Garantito IGP: The Times, They Have Changed

This time I take the Stand:



In 1997 I went to talk with Sean O'Calaghan at Riecine, and came away much impressed by the wines he and John Dunkley were making, especially the 1994 Chianti Classico Riserva (you'll find the writeup here). Neither of us could have guessed that 1997 was destined to be a turning point: it is becoming increasingly apparent that with that year the weather patterns in Chianti Classico changed.

Before then, Sean says, the summer generally "broke" in mid August, with a week or so of rains, and then warmed again, though usually without reaching the searing summer temperatures, and grape ripening continued though the months of September and into October, when the harvest of the red varietals began, and could continue into November. This aiming for polyphenolic ripeness (ripeness of the tannins and other compounds responsible for the characteristics of the wine), which lags behind sugar ripeness; Sean says that if the weather held they got it, whereas if it started to rain they brought the grapes in. They had to struggle to reach alcohol contents of 12%, while lack of acidity (and the freshness it brings) was never a problem.

1997 was the first really hot year, with heat that carried unbroken into September -- rather than the rainy spell of old, under the new weather pattern there are huge thunderstorms and the sun comes back out -- and the effect on the growing cycle is dramatic: the vines shut down and ripening stops until the temperatures fall off in later September. Sean says they do get phenolic ripeness in the end, but with high sugar contents that lead to wines with 14-15% alcohol; the PH goes up, acidity goes down, and because of this the wine is less stable and more susceptible to Brettanomyces, a decidedly unpleasant alteration.

The post-1997 wines tend to be riper and richer, he says, though there are some exceptions -- 1998, for example, was cooler and he likes it better than the 97 -- and required an adjustment to technique that has taken a number of vintages to figure out; the end result is wines that "will compete more readily with the inky black stuff from around the world."

And the adjustments are on-going; in 2009 Sean decided to do something about excessive alcohol, leaving more bunches on the vines, which as a result distribute the sugars through a larger volume of grapes, keeping concentrations lower, and also leaving more of the leaf canopy to protect the grapes from excessive sunlight. Come September they work through the vineyards, gathering the least promising third of the bunches to make rosato, while the better bunches stay on the vines to finish ripening.

The difference between the 2008 and 2009 vintages is quite apparent. The 2008 Chianti Classico, which was a hot vintage (and such that there will be only a little La Gioia and no Riserva), is brambly on the nose with fairly rich fruit, and on the palate light, ripe, and with a touch of overripeness that translates into softness, while the tannins are brambly and flow into a brambly finish. I found it undecided, wavering along the line between ripe and overripe, like a tightrope walker on a wiggly rope. 14% alcohol.

2009 was cooler, so Sean left a larger fraction of grapes on the vine into September, but did shade everything with the leaf canopy. The 2009 vintage is deep cherry ruby with a deft bouquet that has berry fruit and spice with floral accents and violets; it's much fresher than the 08, and also livelier. The same freshness and life comes though on the palate too, where there is a livliness to the acidity not present in the 08, fresher fruit as well, while the tannins seem somehow smoother because they are better balanced by the acidity. In short, I found it to be a breath of fresh air well worth seeking out. About 13% Alcohol.

This June, as we talked and sipped, looking out over the vineyard below the winery buildings (trained in the Alberello or shrub technique, which Sean likes because there are no wires, though because of the way Sangiovese grows it is difficult to manage) Sean said that the growing cycle was about 3 weeks ahead of schedule. If it cools some, or drought stress kicks in the cycle will slow, but those are ifs.

Looking forward, Sean says winemakers in Chianti (and elsewhere, I would add) have to figure out how to work with the heat, changing viticultural techniques and adjusting winemaking to compensate for it

He is leaving more grapes on the vines to distribute the sugars through a greater volume, and then harvesting some while letting the rest ripen fully. The fresh rosato is a positive development (the rosato he used to make by bleeding some of the must off the top of the fermentation tanks to increase the concentration of what remained was 14% alcohol), while he is also thinking about picking some of the Sangiovese even earlier, when it is more acidic, to make something bubbly, a Blanc de Noirs.

There is by now little doubt that times are changing, and it is going to be very interesting to see how people adapt. Sean, it seems to me, is setting out on a good path.


Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Another Quick Look At Carpenè Malvolti

I have always enjoyed Carpenè Malvolti's wines, and make a point of stopping at their stand during Vinitaly to taste both their Prosecco and their Arte della Spumantistica wines, wines made primarily from other grapes (and from other regions).

