Lugana's Trebbiano or Turbiana is a native white grape variety cultivated for centuries in the area south of Lake Garda between Veneto and Lombardy. It belongs to the Trebbiano family, also present in central Italy, and is cultivated in the morainic plain originating from Sirmione, Desenzano, Lonato, Pozzolengo, and Peschiera, up to the first hilly reliefs leading to S. Martino della Battaglia. The soils are characterized by layers of light clays with rich mineral limestone components, which tend to become sandier as they rise towards the hilly area. These lands were once covered by the marshy woods of the ancient Selva Lucana, from which the grape variety takes its name. These special soils tend to harden and compact during dry periods and become muddy and plastically soft in rainy seasons. Their unique composition gives the wine extraordinary characteristics of minerality, savoriness, structure, and longevity.
Lugana, whose Controlled Designation of Origin dates back to 1967, includes not only the base version but also the Superior, Reserve, Classic Method or Charmat Sparkling, and Late Harvest versions.
Lugana's Trebbiano has medium-sized clusters with fairly thick-skinned berries covered in bloom. It is a variety of Trebbiano with a good aromatic profile and lively acidity. The wine has a straw-yellow color, which over time takes on golden reflections. The olfactory profile is characterized by fruity and citrus notes with hints of tropical fruit. On the palate, it stands out for its great freshness and minerality, combined with a harmonious bouquet and a savory finish. The Reserves present more complex, broad, and soft aromas that evolve over time towards balsamic notes, hints of flint, and hydrocarbons, demonstrating good aging potential. Its natural acidity also makes it suitable for the production of Classic Method sparkling wines, with a bouquet characterized by elegant scents, fresh citrus notes, and crisp hints of bread crust. In versions with long lees aging, the sparkling wines exhibit complex aromas of candied fruit, exotic fruit, and pastries. Late Harvests, obtained from overripe grapes harvested in late October or early November, are well-balanced dessert wines, with moderate alcohol content, not overly sweet, expressing aromas of candied fruit and pleasant acidity.
Lugana is highly versatile on the table: the younger and simpler versions and sparkling wines are perfect as an aperitif or to accompany light fish appetizers, while Lugana Superior, Reserve, and the Classic Method with extended aging can accompany important fish or white meat menus throughout the meal. Late Harvests are perfect with aged and blue cheeses or dry pastries.
The Best Lugana Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi
Here are the 15 Lugana wines between Veneto and Lombardy that have received Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi s, having reached the finals during the tastings for the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia 2024 guide:
Lugana Molceo Ris. 2021 - Ottella is the usual classy Lugana: it offers intense fruity suggestions to the nose, with apple and white peach intertwined with fresher and floral nuances. In the mouth what is striking is the harmony of the sip which extends supported by the acidity and the typical flavor of the denomination
Madonna della Scoperta 2022. Shining straw yellow, it opens with notes of white fruit and aromatic herbs that turn into citrus nuances. On the palate, it is savory, rich in soft fruit tones, supported by a fresh acidic vein that ensures long aromatic persistence and a long-lasting future.
Olivini Lugana 2022. Resulting from a selection of old company clones, it is a vintage Lugana that surprises with freshness, tension, and a rich fruity profile that fades into iodine and citrus nuances.
Zenato Benedictus 2021. The result of the oldest vineyard in the company, it matures in steel and a small part in barrels to give its aromas of white fruit and flowers, which are also found in a dry and lively palate.
Cà Maiol Fabio Contato Riserva 2020. Intense and brilliant straw yellow, with a fresh nose of aromatic herbs, white fruit, and citrus. It is appreciated in the mouth for fullness and solid structure, closing harmoniously and long on beautiful smoky notes.
Sansoña Lugana Fermentazione Spontanea 2021. A wine from the southern shores of Lake Garda, it stands out for its mineral vein in the Lugana Fermentazione Spontanea 2021.
Pasini San Giovanni Lugana 2022. Originating from the San Benedetto di Lugana vineyards, it is exclusively dedicated to Turbiana grapes. It represents a commitment to biodiversity and sustainability.
Cottini Lugana Terralbe Riserva 2019. Beautifully fruity and sulfurous, it offers an agile profile on the palate despite a certain richness. Diego Cottini is at the helm of this viticultural powerhouse.
Tommasi Le Fornaci Riserva 2020. A result of the oldest estate vines, it highlights delicate aromas with gradually expanding white fruit, floral, and smoky notes.
Zenato Sergio Zenato Riserva 2020. Over the years, it has lightened and refreshed, characterized by white fruit embellished with shy mineral notes. Nadia and Alberto Zenato lead this winery founded by father Sergio more than sixty years ago.
Ca' Lojera Lugana Superiore 2019. With a beautiful light and bright straw-yellow color, it opens complex and rich on the nose with notes of white fruit, candied citrus, and herbs, transitioning to warm and biscuity notes. A blend of tradition, landscape, and contemporaneity by Ambra and Franco Tiraboschi.
Marangona Tre Campane 2021. Creamy, mineral, with intense aromas of citrus, white fruits, and bitter almond on the nose. The palate is soft, enveloping, well-extended thanks to perfectly integrated acidity.
Oselara Riserva Logico 2018. From Oselara estate, it is an elegant and soft reserve with a rich and articulated aromatic profile, featuring lemon zest, cedar, aromatic herbs, and pear notes.
Patrizia Cadore Lugana Riserva 2019. With a bright and brilliant greenish straw color, it offers clear notes of white fruits, shifting to herbal, bush, and citrus nuances. On the palate, it is rich, solid, harmonious, and full, reproducing creamy fruit notes and closing fresh and long on beautiful vegetal nuances.
These Lugana wines showcase the excellence and diversity of the region, presenting a wide range of styles and characteristics, from vibrant and youthful to complex and aged expressions. Each one has its unique qualities, contributing to the rich tapestry of Lugana wines between Veneto and Lombardy.
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