🍇 Aleatico
Dark Muscat-type Italian grape for sweet wines; Aleatico di Puglia needs at least 85% of it, Elba Aleatico Passito at least 19% vol.
Aleatico is a dark Muscat-type grape from Italy. According to VIVC, it has a Muscat flavour, 97 synonyms and covered 500 ha in Italy in 2000. The main wines from it are sweet: made from semi-dried berries (passito) or fortified; typical aromas are rose, berries and lychee.
According to the EU single document for DOCG Elba Aleatico Passito, after careful selection the berries are dried for at least 10 days to a sugar content of at least 30%. The maximum yield is 7 t/ha (24.5 hl/ha), total alcoholic strength at least 19% vol., acidity at least 6 g/l; the wine is sweet, full, of a deep ruby colour, sometimes with violet reflections. The zone covers the municipalities of the island of Elba.
Aleatico di Puglia DOC (1973) requires at least 85% Aleatico, with the rest coming from Negro amaro, Malvasia nera and Primitivo; the maximum is 8 t/ha (52 hl/ha). Light drying on the vine or on mats is allowed. In the dolce naturale type total alcoholic strength is at least 15% vol., in liquoroso (fortified) 18.5%; the riserva mention is given after three years of ageing.
Vine experts suspect that it is a dark variant of Muscat blanc à petits grains; DNA analysis points to a parent–offspring relationship.
Why it matters to you. These are sweet and strong wines: in Puglia at least 15% total alcohol, in Elba 19%. Look at the full name and the type — dolce naturale or liquoroso. Alcohol is for adults; drink in moderation.
Facts
| Country | Italy 1 |
|---|---|
| Region | Elba (Tuscany), Puglia, Lazio |
| Registered | Aleatico di Puglia — DOC, 1973 2 |
| Yield | Puglia — up to 8 t/ha; Elba — up to 7 t/ha 2 3 |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | Elba Aleatico Passito — at least 19% vol. total 3 |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Aleatico → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ Italian wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Tuscany, 📍 Apulia, 📍 Lazio
- Main grape in
- 📜 Aleatico di Puglia, 📜 Elba Aleatico Passito, 📜 Pergola, 📜 Aleatico di Gradoli, 📜 Elba
- Parents
- 🍇 Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Offspring
- 🍇 Lacrima
Frequently asked questions
What is Aleatico?
A dark Muscat-type grape from Italy; according to VIVC, its area there in 2000 was 500 ha. Mostly sweet dessert wines are made from it.
How much Aleatico is in Aleatico di Puglia?
At least 85%; up to 15% may come from Negro amaro, Malvasia nera and Primitivo (DOC specification).
How is Elba Aleatico Passito made?
The berries are dried for at least 10 days to 30% sugar; the total alcoholic strength of the wine is at least 19% vol., yield up to 7 t/ha (EU single document).
Is it true that Aleatico is a Muscat?
Partly. VIVC describes its flavour as Muscat and names Muscat blanc à petits grains as one parent; so it is a separate but related variety.
Where does Aleatico grow?
In Italy — in Tuscany (island of Elba), Puglia and Lazio; Wikipedia also names Umbria, Piedmont, Marche, Abruzzo and Sicily.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 📜 Aleatico di Puglia — Sweet red wines from the aromatic Aleatico grape from all over Apulia.
- 🍇 Lacrima — An aromatic red grape of Marche, known for Lacrima di Morro d'Alba.
- 📜 Pergola — Red wines from the Aleatico grape near the town of Pergola in the northern Marche.
- 📜 Aleatico di Gradoli — A sweet red wine from the aromatic Aleatico grape near Lake Bolsena.
Similar
🍇 Michele Palieri · 🍇 Uva di Puglia · 🍇 Prugnolo Gentile · 🍇 Cesanese d'Affile · 🍇 Colorino · 🍇 Canaiolo Nero
Sources
- VIVC. Aleatico (passport 259)
- Disciplinare di produzione DOC «Aleatico di Puglia» (DPR 29.05.1973, зм. 2011 і 2014)
- eAmbrosia (реєстр GI ЄС): PDO «Elba Aleatico Passito», зведений документ