Their Prosecco is a solid interpretation of the varietal, which is consistent from vintage to vintage and quite pleasant to drink, especially if you find the higher acidities that generally are associated with Champagne or some of the other more "serious" sparkling wines a bit much, while the latter are quite interesting and quite enjoyable.

Carpenè Malvolti Cuvee Brut 2010
Pale papery white with fine intense perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with savory notes and some fresh floral accents, and hints of apple as well. Nice balance. On the palate it's bright, with lively apple fruit supported by fairly bright apple acidity and by the sparkle, which confers a lively fullness. Quite approachable, and will drink nicely either as an aperitif or throughout a meal built around cheeses (risotti and such), fish, or white meats.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Cuvee Storica 2010
This is their classic Prosecco; it's pale brassy white with brassy reflections and intense perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with apples and slight crisp sweetness that gives the apples a granny smith cast, and some acidity as well. Nice balance and inviting. On the palate it's bright, and moderately sweet, with fairly rich apple fruit that gains creaminess from the sparkle, and support from deft granny smith apple acidity, and flows into a clean fresh apple finish with underlying sweetish minerality. Quite approachable, and will work very well as an aperitif. It's a little more languid than the cuvee brut, and a touch sweeter, and as a result is perhaps less suited to the table.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti Cuvee Oro Prosecco Dry 2010
Brassy white with fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fairly sweet, with delicious apples and some mentholated spice, supported by some sugars. On the palate it's full and fairly sweet, with delicious apples supported by sparkle, which confers creaminess, and apple acidity that flows into a fairly long clean apple laced finish. Its quite approachable in a sweeter key -- that's what Dry is -- and will work well as an aperitif if you prefer somewhat sweeter wines, or with friends at poolside or in the evening as the stars come out. It's not, to my way of thinking, as well suited to being drunk with a meal.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Petit Manseng Brut 2010
Ale brassy white with brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with floral accents and some savory notes mingled with slight savory notes. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich bitter minerality supported by some honeysuckle and slight orange peel with hints of candied orange bitterness, and it flows into a clean savory finish. Approachable, in a fairly delicate key, and will be a pleasant aperitif, while it will also work well with delicately flavored dishes throughout a meal.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Viognier Brut 2010
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim, and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with delicate citrus laced acidity -- oranges and hints tangerine -- supported by airiness and some herbal accents. On the palate it's fairly rich, and though brut not bone dry; there's moderately intense lemony fruit supported by warmth and minerality, and creaminess form sparkle, which flow into a fairly long orange and tangerine finish witl underlying minerality. It will be nice as an aperitif or with the meal, working well with fish and also delicate white meats.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Cerszegi Brut 2010
Brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim, and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fresh and rich, with elegant lemony fruit supporte dby peppery notes and a certain airiness that is also the sparkle, and by some floral accents as well. On the palate it's full and fairly rich, with clean bright mienrlaity and some candied orange peel with the bitterness that comes from the caramelization of the sugars, and pleasant savory underpinning that carries through into the finish, which is fairly loing and rather peppery. Quite enjoyable, and will work well as an aperitif or with grilled fish, inclusing fattier fish such as salmon.
2 stars

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Kerner Brut 2010
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is rich, with floral accents and white berry fruit supported by deft white berry fruit acidity and some sweet notes; it's quite pleasant and very fresh. On the palate it's rich, with powerful apple fruit laced with some loquat acidity and supported by clean minerality, while the sparkle confers a pleasant fullness, and it flows into a clean bright berry fruit finish with slight peppery notes from the sparkle and sea salt that leaves one wanting another sip. Quite pleasant and will work beautifully as an aperitif or throughout the meal. Quite enjoyable.
88-90

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Rosato Brut 2010
Pale pink with salmon reflections, white rim and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is delicate, with some red berry fruit and moderate mineral acidity; it's quick to write but quite harmonious and pleasant. On the palate it's ample, and rich, with fresh raspberry fruit supported by pleasant mineral acidity and by sparkle, which confers fullness, while the finish is long and mineral, leaving the palate quite clean. It's quite approachable and will work very well as an aperitif, and also throughout the meal; expect people to like it and ask for more.
90

