“L’Albereta” Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2023 (BIO)

Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara | Tuscany
Az. Agr. Il Colombaio di S. Chiara | Loc. San Donato 1 | IT 53037 San Gimignano

09730323 · 0,75 l · 42,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

The vineyard is called Racciano. Armando Castagno, Italy's leading Vernaccia expert, has carried out thorough research: the name can be traced back to "Fundus Rasianus" – land of the Rasini, a people of Etruscan origin. 2.5 hectares, east-facing, planted exclusively with Vernaccia. The Racciano plot is the sole source of L'Albereta – gran Riserva, the highest expression permitted by the Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG. The brothers Giampiero and Stefano, together with their father Mario, who still oversees the work in the vineyard today, have nevertheless decided to treat this wine differently from all the others there. And there aren't many of them.

Whole-bunch skin maceration begins in the same way as for the estate's younger wines. Then the processes diverge: spontaneous fermentation, without added yeasts, not in concrete, not in steel, but in a large oak cask. The wood is part of the wine from the very start, not just after fermentation. This is followed by a year's ageing in wood, six months in concrete tanks to preserve freshness and structure, and then a year's bottle ageing. At least two years before L'Albereta leaves the estate.

Pale straw yellow with golden highlights. The bouquet is enveloping and complex: ripe apricot, elderflower, balsamic depth from oak ageing, underpinned by a mineral edge. On the palate, it has great structure and vibrant, lively acidity that carries the whole wine and ensures a long finish. A Vernaccia with staying power, best enjoyed in a large glass, which allows it to open up over time. The Rasinier family would have recognised it. SUPERIORE.DE

"Crushed nectarines and apricots mix with smoky crushed rocks and a whiff of chamomile as the 2023 Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva L'Albereta blossoms in the glass. It is zesty within, with a core of vibrant acidity that adds a reverberation of tension as hints of sour citrus enliven its ripe pit fruits. The 2023 leaves a pinch of lemon pith concentration and finishes long and lightly structured as a saline inflection fades. In most years, I find L'Albereta to be a little too rich for my tastes, but the 2023 shows amazing balance. Consider me a fan." Vinous