The Colline Lucchesi DOC, established in 1968, is named for the hills to the north and east of the town of Lucca, in the famous Italian wine region of Tuscany. The hills are also the source of red and white Colline Lucchesi wines in blended and varietal forms, both sweet and dry.
Colline Lucchesi Rosso is the basic red wine produced in these hills. It is made from a base of Sangiovese (45–70%) and topped up with Canaiolo and/or Ciliegiolo (up to 30%), and if desired a 15% dash of Merlot. This is a classic Tuscan red-wine blend, and is mirrored by the equally local mix of Trebbiano Toscano, Greco Bianco, Vermentino and Malvasia Bianca used to make white Colline Lucchesi Bianco.
Four varietal wines are made under the Colline Lucchesi name: two reds and two whites. The two reds are Sangiovese and Merlot, and the whites Vermentino and Sauvignon Blanc. These are a signal of the forward-looking approach that Italy's wine authorities are taking, recognizing the increasing demand of modern wine consumers for varietal character and labeling.
The star wine in the Colline Lucchesi portfolio is its vin santo, the traditional sweet wine of Tuscany. This is made from grapes which have been left to dry out after harvest, naturally concentrating their sugar content as the water evaporates. In the Colline Lucchesi, as in most Tuscany DOCs, the vin santo comes as standard sweet white wine and a rose Occhio de Pernice ('eye of the partridge') similar to French and Swiss Oeil de Perdrix wines. For more information on these sweet wines and how they are made, see vin santo.
The geography and climate of the hills around Lucca is largely dictated by the surrounding topography. The hills are actually the southern foothills of the Alpi Apuane, a western range of the Appennino Settentrionale (Northern Apennines). To the west of these hills (where Candia dei Colli Apuani wines are made), between the 1950m (6400ft) Monte Pisanino and the Ligurian Sea, the climate is heavily sheltered. To the south as the hills peter out, there is less shelter, meaning Lucchesi vineyards are exposed to cooler winters and hotter summers, and produce more vibrant, edgy wines than their Colli Apuani cousins.
