Burson (Uva Longanesi) Wine Guide
The Longanesi grape, called Bursona in the Romagna dialect, is a native vine of the Ravenna area and today the hectares of vineyards are approximately 200. Few wineries are dedicated to the cultivation of this noble vine, even if the last bottles we tasted show great character and excellent potential. Until recently, the Bursona grape was confused with the Negretto, but in 2000 it was registered in the Variety Register with the name of Uva Longanesi.
A little history of Longanesi-Burson
In the second half of the 19th century, Phylloxera put all the vineyards of Europe to fire and sword, destroying almost all of the plants, so much so that traces of the Bursona grape were lost. It was only in 1920 that Aldo Longanesi found a vine that he had never seen, clinging to an old oak tree, on his farm in Bagnacavallo. Since then, the Longanesi Grape has come a long way and today the producers are united in the Il Bagnacavallo Consortium, born in 1999 to enhance and protect this native vine of Romagna. The efforts and enthusiasm have allowed the producers to improve the winemaking techniques and with time and the improvement of the drying of the grapes, the results show high-quality bottles, able to compete with the other great red wines of Italy.
Production area
The Longanesi grape is grown mainly in the province of Ravenna: Bagnacavallo, Lugo, Russi, Godo, Fusignano and Cotignola. Some producers from the hills of Faenza, Santa Lucia, are also part of the Consortium.
Vinification and organoleptic characteristics of Longanesi-Burson wine
If you observe a cluster of Longanesi grapes you will notice that it is compact, of medium size, elongated in shape, but above all bright, opalescent. The skin is covered with a thick bloom, which makes the grape variety immediately recognizable. The Burson wine that is obtained from the Longanesi grape is intense, very broad and rich, with fruity aromas based on black cherries, spices and cocoa in full evidence. On the palate, it offers great texture, body and powerful tannins.
Types of Burson and food pairing
To make the wine even more sumptuous and to extract the maximum of flavors, producers often dry the grapes, in Amarone style so to speak.
We have two types of wines. The Burson Blue Label, which does not dry, but the fermentation process of carbonic maceration, characterized by the freshness of fruit, notes of violets, plums and pepper in the background. A very pleasant wine to combine with grilled meats and summer binges based on animal proteins.
And then the Burson Black Label, the true champion, the finest wine, which comes from grapes dried and then left to refine for at least two years in wooden barrels. The result is a wine of great charm, with a ruby color tending to garnet. Rich in ripe notes, plums in alcohol, chocolate, licorice, alpine herbs and a remarkable structure, but always composed and elegant, with tannins sculpted by aging in oak. The Black Label Burson goes well with game dishes, gnocchi with meat sauce, chicken curry, ribs with barbecue sauce, baked lasagna, truffle risotto, pulled pork, Argentine meat empanadas, burgers, polenta with meat sauce.
How to serve the Burson: serving temperature and glasses
Burson is a red wine of great intensity. Serve it in large, pot-bellied glasses for red wine, at a temperature of 18-20 ° C.
If you want to taste and find out everything about Burson wine these are the recommended wineries: Poderi Morini, Daniele Longanesi, Randi and Tenuta Uccellina.