Lugana wines in Lombardy featuring Borgo La Caccia

If you’re ever had the pleasure to travel to Lake Garda in Northern Italy you are one of the lucky ones.  It is the biggest lake in Italy residing in both the Veneto and Lombardy regions.  Many great wines are located around it and within a short distance, including those of the Lugana DOC.  It’s been some time I’ve written about the wines of Lugana and you’ll be reading more in another month as I take part in a virtual wine tasting throughout June via the #WineStudio program run by Tina Morey.   

Lugana is a wine appellation situated at the southern point of Lake Garda.  It’s a rather mild climate benefiting from the sea breezes coming off Lake Garda with soils based primarily on clay.  Over the years I have sampled a number of styles of Lugana wines due to the fact that there are 5 different styles.  

• Lugana
  
• Lugana Superiore
  
• Lugana Riserva
  
• Lugana Late Harvest, also known as Lugana vendemmia tardiva.
  
• Lugana Spumante  

Lugana is your standard wine enjoyed fresh in its youth within the first few years after harvest.  This is where 90% of the production comes from within the Lugana DOC.  Floral aromas with citrus and almond notes.  The Superiore and Riserva demonstrate more complexities and deeper structure.  The Superiore requires at least 1 year of age with the Riserva requiring at least 2 years of age with 6 months in the bottle.  Different nuances develop with age as with any wine.  The Lugana late harvest wines are harvested later into October and November allowing a higher level of residual sugar balanced with acidity.  Finally, the spumante is a limited production, but the wines are produced in either the Martinotti (Charmat) method or Classic method, refermenting in the bottle.   

My visit to Sirmione, part of the Lugana DOC in the Brescia province of Lombardy

The wines of the Lugana DOC require at least 90% of the turbiana grape with an allowance of 10% other white permitted grapes, but most producers use 100% turbiana.  The Consorzio of Lugana shares that the trend in production is more towards the use of stainless or contact with the lees and a combination in aging between both stainless steel and oak. 

The Wine

I tried a Lugana DOC from Borgo La Caccia, although I didn’t find too much material to share online about the winery.  They are located in Pozzolengo, in the Brescia province of Lombardy.  The 2017 Borgo La Caccia Lugana DOC was pale, straw colored, lighter to medium in body.  Not heavily aromatic, but leaning more towards stone fruit.  Refreshing, and although not heavy on fruit, the flavors lend more towards lemon rind with a hint of white peach.  Good acidity finishing with some salinity.  I saw an average of about $11-16 a bottle for this wine. ABV  13% (although I thought it was going to be higher based on my tasting).

Whatever your style, the wines of Lugana provide a little bit of something for everyone.  For me personally I enjoy the wines of the north as I appreciate those that are crisp, refreshing and lean toward citrus and stone fruit notes.   

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*This wine was provided as a sample, but opinions are my own.  Importer: Mariposa Fine Wines