Moscato of Scanzo, called simply Moscato Scanzo as well, is a red and sweet DOCG wine. It has his name from the grapes used, the Moscato of Scanzo which grown in the municipal territory of Scanzorosciate, in the Province of Bergamo. It is very small and hilly area, sized only 76 acre, which is the smallest DOCG of Italy.
The history of Moscato Scanzo
Moscato of Scanzo is a very old grapes, cultivated since the Middle Ages for quality wines. We find it, for the first time, in a legacy dated 8th June 1347, when Alberico da Rosciate give a large value of this wine to Jonolo da Priatini. Then the wine is part of the war by the Guelphs in 1398, as prey for Donato Calvi, who sized 42 chariots plenty of wine. According to legend, this wine was produced aready at the Atestin era.
It has been described by Giovanni Da Lezze, Captain of Venice, as Rosciate or Rosate, because he was thinking that the origin came from the Greek “Ros” and the Celtic “ate“. In fact this is the same name used in the municipality.
In the past it has been a very reputed wine, exported also in Russia, when Giacomo Quarenghi sent it to Catherine II. Also London imported large quantities of this wine, appreciated like the Porto, Sherry and Marsala, and maybe more, because his price was very expensive and listed on the stock exchange.
The vinification
Moscato di Scalzo is vinified pure by the homonyms vine, which can be cultivated only on those hills previous mentioned, while the breeding is forbidden on the plains. This is because, by the law, the vines must be planted on a sunny position, with low humidity. By the low, the density for the vines must be no more of 3.000 vines per hectare. The breeding system is the simple espalier, the inclined roof or the pergola, and the vineyards cannot be irrigated. Only in those 76 acres it is possible the withering, vinification, aging and bottling. For what concerns the withering, this must last a minimum of 21 days. The sugar concentration must be at least 280 g/l, and then the wine must have 2 years of maturation from the 1st November following the harvest. Winemakers can collect no more than 6 tons per hectare.
Grapes are crushed and macerated for a maximum of 5 days. Then we have the racking before to pour the must in the tank to be fermented in stainless steel and then clarified and refined. This wine can be store in the cellar even for decades.
The law and the area
The first regulation for the Moscato of Scalzo dated April 17, 2002, when was under the DOC legislation. Then, the new law of 28 April 2009, place this wine under the DOCG. It can be produced only in Scalzorosciate, on the hills plenty of marl with very hard limestone massifs. Those hills have very strong slope, but also a Mediterranean climate, despite there are geographically in the north of Italy, close to Alps. The marly soil is here called “Sass de luna”. This Moscato is protected also by the Consortium for the Protection of Moscato di Scanzo, founded in December 1993 as the evolution of the Associazione Produttori Moscato di Scanzo, dated December 1982.
Before the Moscato di Scalzo was part of the Valcalepio DOC.
The wine
Moscato di Scalzo has a ruby red in color, tending to cherry-red with garnet nuances. It has an intense but delicate bouquet. In the mouth is sweet, with an aftertaste of almonds. The Mostato of Scalso accompany the local cheeses like Taleggio, Formaggella di Sclave, Strachitunt, Branzi and Formai de Mut of Val Brembana. It can be served for desserts like chocolate and pastry, both creamy and dry.
The best winemaker is La Brugherata which produce a Moscato di Scalzo very elegant and intense, with aromas of bramble fruits, sour cherry in spirit, rose and cinnamon. In the mouth it has a very long aftertaste, and it is perfect for the chocolate.
