2010 Pigato

[drssouth]

My first experience with this grape

2010 Vio Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC Pigato dell' albenganese, a.a. Claudio Vio, alc 12.5%, $24....pale yellow....nose is interesting....wet stones and minerality...palate is somewhere between sweet and sour but overall very savory in character....acidity seems fairly high....finish is long and interesting and mouth watering

From the label " Hand harvested from shale and slate soil, steel fermented, in bottle for a yr,, 2 ha of mountainside grapes at 1000 ft"

 

[John McIlwain]

originally posted by drssouth:
2010 PigatoMy first experience with this grape

2010 Vio Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC Pigato dell' albenganese, a.a. Claudio Vio, alc 12.5%, $24....pale yellow....nose is interesting....wet stones and minerality...palate is somewhere between sweet and sour but overall very savory in character....acidity seems fairly high....finish is long and interesting and mouth watering

From the label " Hand harvested from shale and slate soil, steel fermented, in bottle for a yr,, 2 ha of mountainside grapes at 1000 ft"

You ever had Vermentino?

 

[drssouth]

originally posted by John McIlwain:

originally posted by drssouth:
2010 PigatoMy first experience with this grape

2010 Vio Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC Pigato dell' albenganese, a.a. Claudio Vio, alc 12.5%, $24....pale yellow....nose is interesting....wet stones and minerality...palate is somewhere between sweet and sour but overall very savory in character....acidity seems fairly high....finish is long and interesting and mouth watering

From the label " Hand harvested from shale and slate soil, steel fermented, in bottle for a yr,, 2 ha of mountainside grapes at 1000 ft"

You ever had Vermentino?

yes I also like Vermentio, Verdacchia, Grillo, etc...just hadn't ever seen Pigato

 

[Jason D]

I think his point was that Pigato and Vermentino are the same thing.

 

[John McIlwain]

originally posted by Jason D:
I think his point was that Pigato and Vermentino are the same thing.

According to Jancis Robinson,et al.
That said, Pigato is loads of salty herbal fun.

 

[drssouth]

originally posted by Jason D:
I think his point was that Pigato and Vermentino are the same thing.

OH...nevermind....

 

[drssouth]

originally posted by drssouth:

originally posted by Jason D:
I think his point was that Pigato and Vermentino are the same thing.

OH...nevermind....

to muddy the water further
...
Vermentino is also known under the synonyms Agostenga, Agostenga blanc, Brustiano, Brustiano di Corsica, Carbes, Carbesso, Favorita, Favorita bianca, Favorita Bianca di Conegliano, Favorita d'Alba, Favorita di Alba, Favorita di Conegliano, Formentino, Fourmentin, Garbesso, Grosse Clarette, Malvasia a Bonifacio, Malvasia Grossa, Malvasie, Malvoisie, Malvoisie è Gros Grains, Malvoisie Corse, Malvoisie de Corse, Malvoisie Précoce d'Espagne, Piccabon, Piga, Pigato, Rolle, Rossese, Sibirkovski, Uva Sapaiola, Uva Vermentino, Valentin, Varlentin, Varresana bianca, Vennentino, Verlantin, Vermentini, Vermentino bianco, Vermentino Pigato, and Vermentinu

who'd a thunk it???

Maybe there are only 3 italian grapes ...with 30 names each...!!!

 

[Oliver McCrum]

More like 1,000, with thirty names each.

 

[MarkS]

...
Vermentino is also known under the synonyms Agostenga, Agostenga blanc, Brustiano, Brustiano di Corsica, Carbes, Carbesso, Favorita, Favorita bianca, Favorita Bianca di Conegliano, Favorita d'Alba, Favorita di Alba, Favorita di Conegliano, Formentino, Fourmentin, Garbesso, Grosse Clarette, Malvasia a Bonifacio, Malvasia Grossa, Malvasie, Malvoisie, Malvoisie è Gros Grains, Malvoisie Corse, Malvoisie de Corse, Malvoisie Précoce d'Espagne, Piccabon, Piga, Pigato, Rolle, Rossese, Sibirkovski, Uva Sapaiola, Uva Vermentino, Valentin, Varlentin, Varresana bianca, Vennentino, Verlantin, Vermentini, Vermentino bianco, Vermentino Pigato, and Vermentinu

You can call me 'Ale'.

