| Aleatico | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
 | |
| Color of berry skin | Black |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | Red Moscatel andother synonyms |
| Origin | Italy |
| Notable regions | Tuscany,Lazio,Chile,New South Wales,California |
| Notable wines | Aleatico di Portoferraio |
| VIVC number | 259 |
Aleatico is a redItalian winegrape variety. It is notable for being the primary grape in thecult wine Aleatico diPortoferraio made inElba. InChile is known as Red Moscatel. The grape has also been cultivated atMudgee inNew South Wales andCalifornia.[1]
Ampelographers suspect that Aleatico may be a dark-skinned variant of theFrench wine grapeMuscat blanc à Petits Grains, which is a member of the extensiveMuscat family of grapes, believed to be the oldest family ofVitis vinifera in the world.[2]DNA profiling conducted atIstituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige suggests that the relationship between Muscat blanc à Petits Grains and Aleatico may be that of a parent-offspring rather than just a mutation.[3] Similar theories posit that the grape is descended from Tuscan Muscat Noir. Historians also disagree on Aleatico's exact origins: the vine may have been brought to Italy by theancient Greeks or is native to the southern Italian region ofApulia.[4]
During the 14th century, the Italian wine writerPietro Crescenzi wrote of wine being produced in central Italy from the "Livatica" grape, today believed to be Aleatico. In Elba, there is a long history of producingdessert wines from Aleatico.[3] During his exile on Elba, the Aleatico wines of the island became a favorite drink ofNapoleon.[citation needed] He was reported to have said that they were his only consolation during this time.[4]
Aleatico is most commonly found in Italy, Tuscany (primarily in Elba), Lazio, Umbria, Piedmont,[5] Apulia.[2] Smaller plantings can be found in the regions ofMarche,Abruzzo andSicily.[4] Outside of Italy the grape is grown in Azerbaijan,[6] Australia, California, Chile,Corsica (though not permitted in any AOC-authorized wines),[3]Kazakhstan andUzbekistan.[2]
For most of the 20th century, Italian plantings of the grape had been in decline, but recent years have seen a spike of interest in the variety.[3] In Elba there is aDenominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, the Aleatico dell’Elba Passito DOCG dedicated to the production ofpassito-style wines made from Aleatico. Under Italy'sappellation system, very few dessert wines receive the highest designation of DOCG level, making the Aleatico dell’Elba Passito a rarity in Italy.[4]
InPiedmont is famous "Novello rosso DOC" produced in Colli Tortonesi.[5]
In Lazio, Aleatico is found aroundLake Bolsena, where it has its ownDenominazione di Origine Controllata region of the Aleatico di Gradoli DOC. This dessert wine is produced from grapes grown on the northwestern hillsides of the lake, which partially overlaps into theEst! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone DOC.[7] In Apulia the Aleatico di Puglia DOC exists for this grape.[3]
Aleatico is often used to produce dessert wines. The grapes may bedried or the wines may befortified in aliquoroso style. The wines are typicallyaged at least 6 months prior to release, with Italian wines labeled as "LiquorosoRiserva," requiring three years of aging, at least 2 of them inwood barrels.[4]
Aleatico wines are characterized by thearoma ofroses, a trait they share with Muscat blanc à Petits Grains.[2] Other aroma notes commonly include variousberry fruits andlychees. Aleatico wines tend to have highalcohol content balanced by thegrape's acidity.[4]
In Chile, the grape is known as Red Moscatel.[1] Rare synonyms include Livatica, Leatico and Agliano.[3] A white mutation known as Aleatico Bianco exists but is infrequently cultivated.[2]