Vermentino

Here is a Vermentino that's perfect for both special occasions and everyday enjoyment. Is Argiolas is the melody of the Sardinian coast – a star white wine, elegant and complex. The grapes come from the sandy-limestone hills around Selegas (single vineyard), where they develop mineral depth thanks to the granite subsoil. Following cool fermentation, the wine matures on its fine lees in stainless steel – a philosophy of uncompromising clarity.

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 tribute to the Tuscan sea. Made from 100% Vermentino from the Alta Maremma, where the Etruscans once mined silver from the earth and where, today, the Turnauer family crafts elegant wines from the mineral-rich terroir. The estate is situated at the southernmost point of the Bolgheri DOC, on the heights of Donoratico, and forms part of the historic estate owned by the Florentine Serristori family. In the red Aeolian sands of Donoratico, at altitudes of between 20 and 80 metres, the Vermentino vines thrive under the shelter of centuries-old pine groves along the Viale dei Pini. 15 days' fermentation, two months' ageing on the fine lees, three months' bottle ageing.

The Cotarellas have dedicated a second Verdeluce to the "green heart of Italy": a single-varietal Vermentino from the hills around Montecchio near Orvieto. Whilst the Bianco blend focuses on complexity and depth, the Vermentino plays the card of freshness and immediacy. Pale straw yellow with greenish highlights. The nose is clean and delicate: chamomile, kumquat, yellow peach, a hint of Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it is slender and light-footed, with lively acidity and that salty undertone that characterises a good Vermentino. Uncomplicated in the best sense of the word – a wine for an aperitif, for seafood, for summer evenings. SUPERIORE.DE

In the Tuscan dialect, "Botro" means a ditch, a natural channel that carries water away. "Dei Fichi" refers to the fig trees. The Botro dei Fichi is already mentioned in the cadastral records of the 18th-century Leopoldine Land Survey – a small depression on the estate that gave its name to a wine long before Vermentino was grown here. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 50 metres, facing west, on volcanic soil with a high proportion of scree. No sand dunes, no alluvial deposits – volcanic rock that lends the grape variety structure and minerality. Fermentation for 30 days in unglazed, raw concrete vats at a controlled temperature of 18°C, using indigenous yeasts. At least three months sur lies. No oak.

The Rivetti family, who have long since achieved fame with La Spinetta in Piedmont, found their Tuscan terroir for Vermentino in Terricciola. Sandy soils of marine origin, interspersed with oceanic sediments, characterise this white wine with its unmistakable minerality and salty freshness. The vines grow at an altitude of 250 metres on a south-easterly exposure and are cultivated organically. After manual harvesting, the must ferments spontaneously with natural yeasts, after which the wine rests for three to four months on the fine lees in stainless steel.

When the morning dew moistens the young Vermentino vines of Gallura, it provides the inspiration for Lintóri – Sardinian for "Rugiada del mattino". Since 2010, the traditional Capichera winery has been producing this deliberately fresh expression of its Vermentino range from the youngest vineyards between Arzachena, Olbia and Palau. Where ancient granite formations meet sea breezes, this 100% Vermentino thrives on sandy, stony soils of volcanic origin. The hand-picked grapes, harvested in late August, are aged in stainless steel, thus preserving their crystalline minerality.

Capalbio – this is the southernmost tip of the Tuscan coast, where the Maremma is wilder and more unspoilt than anywhere else, overlooking Monte Argentario and the Burano lagoon. This is where Monteverro is situated: a biodynamically managed estate that Georg and Barbara Weber brought back to life from its slumber some two decades ago. Vermentino is the white soul of this place – fresh, fruity, carefree, with the delicate minerality of clay and limestone soil. 100% Vermentino, hand-harvested from 5,555 vines per hectare on north-south-facing slopes. Whole-bunch pressing, no malolactic fermentation – because here it’s all about freshness, not richness. Six months on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks. The result is exactly what Monteverro sets out as its aim: "An expression of Italy’s zest for life."

At the heart of the prestigious Le Sondraie vineyard, just a few kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea, Marilisa Allegrini's very own favourite wine thrives. Solosole embodies the intimate connection between the Mediterranean grape variety Vermentino and the unique Bolgheri terroir – a wine that is, as its name suggests, the "fruit of sunlight". This 100% Vermentino is made from specially selected Corsican clones that benefit from the exceptional abundance of sunlight on the Tuscan coast. The extended period of ripening in the sun intensifies the aromas and flavours, whilst harvest at night ensures stress-free grapes with intact aromatic precursors.

The triel is a shy bird found in the dunes and sandbanks of Marina di Bibbona – sand-coloured, almost invisible, with large yellow eyes. Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi has dedicated Tenuta Campo di Sasso's only white wine to it: unassuming at first glance, yet displaying great character upon closer inspection. 100% Vermentino from sandy, gravelly soils at an altitude of 50 metres – close enough to the coast for the sea breezes to sweep over the vines every day. Hand-harvested in the cool morning hours, fermented in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, 30 days on the fine lees with daily batonnage, followed by a further two months in steel.

In the vast plain surrounding Bolgheri – nestled between the rolling hills of the Alta Maremma and the nearby Tyrrhenian coast – Vermentino thrives in ideal conditions. The vines benefit from the interplay of sea breezes and warmth, from sandy, well-drained soils and careful harvest at optimal ripeness. Guado al Tasso uses these grapes to produce a precise, clearly defined white wine with a Mediterranean soul and remarkable vibrancy.

"Fruits that bear abundantly" … that is the meaning of the name. Sciala conjures up images of golden grapes in the warm light of the Gallura autumn. Here, millennia-old tradition and modern precision come together to create a Vermentino that is regarded as the defining wine (not only) of Surrau. The grapes come from the estate's finest plots: historic soils with a granite subsoil, perfect drainage, a constant breeze, and the grapes are rigorously selected to capture the full potential of all their components. After only a brief period of skin contact, gentle fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by around six months' ageing on the fine lees, resulting in a balanced and distinct style.

