, and some heather, as well as minerality. Pleasant, and quite welcoming, in a rather graceful key. On the palate it's deft, with a rush of minerality supported by mineral acidity and some, but not much dried apple, while a degree of creaminess comes from the sparkle, and it flows into a clean savory mineral finish. Refreshing, and though rather direct, will work quite well as an aperitif or with simple foods. It's one of those wines people -- especially wine snobs -- will raise an eyebrow at as they swish it in their glass, but will then drink quickly once they've tasted it. The Italian that comes to mind is an acqua cheta, a descriptor generally applies to young ladies who don't attract obvious attention, but around whom everything turns.
88

Valtidone Zefiro Ortrugo Fermo Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 09125
Brassy yellow with greenish reflections and brassy highlights. The bouquet is intense, with lemony citrus fruit supported by dried apple and some heather, with an intriguing greenish overly, and by sea salt as well and some minerality. Quite a bit going on. On the palate it's bright, with rich apple fruit supported by savory tartness and some minerality, which flow into a clean slightly balsam-laced savory finish. Pleasant, and will drink well with white meats or fish, and also work well with fried meats and vegetables. By comparison with the winery's sparkling wines it comes across as slightly awkward; the sparkle confers a grace that is wanting here.
1 star

Cantina di Vicobarone
Cantina di Vicobarone Sheratan Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Brut Spumante 2008
Lot 9054
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is rich, with deft floral accents and some spice; it's quite elegant in a fresh and youthful key. On the palate it's fairly rich, with floral accents supported by bitter minerality and some acidity, as well as sparkle, which flow into a clean bitter mineral finish. Quite nice, a very fresh wine that revolves around floral notes and minerality, and will be quite pleasant as an aperitif, or with cheese or egg based antipasti. Expect the bottle to go quickly, and for people to ask you what it is and where to find it.
2 stars

Cantina di Vicobarone Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante 2008
Lot 9134
Greenish brassy yellow with brassy reflections with fine perlage that bubbles up and fades. The bouquet is fresh, and fairly rich, with an initial rush of eucalyptus and mint that gives way to fresh light floral accents and some savory spice, also some underlying Delicious apple. Nice balance and inviting, it comes across as lithe. On the palate it's bright, with clean savory apple fruit supported by apple acidity and white pepper from the sparkle, which also contributes to the savoriness of the wine. Refreshing, and is one of those wines one could very easily quaff and demand more of; it will work well with vegetable or fish absed pasta dishes and risotti, and also with white meats, and I could see it doing well at a cookout too. It's far removed from Chardonnay or Sauvignon, but this is not a defect. Simply a difference.
2 stars

Ronchi Pierina
Monteissa Ortrugo Brut Metodo Tradizionale
Non-vintage; lot 07/19
Though it doesn't say, I would expect it to be a bit older since the sparkle comes from bottle refermentation. It's lively brassy gold with greenish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is intense, with toasted bread crumbs and tart lemony acidity mingled with ripe, though not green apple -- it's not as cidery as some but has that slightly oxidized apple feel (which I enjoy) to it. Pleasant. On the palate it's pleasingly full, with fairly rich savory apple fruit supported by mineral bitterness and a creamy texture from the sparkle, which derives from bottle fermentation, ad do some of the savory accents. Pleasant, and will drink well as an aperitif or with egg based dishes -- an onion frittata for example -- and slow with creamy dishes, ranging from risotti through meats or even fish, and it also has the wherewithal to work well with fried white meats and vegetables. Versatile, and a pleasant discovery.
88-90

Azienda Agricola Mossi
Tenuta Cà del Morino Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante 2008
Lot 9008
Charged greenish brassy yellow with brassy reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and fades back down. The bouquet is fairly rich, with savory crushed apples and some minerality, with underlying floral accents as well. It's more charged than some, both in terms of color and perfumes, and comes across as overbuilt, and lumbering. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich mineral laced apple fruit with some floral accents supported by bitter minerality and some acidity, which flow into a fairly long finish in which floral accents gradually emerge. It's more interesting on the palate than the nose though it comes across as trying a little too hard; there's not as much crispness nor definition as I'd might have liked. This said, it will work well with creamy risotti, light stews, and also with fried meats and vegetables.
1 star

Manara
Manara Ortrugo Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 80 03
Pale brassy yellow with slightly greenish brassy reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and settles. Paler than some. The bouquet is fresh, with an intriguing mixture of floral accents -- the heather of a summer field -- and savory notes mingled with hints of ash and some bitterness. Quite fresh, and inviting too. On the palate it's light, and again quite fresh, with brisk minerality supported by sparkle and mineral acidity that gradually gives way to savory crushed apples in the finish, and lasting warmth. Quite nice, and will work very well as an aperitif, or with foods, ranging from risotti though frittata, and also summer white meats or fish, be they creamy or fried, and I could also see it working very well at a cookout. Deft; it's worth seeking out, and it will go quickly.
88-90

