Vermentino

The Cantina Santadi in Sulcis is considered one of the best co-operatives in Italy – and this Vermentino shows why. The grapes (85% Vermentino, 15% Nuragus) come from five municipalities in south-west Sardinia, where sandy clay soils and a Mediterranean climate create ideal conditions. Manual harvesting, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and short storage on the lees preserve freshness and flavour.

I Vini del Mare Belvento – this name stands for the still young project of the Moretti family and explains which wines are produced here in the Maremma near the coast: The wines of the Sea of Fair Winds. "According to legend, this is the sea into which Aphrodite scattered the pearls of her necklace and from which Tuscany was born. The beauty of the region makes us believe this legend! But scientifically speaking, the Belvento, the beautiful wind, is an important factor in the development of grape quality, as it is precisely this wind that ensures good ventilation of the vineyard, the cooling breeze that keeps the freshness in the grapes and makes these wines so pleasantly invigorating." Flavours and aromas are always created here from the interplay of land and sea. This is why the labels of Belvento wines depict the animal species that live on the coast, in the waters and in the nearby nature reserve.

A Vermentino with lightness and voice that epitomises the granite landscape of Gallura as well as the fresh sea breeze. The name Limizzani is reminiscent of ancient Mediterranean places of worship and lends the wine a mystical flavour – a northern Sardinian reminiscence that resonates in every sip. The grapes come from our own vineyards near Arzachena. Hills with sandy-granitic subsoil, close to the coast and aerated. The limestone-rich soils provide minerality, while the Atlantic wind adds freshness – the result is a refreshing base note with aromatic clarity. The style in the vineyard and cellar follows a purist path: Hand-picking, gentle pressing, static temperature fermentation in stainless steel and around six months on the fine lees, no wood notes, but maximum varietal purity.

Costamolino brings Sardinia's characterful clarity to the glass – a typical and very popular Vermentino that promises freshness and depth in equal measure. The grapes ripen on limestone and clay-rich hillsides around Selegas, where the sea breeze and sun create perfect ripening conditions. After gentle pressing and temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, the wine rests for several weeks on the fine lees – for elegance without weight and finesse without edge.

In the local dialect, Melacce means "apple orchard". Anyone who knows the vineyards of Collemassari will understand the choice: those windy slopes near Cinigiano that greet the Tyrrhenian Sea with every breeze and give the grapes a salty freshness that no cellar in the world can invent. The vineyards lie at 320 metres above sea level, the sea is thirty kilometres away – close enough to taste. 100% Vermentino, temperature-controlled stainless steel ageing. No wood, no intervention – everything that happens here happens in the vineyard.

Merì – symbolising the evening sky in the Sardinian dialect – is a Vermentino that unfolds pure, Mediterranean elegance in the glass. The grapes come from the calcareous hills around Selegas, which are blown by the wind from the Gulf of Palmas. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled in the vineyard to preserve the typical varietal flavour. The wine is fermented and matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks, with precision, clarity and a focus on freshness.

Morisfarms is located seven kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea. And you can taste it. The Vermentino from the Poggetti estate carries the coast in the glass: salty, mineral, fresh, with that characteristic crispness that distinguishes Vermentino from the Tuscan coast from its more opulent relatives from Sardinia or Piedmont. The wine is not a pure Vermentino, but a harmonious blend: 90 per cent Vermentino, 10 per cent Viognier – the indigenous coastal variety and an aromatic northern player. The Viognier is harvested at the end of August, the Vermentino in mid-September. Both are cold clarified separately and fermented together in steel at 18 degrees. Matured lean, short fine lees, fresh in the bottle.

Poggio al Lupo brings the trendy white Vermentino variety in its sunny, Mediterranean form with clear elegance. A light, slightly golden straw yellow colour in the glass. The aroma is reminiscent of green mandarin, lemon zest, white peach and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. The palate is fresh, with animating acidity, delicate salty minerality, ripe fruit and crisp drinkability. Fruit sweetness and freshness balance each other out. An uncomplicated, reliable Tuscan from the west coast – lean, typical of the region and ideal with seafood, grilled vegetables or light fish. SUPERIORE.DE

Mamaioa (Sardinian for "ladybird") is not just a label for Contini, but a symbol of biodiversity and a sensitive understanding of wine. This Vermentino shows how modern and close to nature Sardinia's white wine culture can be, while remaining clear, fresh and convincing. Mamaioa comes from organically cultivated vineyards around Cabras – not far from the salty breeze of the Tyrrhenian Sea and on sandy soils with ancient marine sediment. The grapes are harvested early in the morning and matured exclusively in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and varietal profile.

Pale straw yellow with greenish reflections – the 2024 already shows its youthful vitality in the glass. Yellow citrus fruit, crisp green apple, a hint of mint and fine floral notes on the nose. The vintage was characterised by a cool spring and moderately warm summer, which gives the wine freshness and structure. Taut and lively on the palate, with precise acidity, salty minerality and a straightforward final. The ageing in stainless steel preserves the clear style of the house. A Vermentino with profile and an energetic character – ideal for summer enjoyment. SUPERIORE.DE

Tenuta Il Palagio is located in the hills south of Florence, where Sting and Trudie Styler have been cultivating a 350-hectare estate dating back to the 16th century biodynamically since 1997. The Vermentino comes from eleven hectares of vineyards on the calcareous soils of the Chianti Colli Fiorentini – vinified under the aegis of Riccardo Cotarella. The grapes are harvested by hand at the end of September and fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures to preserve freshness and primary fruit.

