Castiglione di Sicilia Sicily- Italy 12th 16th May 2010

THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF MOUNTAIN AND STEEP SLOPE VITICULTURE

Valeria Carastro

Phenology and ripening profiles of Nerello mascalese and Carricante in Etna doc area
Results of the 1th year of observations

V. Carastro(1), J. Cricco(2), S. Parisi(1), R. Bonsignore(3), G. Fichera(3), G. Cappadonna(3), G. Raiti(3), P. Di Giovanni(3), F. Trovato(3), G. Pulvirenti(3), F. Lo Presti(3), P. Scalisi(3), V. Falco(3), G. Ansaldi(3), G. Fici(3), A. Parrinello(3), M. Squadrito(1), F. Amato(1), G. Marino(3), M. Perciabosco(3), A. Drago(3), L. Pasotti(3), G. Dimino(3), A. Scienza(1), L. Mariani(1), O. Failla(1)
(1)

Universit degli Studi di Milano, Di.Pro.Ve., via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy. Osvaldo.Failla@unimi.it (2) AGER s.c. Agricoltura e Ricerca, Via Tucidide 56, 20134 Milano, Italy. Jacopo.Cricco@agercoop.it (3) Regione Siciliana, Assessorato risorse agricole e alimentari Dipartimento regionale degli interventi infrastrutturali per l'agricoltura - Viale Regione Siciliana, 2771 - 90145 - Palermo, Italy. soat.acireale@regione.sicilia.it

Etna landscape

Singular characteristics owing to the variability of the volcanic soils, the exposures, the altitudes, and the distance to the sea.

Landscapes

An incessant evolution of Etna viticulture is showing the transformation of the old goblet vines to modern trellised vineyards with ever larger terraces. New plantings are seldom goblet trained. Old goblet are often transformed into espalier.

Landscapes

Many of the common extinct volcanic cone are cultivated as vineyard on pumice soil in steep slope.

The soil

The intense volcanic activity underlies an important soil variability. A complex system of terracing rendered even the steepest gradient able to cultivation.

Viticultural zoning

A land suitability research work of Etna doc area for two local grapes: Nerello mascalese and Carricante. To optimize the grapevines performance according to the soil and climatic conditions.

Nerello mascalese

The most widespread indigenous red grape on the Mount Etna landscape. The main red grape variety covered by the doc specification. Traditionally grown on goblet trained vines it is a late grape that reach maturation till the end of October.

Carricante

Carricante is the most widespread indigenous white grape variety in the Etna area. It owes its name to the consistent productivity. The period of maturation is between the end of September and the first half of October

Viticultural zoning
The surveyed area was divided in 4 sectors in function of the exposure, and in 2 or 3 altitudinal belts. In every subarea was observed a Nerello mascalese and a Carricante plot.
Slope N-NE Al(tudinal Belts 440-580 m slm 580-720 m slm 720-860 m slm 450-600 m slm 600-770 m slm 410-550 m slm 550-670 m slm 670-760 m slm 720-820 m slm 820-940 m slm

EST S-SE

S-W

Phenological observation
Totally 20 vineyards of Nerello mascalese and 10 vineyards of Carricante were monitored

Phenological observation On the basis of BBCH scale

Groups of precocity of Carricante

Phenological curves
55 50 15 Brix 45 40 Berry of 6 mm 35 30 Flowering 25 20 Shots 10 cm 15 10 90 140 190 Giulian day 240 290 Early Medium Late

Carricante
Early Medium Late

Viticultural zoning

Technological ripening curves of Carricante

25,0 25,0
Early Brix Early Acidity Tit.

Brix

20,0

20,0
Medium Brix Medium Acidity Tit.

15,0

15,0

Late Brix Late Acidity Tit.

10,0

10,0

5,0

5,0

0,0 1 2 3 Sampling 4 5 6

0,0

Acidity tit. (g/l)

Phenological curves of Nerello mascalese

50 15 Brix 4 45 40 Berry of 6 mm 35 30 Flowering 25 20 Shots 10 cm 15 10 5 0 5 8 11 14 17 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 32 33
90 95 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255

Giulian day

38

Precocity groups of Nerello mascalese

Phenological curves
55 50 15 Brix 45 40 Berry of 6 mm 35 30 Flowering 25 20 Shots 10 cm 15 10 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 230 250 270 290

Early Medium Early Medium Late Late

Nerello mascalese
Early Medium Late

Viticultural zoning

Technological ripening curves of Nerello mascalese

25 35 Early Brix 30 20 25 15
Brix

Early Acidity Tit. Medium Early Brix Medium Early Acidity Tit. Medium late Brix Medium late Acidity tit. Late Brix Late Acidity Tit.

20

10

10 5 5

0 1 2 3 4 Sampling 5 6 7

Acidity tit. (g/l)

15

Carricante harvest profiles

Harvest Parameters Early Medium Late

Sugar (Brix)

19,9

19,3

18,5

pH

3,16

3,01

3,05

Titratable Acidity (g/l of tartaric acid)

6,7

7,4

8,0

Malic Ac. (g/l)

2,17

2,66

3,14

Tartaric Ac. (g/l)

4,03

4,47

4,60

Nerello mascalese harvest profiles

Nerello mascalese: Harvest Parameters Early Medium early 21,25 3,26 8,45 312,3 1262,9 Mediu m late 21,65 3,16 8,50 346,1 1417,2 Late

Sugar (Brix) pH Titratable Acidity (g/l) Anthocyanins (mg/Kg) Total Flavonoids (mg/ Kg) Total Flavonoids Seeds (mg/Kg) Malic Acidity (g/l) Tartaric Acid (g/)l

22,2 3,28 7,45 461,1 1583,2

20,35 3,03 8,63 477,0 1496,8

1576,0 3,47 4,57

1427,9 3,91 3,60

1557,7 2,84 5,10

1613,3 3,88 4,13

Olfactory and flavor profiles of Carricante on the basis of precocity group

Tone Alcohol Floral (*)
Early Medium

Bitter

Fresh herbaceous

Late

Sapid

Dry herbaceous (*)

Acidity (**)

White fruit

Chemical

Tropical fruit (**)

Spicy Mineral Citrus (*)

Dry druit (***)

Olfactory and flavor profiles of Nerello mascalese on the basis of precocity group
Tone Persistence (***) Floral
Early Medium Early Late

Bitter

Dry vegetable

Alcohol (***)

Fresh vegetable

Acidity

Red fruit (*)

Astringency (*)

Ripe fruit

Toasted Wild Balsamic (**)

Spicy

First conclusions

The best wines of Carricante was obtained from vineyard of medium group of early exposed on North-East slope.

The best performance of Nerello mascalese was carried out from grapes of the medium-early group, exposed on the North-East slope.

Grazie