After discussing the characteristics of tannic wines, we now embark on a journey across Italy to discover those considered the best tannic wines of Italy from north to south, passing through the center.
As mentioned, tannins are mainly present in red wines, less so in rosé and dessert wines, and almost entirely absent in white wines.
Tannic wines of Italy: in the north, Barolo
Starting from Piedmont, the land of the Savoy renowned for the Langhe area, among the tannic wines of Italy we find Barolo, a wine with Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin.
Also known as the King of Wines and the Wine of Kings, it is among the most appreciated red wines in Italy and internationally recognized. A jewel of the region, it boasts a history dating back to the 1600s, thanks to the Savoy family who loved Nebbiolo, the grape that gives life to Barolo.
The title “King of Wines” was introduced later when, in the 1800s, Camillo Benso Count of Cavour introduced what was then considered an innovative winemaking method that made the wine as we know it today. The first recognitions were not long in coming, so much so that in 1873, at the Vienna Competition, both its ability to age and its organoleptic qualities were confirmed.
In 1966, Barolo obtained DOC status and in 1980, DOCG.
Do you need more reasons to be convinced to taste one of the best tannic wines of Italy, made in the province of Cuneo, in the territories of Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto, and partly in the territories of Monforte d’Alba, La Morra, Novello, and Grinzane Cavour?
Tannic wines of Italy: in the center, Brunello di Montalcino
Moving towards the center of the peninsula, in Dante’s land, we find Brunello di Montalcino, considered, along with Barolo, the Italian red wine with the greatest longevity.
Produced in the province of Siena, in the municipality of Montalcino from which it takes its name, it is undoubtedly the most famous Tuscan wine in the world, perhaps precisely for its intense and persistent aroma and its unmistakable deep ruby red color.
It was the mid-19th century when Clemente Santi, a pharmacist and renowned author in the field of natural sciences, began experimenting with the production of a red wine (Brunello) for which, in 1865, he won two silver medals. Soon other local families began producing the same wine, obtaining prestigious national and international recognitions.
Despite this, it continued to be produced in limited quantities, and only after World War II, around 1950, did Brunello achieve such fame that it obtained the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, confirming itself as one of the best tannic wines of Italy.
A unique story, that of Brunello, which until the end of the 1800s, was thought to derive from a homonymous local grape variety. Only when the Ampelographic Commission of the Province of Siena, after years of checks, in 1879 decreed that Brunello and Sangiovese were the same grape variety, was it revealed that Brunello wine is made from Sangiovese grapes.
Tannic wines of Italy: in the south, Nero di Troia
In the trio of the best tannic wines of Italy, finally reaching the southern lands, we find the majestic Nero di Troia, considered the best red wine of Puglia.
It is produced, as the name suggests, from Nero di Troia, the third native grape variety of the region
also known as the king of northern Puglia’s grape varieties. Despite the name suggesting more of an origin from the city of Troy, this vineyard, among the oldest and most characteristic of the region, is located between the provinces of Bari, Andria, and Trani (the so-called BAT), covering the area of Foggia and the Gargano, down to Castel del Monte. Its origins, however, lend themselves to various assumptions: it could have arrived from Greece in ancient times or it might have been brought from Galicia, considering the Spanish domination that southern Italy underwent in the past.
More than its origin, however, it’s interesting to know about its etymology: the term Nero di Troia derives from its high polyphenolic content (meaning tannins) which gives the wine that intense color tending towards black. Despite this unique characteristic, responsible for an enviable history dating back to 1200 B.C., the potential of this vineyard has not always been appreciated in past centuries.
Yet, the result is one of the best tannic wines of Italy with Protected Geographical Indication, the Nero di Troia wine. And if Barolo is said to be the Wine of Kings, this is undoubtedly the Wine of the Gods.