Cantine Bonelli
Cantine Bonelli Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot Bl915/1
Bale brassy yellow with greenish reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and then fades. The bouquet is a bit more charged than some, with savory crushed apples supported by some eucalyptus; it's rich but not as fresh as some, and gives the impression of wanting to be a bit bigger than it perhaps should be. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich apple fruit supported by some sweetness, and also by savory notes and acidity that flow into a warm savory crushed apple finish. It's more interesting on the palate than the nose, though the impression of its trying too hard remains; it's fairly direct, and will work well with foods, but not as fresh as it might be. Rework. Not as agile
1 star

Torre Fornello
Torre Fornello Ortrugo Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 98
A more charged brassy gold than some, with fine perlage that bubbles up and then fades. The bouquet is fairly intense, with heather mingled with savory minerality, and some, but not too much dried apple; it's more mineral than most. On the palate it's ample, and again fairly minseral, with avory minerality mingled with some tart cidery apple that flows into a clean fairly bitter finish. It's fairly direct, and a bit more settled than some of the others; it comes across as tired.
1 star

Maria Poggi Azzali
Maria Poggi Azzali Tenuta Pernice Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini 2008
Lot 09/089
Pale brassy gold with peppery brassy reflections and some slightly greenish highlights and fine perlage that bubbles up and settles. The bouquet is fairly intense, with cidery crushed apples supported by savory notes and some minerality, and, upon second sniff, by dried apples as well, and some underlying a slightly ashy bitterness. Scrappy. On the palate it's quite mineral, with considerable bitterness supported by savor and sparkle, and, as the bitterness works into the finish, warm slightly dried apple acidity that joins with minerality and warmth. It's very much a food wine, and will work well with creamy first course dishes, though I think it will also be quite good with fried meats or fish, and vegetables. Palate cleansing, an I think it will also be a good bet if you're planning a cookout and want a sparkling white.
2 stars

Lusenti
Lusenti Colli Piacentini Ortrugo Frizzante 2008
Lot 5709
Pale brassy green with brassy reflections and fine perlage that bubbles up and settles. The bouquet is fairly intense, with savory slightly dried apple mingled with some greenish notes and pungency; it's more charged than some, and also more pungent, with minerality present but less evident -- it's more towards ash and bitterness. On the palate it's ample, with fairly rich savory minerality supported by sparkle, and by slight slightly dried apple that flows into a clean rather bitter finish. Direct, and will drink well with simple first course dishes, or creamy fish or meats.
1 star

Conti Barattieri
Barattieri Ortrugo Frizzante Colli Piacentini 2008
Lot 01E09
Pale brassy yellow with greenish highlights and brassy reflections; the perlage foams up and then settles. The bouquet is quite fresh, a slightly savory explosion in a flower shop with some underlying minerality. Pleasant, and it brings to mind sun-drenched rolling fielded hills. On the palate it's bright, with savory minerality supported by sparkle and by some clean fresh bitterness, also floral accents more than. A fair amount going on in a lively, cheeky floral key, and it will be nice as an aperitif or with creamy dishes, ranging from risotto through fish or white meat, and also has the wherewithal to work well with fried meats and vegetables. It is more floral than most, and I had the impression that it may have a little bit of Malvasia in it -- up to 10% other whites are allowed by the DOC -- and the floral accents are reminiscent of Malvasia. In any case, it is pleasant, and if you like this rich floral style it will go quickly.
2 stars

Santa Giustina
Santa Giustina Ortrugo Vivace Colli Piacentini DOC 2008
Lot 270209
Fairly charged greenish brassy yellow with greenish reflections and brassy highlights and fine perlage that settles. The bouquet is quite savory, with something from the yeasts that brings to mind the white of a banana peel, and tart minerality; it represents an extreme in terms of its savoriness. On the palate it's bright, full, and bitter, with quite a bit of sea salt that is supported by a creaminess that is again from the yeasts and brings to mind a grain of Parmigiano that has melted on the tongue. Grasping at straws, but this is what I come to. It's particular, and one of those wines you will either like or not at all. If you do, it will work well with creamy first course dishes, and also with white meats or fish. But you have to like the style.
1 star

AZ. AGR. MARCHESE MALASPINA
CONTRADA BORGORATTO, 26
29022 BOBBIO (PC)
Tel: 0523 936048

Marchese Malaspina Colli Piacentini Ortrugo
Lot 0979
Brassy yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with greenish cut apple mingled with some vegetal greenness and some underlying savory sea salt; as it opens heather also emerges, with hints of ash. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich savory minerality supported by hints of apple and some underlying bitterness, which flow into a clean rather bitter finish. It's not quite as fresh as some of the others, and though it is not settled I found myself wishing there were more brightness to it -- it's brooding. This said, it will drink well with rich foods that beg savory minerality to clear the palate.
1 star

Last Thing: I am greatly endebted to both Ursula Thurner for introducing me to Ortrugo, and to the folks at the Enoteca Regionale Emilia Romagna, in particular Gian Alfonso Roda for inviting me to taste the wines, Maurizio for pouring them, and Marta Geri, for putting together the press kit and supplying the two photographs I used to illustrate the article.