Vermentino

Cantina Santadi in the Sulcis region is regarded as one of Italy"s finest wine cooperatives – and this Vermentino shows why. The grapes (85% Vermentino, 15% Nuragus) come from five municipalities in south-western Sardinia, where sandy loam soils and a Mediterranean climate create ideal conditions. Hand-picking, gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel and brief ageing on the lees preserve the wine"s freshness and aromatic character.

Tyrsos is a Vermentino with a clear voice, fresh, elegant and deeply rooted in western Sardinia. The grapes come from limestone and clay-rich vineyards in the Tirso Valley, near Cabras, where the sea breeze and heat provide an aromatic balance. Spontaneously fermented and carefully matured in stainless steel, the wine tells its story with direct freshness and varietal clarity. Fresh, light yellow colour in the glass. The nose welcomes you with lively aromas: white peach, pear, citrus zest and delicate farm herbs – all finely integrated and well proportioned. Light-footed on the palate, with crisp acidity, a juicy fruit centre and an elegant, salty mineral note on the finish that makes you want to take the next sip. A radiant ambassador of Sardinia with charm and style. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

The vineyards are situated 15 metres above sea level, facing west, on soils composed of river sediment with a sandy texture. The coastal sunshine shines through in the radiant straw-yellow hues of this wine. The fresh bouquet offers notes of lemon and freshly cut green apples, along with hints of mint and sage; these Mediterranean impressions are also reflected on the palate. A delicious, lingering and highly versatile Vermentino from western Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE

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 familiar with the Collemassari vineyards will understand the choice: those windswept slopes near Cinigiano, where the Tyrrhenian Sea greets every breeze and bestows upon the grapes a salty freshness that no winery in the world can replicate. The vineyards lie at 320 metres; the sea is thirty kilometres away – close enough to taste. 100% Vermentino, temperature-controlled ageing in stainless steel. No oak, no intervention – everything that happens here takes place in the vineyard.

Merì – which, in the Sardinian dialect, symbolises the evening sky – is a Vermentino that brings pure, Mediterranean elegance to the glass. The grapes come from the limestone-rich hills around Selegas, which are swept by the winds from the Gulf of Palma. After being harvested by hand, the grapes are cooled whilst still in the vineyard to preserve the varietal aromas. Fermentation and ageing take place exclusively in stainless-steel tanks, carried out with precision and clarity, and with a focus on freshness.

A Vermentino with a name that evokes the sea – and that is precisely what it promises: Cala Silente comes from selected vineyards swept by the Mistral near the south-west coast of Sardinia. The grapes are harvested early in the morning and vinified in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness and aromatic clarity. Pale straw yellow. The nose is distinctive yet delicate: white peach, lime and salty minerality, complemented by a hint of Mediterranean herbs and wet stone. Lively and taut on the palate, with fresh acidity, a delicate creaminess and a long, cool finish – coastal and full of character. Cala Silente is an authentic example of Sardinian white wine-making: unpretentious, aromatically precise and with a salty undertone that inevitably evokes the sea. If the glass sounds like a fresh breeze sweeping across the macchia, then it must be Cala Silente ... SUPERIORE.DE

Poggio al Lupo presents the trendy white variety Vermentino in its sunny, Mediterranean form with a distinct elegance. In the glass, it is a pale, slightly golden straw yellow. The aroma is reminiscent of green mandarin, lemon zest, white peach and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it is fresh, with lively acidity, a delicate salty minerality, ripe fruit and a crisp, easy-drinking character. Fruity sweetness and freshness are perfectly balanced. An uncomplicated, reliable Tuscan wine from the west coast – sleek, typical of the region and ideal with seafood, grilled vegetables or light fish dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

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.

The grapes for this Vermentino come from the highest-altitude vineyards of Tenuta Marciliano. Meticulous work in the vineyard ensures impeccably healthy grapes that reach optimal ripeness at exactly the right moment – at 220 metres, on calcareous soil, trained using the Guyot system. The freshly harvested grapes are taken straight to the winery and pressed. The floral must ferments in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 15°C to preserve the variety's typical aromas. After fermentation, the wine matures for three months on its own fine lees, without malolactic fermentation.

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.

Belguardo – the beautiful view. The Mazzei family gave their Maremma estate this name in 1997, and it's a fitting one: from the hills between Grosseto and Montiano, the view stretches all the way to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which lies just ten kilometres away. This proximity is not merely a romantic detail – it is terroir. The sea breezes cool the vineyards every day, slowing down the ripening process and preserving the freshness that characterises the Vermentino grown on these sandy Arenaria soils.

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 tribute. Maria Iris Bertarelli – co-founder and the heart and soul of Collemassari – is the woman who, together with her brother Claudio Tipa, purchased the abandoned castle in Montecucco in 1998 and planted it with a vision: that this forgotten hilly landscape between Montalcino and Scansano had what it takes to become an appellation in its own right. Irisse is her wine. Vermentino with up to 25% Grechetto – more body, more substance. But what really sets Irisse apart from Melacce is the short maceration on the skins, followed by twelve months' ageing in large oak casks. This yields a depth one rarely expects 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.

Wife of Alexander the Great, unrequited love of Cyrano de Bergerac – and, in 1978, the red lantern in Paris' red light district that inspired Sting to write one of the most iconic songs in rock history - that's Roxanne. The Bianco of the same name has a softer glow, but is no less seductive. 85% Vermentino forms the aromatic backbone, complemented by Chardonnay from the Maremma. Hand-picked between mid-August and early September, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, five months maturation on the fine lees.

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.

The name "Der Wal" refers to the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is visible from the hills of Suvereto and whose breeze sweeps daily across the San Lorenzo vineyard in the single vineyard of the same name. What is produced here carries the essence of this sea within it. 50% Vermentino, 50% Viognier – a meeting of two Mediterranean characters on loamy-sandy, slightly calcareous soil, 18-year-old vines, Guyot training. Three months on the fine lees. What ultimately ends up in the bottle is one of those white wines that you don't analyse, but simply drink.

Sardinian sunshine meets a Mediterranean breeze – Samas feels like a glass of holiday under the olive trees by the sea. The grapes are grown on sandy, limestone soils in the sunny south-west of Sardinia and were harvested in the cool of the morning to preserve their freshness and aroma. The blend of 80% Vermentino and 20% Chardonnay is perfectly balanced. Following a cool fermentation and around 40 days on the fine lees in the tank, the wine matures for a further few months in stainless steel tanks – elegant, crisp and yet complex.