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Cuvée 1868 Brut 2010
This is a special wine developed for Italy's 150th anniversary, from Prosecco, Verdiso, Boschera, Pinot Bianco and Incrocio Manzoni. It's brassy white with bright brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense and complex, with citrus -- orange -- and apple fruit mingled with spice and some minerality, and some greenish vegetal accents as well. Nice depth and pleasingly complex in a young key. On the palate it's full, with bright mineral laced apple fruit that gains direction from some sour lemon acidity and is supported by creamy pepperiness form sparkle, and flows into a clean bright sour aplle finish with underlying peppery notes and sea salt. Pleasant, and will work nicely as an aperitif or with the meal; it's not quite as bright as some of the others but displays a little more depth.
88-90

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Gewürztraminer Brut 2010
Brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is elegant, with fairly rich floral accents supported by slight sea salt and deft acidity. Quite refreshing. On the palate it's fairly full, with delicate lemony fruit supported by pleasant minerality and some greenish accents that flow into a fairly long lemony finish with greenish mineral underpinning. It's quite approachable, and very much alive thanks to its acidity, and will drink nicely as an apritif or with flavorful fish, including salmon, or also creamy dishes, and if you wanted to do something decidedly adventurous you moght serve it with fried fish and vegetables.
90

Carpenè Malvolti L'Arte Spumantistica Cartizze 2010
Cartizze is the finest hill in Prosecco, and it is in a way surprising that Carpenè Malvolti waited so long to bring out their wine from the hillside's vineyards. It's pale papery yellow with brassy reflections and very fine very intense perlage, and has an elegant bouquet with apples laced with some crisp notes and slight apple acidity; the overall impression is one of considerable harmony. On the palate it's rich, with powerful apple fruit supported by mineral acidity that has some granny smith overtones and slight sweetness, not so much as to make it cloying -- by a long shot -- and it flows into along clean granny smith apple finish with slight sweetness. Quite nice, and will work very well as an aperitif, or with the meal; it's a wine that will drink very well with the meal and that will also be nice with friends far from the table, say when the stars are coming out as the sky darkens in summer.
90-91

Terre del Principe and Nanni Cope: Seeking Pallagrello

I met Karen Phillips, an American wine writer who lives in Naples, last year at Mastroberardino's stand, where we tasted some impressive older wines. This year before Vinitaly she asked me to stop by some friends of hers, at a winery called Terre del Principe. It was my first stop, and an excellent beginning to the show.

Terre del Principe is in the Alto Casertano, between the Taburno and Monte Matese. The area is well ventilated, with sandy marine soils that are quite fossiliferous, and also contain clays and volcanic sediments.

They work with a number of older indigenous varietals, in particular Pellagrello, of which there are both white and red versions; in the white the bunches have small tightly packed berries that ripen very well if left to their own devices; they used to harvest at the end of September but now harvest earlier to obtain greater acidity from the grapes. They have been working the vineyards for more than 20 years, and have some vines on native, prephlloxera rootstock.

As is the case with many more obscure indigenous varietals, they initially had problems with the wine bureaucracy, which didn't recognize the varietal, and went so far as to fine them for putting its name on their labels. That is fortunately a thing of the past.

Pellagrello Rosso ripens later, in late October - early November. The grapes are thick skinned, and this is a good thing because the bunches are tightly packed, and the thickness of the skins helps protect the grapes from rot, as do the steady breezes. At harvest the grapes are covered with pruina (Watson kylephillips nacheroo), which makes them look pale

Pallagrello Rosso is an interesting varietal, which goes in a different direction than the French varietals; there's not that soft smoothness to the tannins one finds in Merlot (and to a lesser degree in cabernet) , but rather a degree of zesty aggressiveness.

The Wines:

Terre del Principe Fontanavigna Pallagrello Bianco IGT Terre del Vulturno 2010
This is fermented in steel. It's pale papery white with slight greenish reflections. The bouquet is delicate, and savory, with some mineral acidity and quite a bit of sea salt. Fresh, and considering how young, promising too. On the palate it's bright, with rich tropical fruit -- pineapple -- that's not sweet, however, and backed by considerable savory minerality that flows into a finish an Italian would say is sapido -- salty -- and this is a good thing. It will drink very well with fish, especially grilled or fried, and also with risotti and vegetable based pasta dishes -- not tomato, but green vegetable. A very pleasant discovery. Also is quite ageworthy.
2 stars

