Orpicchio

Also known as Dorpicchio.

A rare, nearly-lost Tuscan native white grape of the Valdarno, first recorded by Marzotto in the Arezzo area in 1926 under the name 'Dorpicchio'. Its naturally low-medium vigor and poor resistance to fungal disease pushed it to the brink of extinction by the late 20th century; it was rediscovered and revived in 2007, then added to Tuscany's official list of suitable vine varieties the following year.

Robust, thick-skinned berries with naturally high acidity, suited to fresh, long-lived wines. Small, short, mostly cylindrical, compact clusters (around 200 g). Late budding (mid-April) and late flowering (early June); ripens in the second half of September, about 8 days ahead of Trebbiano Toscano. Registered in MASAF's national vine register (scheda 397). Only appears as a monovarietal typology in Valdarno di Sopra DOC, cited in the disciplinare's own commentary as one of the 'revalorized' varieties alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Malvasia, and Trebbiano.