A photo from 1955 adorns the bottle: Elliott Erwitt's "California Kiss", two lovers in the mirror of a car. When Trudie Styler tasted the first sip of this Vermentino, she spontaneously found the name – "like a kiss on the lips". The fact that the wine was released in March 2021, when the world was hungry for closeness, lends it additional poetry. Incidentally, it is the first white wine that Riccardo Cotarella vinified for Il Palagio – a tribute to Trudie's love of elegant Bianchi. The hand-picked Vermentino grapes ferment at a controlled temperature in stainless steel, and a short maturation period preserves the vibrant freshness.

The Riviera Ligure di Ponente is not an easy landscape. There is little space between the sea and the Alps – the vineyards climb up terraces of dry stone walls, the slopes are steep, the paths winding, the harvest almost exclusively by hand. It was in this solitude that Riccardo Bruna began bottling his family's Pigato in 1970 – a bold decision at the time for a grape variety that hardly anyone knew. Majé is Bruna's most accessible Pigato: from the iron-rich, argillaceous soils around Ortovero and Ranzo, 200 to 300 metres above sea level, just 20 kilometres from the coast. Gentle pressing, fermentation and ageing in steel – the result is the character of this terroir in its most direct form.

In 2008, the Mazzei family embarked on an agronomic and oenological research project designed to answer a single question: can Vermentino truly be a great wine in the Maremma? Not merely pleasant or agreeable – but great. Deep, complex and suitable for ageing. The answer came with the 2021 vintage. The former "Codice V" became "Belguardo V" – and with it, the very first Vermentino Superiore Maremma Toscana DOC ever to appear on the market. The "Superiore" stands for a conviction that took 13 years to realise, until the wine had earned that designation.

It took great courage when Michele Satta produced the first Vermentino in Bolgheri in 1984 – at a time when the appellation had only just been established and white wine still seemed unthinkable in a region dominated by red wine. Costa di Giulia, named after a vineyard at the foot of Castagneto Carducci, began life as a single-varietal gem made from Vermentino, until Satta took a far-reaching decision in 1997: the addition of 40% Sauvignon Blanc was intended to give the wine more character and a sweeter, more extract-driven, broader finesse.

"My research into the world of white wines led to the creation of this unconventional wine. I have always realised that the most interesting aspect of Vermentino is in the skin. It is a delicious grape to eat, rich in aromatic notes. That's why I wanted to vinify Vermentino from the Le Gonnare vineyard, a small plot planted in 1987, and leave the skins to macerate with the must for 6 days during alcoholic fermentation. This has led to more aroma and the characteristic golden colour without making it heavy. A full-bodied and at the same time very cheerful wine." Fabio Motta

A white wine that immediately tells of south-west Sardinia as soon as it touches the palate. Villa di Chiesa originates from the sun-kissed slopes of the lower Sulcis near Porto Pino – calcareous, sandy soils and a sea breeze provide the aromatic essence of this characterful cuvée of Vermentino and Chardonnay. Even the name refers to history: "Villa di Chiesa" was once the medieval name for Iglesias, the town near which viticulture, mining and culture are closely intertwined – a subtle nod to the deep roots of this wine in the local context.

In Liguria, the question of whether Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape variety is answered with a Ligurian shoulder movement. Bruna cultivates both, appreciates both and gives each its own space. Vermentino grows in Valle Arroscia on loose, stony soil made from weathered sedimentary rock – lighter and more permeable than the Pigato plots, aromatic earlier, with a characteristic saltiness. 100% Vermentino, hand-picked, gentle pressing, fermentation in steel at a controlled temperature, short bottle ageing.

Vermentino can get burnt. Too much direct sunlight before the harvest and the berry loses its aromatic precursors – the bouquet flattens out, the palate becomes broader, oilier, with an almond-accentuated finish that conceals terroir instead of revealing it. This is a well-known pitfall on the Tuscan coast. In Montebamboli, it is deliberately avoided. The training is programme: Guyot on both sides, foliage kept dense so that the fruit zone remains in the shade. Only the shadiest grapes are harvested, where diffuse light protects the flavour. End of August, beginning of September, by hand, with careful selection. Cooled to 3°C overnight, then whole bunch pressing, static clarification. Fermentation 70% in steel at 18–20°C, 30% in new barriques. Six months on the fine lees with regular bâtonnage, six months in the bottle.

Vermentino is generally regarded as an everyday wine at a good level. Fresh, aromatic, made for summer. Vigne Surrau challenges this assumption with its "Life Edition". The same Vermentino, the same granite weathered soils of Arzachena in Gallura – but a radically different idea behind it: What happens if you give Vermentino time? Real time, that is. Hand-picking from mid-September, cooling immediately after destemming, short maceration at low temperatures, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 16 to 18 °C with bâtonnage. Up to this point, the Life Edition corresponds to the famous Sciala. Then comes the difference: 12 months of ageing in equal parts in 225-litre Liters containers and Liters concrete vats – two neutral, low-oxygen vessels that mould the wine without overlaying it. Then at least 9 months in the bottle.

The grapes come mainly from the historic Russeghine vineyard above the town of Ranzo Borgo. The character of the Pigato here is of particular depth and minerality, which is due to the exceptional terroir and the long maturation on the fine lees. Bright straw yellow in colour with light green reflections. Fragrant nose of herbs, yellow fruit and traces of pine resin. Full and long-lasting flavour with beautiful spiciness and aromas of citrus and almond, then again this beguiling, deep minerality at the end. SUPERIORE.DE