8 January 2024
While not as famous as the other ‘Bs’ (Barbaresco & Barolo) to the west, the relatively new DOC, Buttafuoco, is clearly a player in the Full Bodied Italian Rosso squad – probably in defence – & justifies its selection on several counts: geographically, geologically, historically, & ampelographically (grapes!). The name ‘Buttafuoco’ seems to have two origins: from the blazing paean of colours displayed by the grapes Croatina, Barbera, Ughetta di Canneto & Uva Rara at harvest time (a sight enjoyed also in the vineyards of the Alto Piemonte); & secondly from the dialect “butafeug”, literally ‘burning mouth’, as exclaimed by the Milanese poet Carlo Porta (18th century) on drinking the strong, sapido, flavoursome wines!
The hilly Buttafuoco region is located in Lombardia’s provincia di Pavia, 90 mins drive east of the Langhe & Roero, on the notable 45th parallel & forms the most northern part, a spur-shaped area (‘lo sperone di Stradella’) closest to the river Pò, of the larger Oltrepò Pavese – 15km due south of Pavia (Ticinum), & 52km south of Milano, with the towns of Broni & Stradella at its head; it’s a tapered slice of Lombardo land that’s sandwiched between Piemonte (to the west), Liguria (to the South), & Emilia-Romagna (to the east), which makes for a heady mix of rich cultures (& delicious salami!). The river Pò runs west to east, below the Buttafuoco hills – similar in a way to the Tanaro river as it ebbs its way past Barbaresco & Barolo. The zone is additionally influenced & delimited by the important presence of two smaller rivers, once glaciers, Scuropasso & Versa, that run from the Apennines above to the Pò below. There are seven comunes within the Buttafuoco DOC: Broni, Stradella, Canneto Pavese, Montescano, Castana, Cigognola & Pietra de’ Giorgi. And all except Broni (famous for its Barbacarlo DOC) & Stradella make up the core Buttafuoco ‘storico’/historical. Elevations at circa 250 – 300m asl.
A glance at any geological map of Italia will show that the Buttafuoco dell’Oltrepò Pavese region is a continuation of the Tortonian Marne Sant’Agata Fossile that forms the bedrock of Piemonte’s Langhe & Roero regions, dating back to the Miocene period circa 15 million years ago; the sedimentary remains of when the wide Padana valley was occupied by the greater Mediterranean Sea, before the Gibraltar’s gap was prized open, emptying the Sea into the Atlantic ocean, & leaving behind shelves/banks of seabed through which subsequent glacial movements created the spectacular Oltrepò Pavese valleys & hills. In particular the historical zone of Buttafuoco is located on three bands of soil: ghiaie (conglomerated sands & gravels), arenaria (sandstone), & argilla (clay), that impart their own character to the wines thereof: supple/juicy (ghiaie), austere/sapidità (arenaria), & compact/dark flesh (argilla). The region is climatically influenced by the nearby Apennines up to 2000m asl, creating downdrafts, by the close proximity of the Mediterranean sea, & of course by the river Pò just the north, bringing cool air currents from Piemonte & the west. The climate is similar to that of Piemonte, being (semi) continental, with cold winters, hot summers & long autumns.
Historically, & according to the esteemed writer/sommelier/educator Roberto Vinci (robertovinci.org), the ‘Oltre del Pò’/Oltrepò Pavese region, including Buttafuoco, has been well-documented over the centuries by the likes of Strabone, Maragliano, Robolini, cav.Giuletti, Prof. Marescalchi et al…plus more recently, the wines were highlighted by Burton Anderson & praised by Luigi Veronelli. Indeed, for centuries the hills & villages of the Buttafuoco zone, perched above the river Pò, would have been familiar to anyone being transported along the river Pò, or by foot sulla Via del Sale (the salt route) making their way between Milano & Genova. During the second war of Italian independance (1859), the defending Austrian army apparently sought refuge among the Buttafuoco hills, drank too much of their rich red wine & then named a naval ship after it – hence the motif on the bottle. The 100ha Buttafuoco DOC region contained within the Oltrepò Pavese (itself famous for base wine for making Spumante) was only recognized as such in 1970. Meanwhile the bijoux 20ha (100k bts/anno) zone of Buttafuoco ‘Storico’ dates back to 7th February 1996 when a group of 16 producers came together to shine a light on the core zone for making full bodied dry reds from local varieties; the Buttafuoco DOC was eventually codified into law in 2010. Enshrined in the Buttafuoco ‘Storico statute is the ability to feature the vineyard name (vigna X) on the label, of which 17 across the five communes have been identified & delimited.
Until Italian reunification in 1861, the region was always referred to as l’Antico Piemonte on account of it being part of the Savoia kingdom. Little surprise then that the grapes planted among the hills of Buttafuoco are also widely dispersed in Piemonte, notably Croatina, Barbera, Ughetta di Canneto (Vespolina) & Uva Rara. And perhaps unlike other viticultural regions, the grapes form part of a field blend in the same vineyard, harvested at the same time & co-fermented; the timing of harvest being crucial (as with Nebbiolo!) The proportions of the grapes in the vineyard vary between cantine, but are roughly: 50% Croatina, 25% Barbera, 15% Ughetta di Canneto (Vespolina) & 10% Uva Rara; all four are required to qualify for Buttafuoco ‘Storico’ status, & the privilege of using the embellished ‘Storico’ bottle (photo). A minimum 36 mths ageing is required prior to release, of which 12 mths affinamento in legno; traditionally using the 900Litre ‘ciüf’, whose oval shape is reproduced on the bottle, surrounding the ship!
So the small, delimited Buttafuoco zone offers rich dry reds of a seriously superior quality & defined character thanks to a unique, & very Italian blend of ancient geological, historical, geographically, & culturally diverse, ampelographical roots. Indeed, roots & traditions that owe much to l’Antico Piemonte!