The name is a dedication. Maria Iris Bertarelli – co-founder and soul of Collemassari – is the woman who, together with her brother Claudio Tipa, acquired the abandoned castle in Montecucco in 1998 and planted it with a vision: that this forgotten hilly landscape between Montalcino and Scansano has what it takes to become its own appellation. Irisse is their wine. Vermentino with up to 25% Grechetto – more body, more substance. But what really sets Irisse apart from Melacce: short maceration on the skins, then twelve months of ageing in large oak barrels. This results in a depth that is rarely expected from Vermentino.

A Vermentino that could hardly be more Gallurese: On the granite-rich soils of the northern hills of Sardinia, moulded by wind, light and salty sea air, Elibaria matures into a white wine that makes its origins tangible in the glass. The wine is matured puristically in stainless steel tanks and for several months on the fine lees – without wood, without fining, but with maximum precision.

Branu means "spring" and is a fresh greeting from Gallura: the name alludes to new beginnings and lightness and it is the programme. 100% Vermentino, grown on the granite terraces around Arzachena, captures spring in a glass – primarily in flavour and style, but never too playful. The vineyards are located close to the coast, with granite substrates, sparse scrubland and a constant sea breeze – a terroir that combines minerality and freshness as it matures.

The Maremma was Etruscan country before it became wine country – and on the hill of Gavorrano, where the cellar building designed by Renzo Piano is cut into the landscape, excavations have brought to light wine remains from a past almost three thousand years old. What began back then, Rocca di Frassinello continues today: as a joint venture between Castellare di Castellina and the Domaines Barons de Rothschild-Lafite, with the aim of uniting the best of two wine worlds on a single estate. The Vermentino grows at an altitude of 90 metres in a natural wind tunnel along the old Via Aurelia – a constant sea breeze blows over the hills from the coast near Castiglione della Pescaia, keeping humidity and heat at bay. Vinification in steel tanks, six months maturation on the lees.

Sardinian sun meets Mediterranean breeze – samas feels like a glass of holiday under olive trees by the sea. The fruit is grown on sandy, chalky soils in the sunny south-west of Sardinia and was harvested in the cool morning hours to preserve freshness and flavour. The grape variety blend of 80% Vermentino and 20% Chardonnay is perfectly selected. After cool fermentation and around 40 days on the fine lees in the tank, the wine matures for a few months in stainless steel tanks – elegant, clear and yet complex. Sunny yellow in the glass, almost like a ray of light caught in the glass. The nose offers aromas of grapefruit and lime, exotic fruits such as pineapple, Mediterranean herbs – especially sage – and a delicate, fresh minerality. On the palate, it is velvety, yet clearly contoured and full of energy: juicy, slightly salty and with a vibrant freshness that immediately whets the appetite for the next sip. SUPERIORE.DE

In the 16th century, Ludovico Ariosto had the knights of the House of Mongrana ride through fantastic landscapes in "Orlando Furioso" – adventurous, freedom-loving, always ready to set off. The hippogriff, the winged hybrid creature that crosses all borders, is the symbol of this epic. Querciabella has put both on the label of her Maremma project: the name, the animal, the attitude. Since 1997, Querciabella has been growing in Banditella near Alberese – directly on the Tuscan coast, where sea breezes, salty air and sandy soils characterise the Mediterranean character. 100% Vermentino, 20,000 bottles, organically farmed. Fermentation in small cement and steel tanks, gentle and precise. 2025 brought a balanced spring and cool nights, which slowed down the ripening process, preserved the acidity and intensified the flavour.

Here comes the Vermentino for demanding and everyday life at the same time. Is Argiolas is the melody of the Sardinian coast – a white protagonist, elegant and multi-layered. The grapes come from sandy, chalky hills around Selegas (single vineyard), where they develop mineral depth in the granite subsoil. After cool fermentation, the wine matures on the fine lees in stainless steel – a concept of clarity without compromise.

Intense yellow with golden reflections, notes of yellow peach on the nose, enriched with hints of dried fruit, graphite and camomile. Hints of iodine, sage and almonds open up into a full and powerful sip with great structure and mineral notes that accompany a spicy and persistent finish. SUPERIORE.DE

The name is a landscape. "Pearl of the forest" – those ancient strips of scrubland between the vineyards and the Tyrrhenian Sea, from whose herbs, pines and wild flowers the wind carries a daily bath of flavour to the vines. Tua Rita has been vinifying Vermentino since 1992 – the estate's very first vintage. Not an experiment, not a trend, but a strong commitment. 100% Vermentino from the mineral-rich soils of the Colline Metallifere. The vines grow without pruning – they are allowed to extend their shoots as a natural umbrella over the grapes, protecting the clusters from heat stress and preserving the flavour. Fermentation and ageing in steel: no wood to come between the grape variety and the terroir. "The trick is maintaining the acidity," says Stefano Frascolla.

Expressive Vermentino from naturally farmed vineyards in Castagneto Carducci. The 2024 vintage featured mild weather with sunny days and cool nights – an ideal profile for freshness and aromatic clarity. The wine fermented in stainless steel at a low temperature and then matured for several months on the fine lees to optimise the fruit and structure.

Eco di Mare is a white greeting from the Tuscan sea. Made from 100% Vermentino from the Alta Maremma, where the Etruscans once extracted silver from the earth and today the Turnauer family produces elegant wines from the mineral-rich terroir. The Tenuta is located at the southern zenith of the Bolgheri DOC, on the heights of Donoratico, part of the historic Tenuta of the Florentine Serristori family. In the red aeolian sands of Donoratico, between 20-80 metres above sea level, the Vermentino vines thrive under the protection of centuries-old pine groves along the Viale dei Pini. Fermented for 15 days, matured on the fine lees for two months and bottled for three months.