 

[David Erickson]

From Nicolas Belfrage:

"Pigato is said by some to be a relative of Vermentino, by others to be a native of the Castelli Romani, planted in Liguria by Caesar's legions, by others still to be an import from Greece, and by yet others to relate to Arneis. They cannot all be true, the relationship with Vermentino being perhaps the most probable (Vermentino pigato or spotted Vermentino being referred to in the Bollettino Ampelografico of 1883), although Pigato's wine is distinctly robust and fruity in comparison with the more austere, herbaceous Vermentino. Pigato is so named, they say, because of the spots of pigmentation on the grape's skin when ripe. It is grown almost exclusively in the Liguria's Riviera di Ponente, where it is generally considered superior to non-spotted Vermentino."

 

[Oliver McCrum]

Jancis Robinson's new tome has Vermentino, Pigato and Favorita as the same variety. I assume Belfrage's comments predate DNA testing.

There are some other interesting nuggets in the book, such as that there are two entirely different Campanian grape varieties called Falanghina.

 

[Mike Hinds]

Rolle / vermentino / pigato may be one of our more terroir-sensitive grapes... as rolle it's often bland and dull in southern France but in Liguria pigato can be an almost achingly pure wine, practically bereft of fruit yet somehow complete, even at a very young age, with gorgeous texture and flavors of fresh herbs. Pesto, anyone?

(Vermentino has been reported to have plenty of charm and character in Napa and Sardinia, but I can't say for sure, as my experience is decidedly lacking. I've never heard it described as being as transparent in those locales as in Liguria, however.)

 

[Yixin]

They (Pigato and Vermentino) look very different in the vineyard, and behave differently as well.

 

[Oliver McCrum]

originally posted by Mike Hinds:
Rolle / vermentino / pigato may be one of our more terroir-sensitive grapes... as rolle it's often bland and dull in southern France but in Liguria pigato can be an almost achingly pure wine, practically bereft of fruit yet somehow complete, even at a very young age, with gorgeous texture and flavors of fresh herbs. Pesto, anyone?

(Vermentino has been reported to have plenty of charm and character in Napa and Sardinia, but I can't say for sure, as my experience is decidedly lacking. I've never heard it described as being as transparent in those locales as in Liguria, however.)

Vermentino can produce outstanding wine in the Gallura, a granitic area in NE Sardinia. I have had some very good examples from CA too; Ryme, Unti, ESJ (blend).

 

[David Erickson]

originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
Jancis Robinson's new tome has Vermentino, Pigato and Favorita as the same variety. I assume Belfrage's comments predate DNA testing.

That's right. The Belfrage quote is from 2002. I'm sticking with the Bollettino Ampelografico version, though. My non-scientific self likes to think that spots on the skin justify a difference. And, just because The Big Red Brick cost me $125 and came in a slipcase with fancy art doesn't mean it is infallible.

 

[Oliver McCrum]

originally posted by David Erickson:

originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
Jancis Robinson's new tome has Vermentino, Pigato and Favorita as the same variety. I assume Belfrage's comments predate DNA testing.

That's right. The Belfrage quote is from 2002. I'm sticking with the Bollettino Ampelografico version, though. My non-scientific self likes to think that spots on the skin justify a difference. And, just because The Big Red Brick cost me $125 and came in a slipcase with fancy art doesn't mean it is infallible.

Many varieties have very wide variation in quality within them, there is no reason why that wouldn't be the case with this variety. But I'm assuming the fact that it's in fact a single variety is not arguable... Would a scientist chime in here?