Terre del Principe Le Sèrole Pallagrello Bianco IGT Terre del Vulturno 2010
This is a cru, and is barrel fermented , a long slow fermentation that takes several months with battonage, and is then bottled. This is the last vintage that they will be releasing the spring after the harvest -- the 2011 will be held in bottle for an additional year prior to release. Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is elegant, with considerable finesse, and delicate white flowers with some savory minerality, though it's not as pronounced as in the basic wine. Harmonious. On the palate it's elegant, with rich pineapple fruit that is again not sweet, supported by considerable minerality that is slightly more polished, an effect of barrel fermentation, and also savory accents that are present but not as brash. If the former was a bit of a tomboy, here she has an evening gown and the transformation is impressive. Very nice, and will work well with foods, fish but also white meats, and vegetable dishes, and would be nice as an aperitif too.
90

This is Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia, the other varietal they work with

Terre del Principe Roseto del Volturno IGT Terre del Volturno 2010
Pale pink with white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and tart acidity. On the palate it's delicate, with moderately intense savory raspberry fruit -- savoriness considerable here too -- and by tannins that are light, and it flows into a decidedly savory finish. Pleasant, in a light simple key, and will drink quite quickly with summer foods, would be a good picnic wine or with simple summer dishes such as -- thinking of Tuscany -- panzanella. Expect it to go quickly. More savory and less fruity than some.
1 star

Terre del Principe Castello delle Femmine IGT Terre del Volturno 2009
Near their winery there is a castle that has a castrum femminarium, where young women went to learn how to be sirens before being admitted Alfonso d'Aragona. Hence the name of the wine, which is a blend of Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia; it's fairly deep ruby with black highlights and brilliant ruby reflections, and has a deft bouquet with ripe red berry fruit supported by graphite shavings and slight iodine with mineral acidity and some sea salt. On the palate it's medium bodied, with moderately intense rather dry berry fruit supported by tannins that are fairly dry, and flow into a clean dry finish. There's a hint of balsam to it, and chestnut leaf bitterness that is grape not wood,a nd because of it I wouldn't recommend one drink the wine by the glass far from the table. It will however work quite well with foods -- meats with red sauces, for example, or rich pasta dishes -- supporting rather than hogging the stage, and go quickly.
2 stars

Terre del Principe Lambruco Pallagrello Nero IGT Terre del Volturno IGT 2008
Deep pigeon blood ruby with garnet highlights and purple in the rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with red berry fruit supported by toasted hazelnuts and spice, with a fair amount of alcohol as well, and peppery spice. On the palate it's fairly rich, with berry fruit supported by moderately intense tannins that have a dusky overlay that's more grape than oak, and flow into a clean cedar laced finish with some toasted almonds and lasting warmth. It's charged -- lots of alcohol -- and isn't a wine to be drunk by the glass, but will drink well with hearty roasts or stews, and will also age nicely for 3-5 years.
2 stars

Terre del Principe Centomoggia Terre del Volturno IGT 2008
This is Casavecchia, an indigenous varietal of the Province of Caserta that draws its name from the discovery of a vine near a Roman house, hence the name. It's present in the older vineyards, but little else is known about it. Impenetrable pyrope with cherry rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with prune and plum fruit, a mix of ripe and slightly dried, supported by alcohol and some cedar with a fair mount of peppery spice as well. Nicely balanced and fairly fresh. On the palate it's fairly rich, with clean bright prune fruit supported by savory notes and moderate mineral acidity that flows into a clean fresh savory finish with some tannic underpinning that has a mix of cedar and vanilla to it, from grapes. Pleasant, and an interesting discovery; it's the sort of wine that will attract wine lovers because it's unusual, and that their friends will then enjoy, assuming they drink it with a hearty stew, or a pot roast even.
2 stars

Terre del Principe Vigna Piancastelli Terre del Volturno IGT 2008
This is a blend of Pallagrello and Casavecchia from a single vineyard, and every year the label, done by an artist friend, changes. It spends 12 months in barriques and is bottle aged for another 18 prior to release. The bouquet is fairly rich, with alcohol and berry fruit supported by balsamic notes and some sea salt, with underlying spice as well. On the palate it's full and rich, and also a touch sweet -- some of the Pallagrello grapes are late harvested in December, and this has an impact -- with smooth sweet tannins and fairly bright acidity that flow into a clean fresh finish. It's quite elegant, and more polished than the other wines, and is also more approachable, thanks to the sweetness, which also confers a rich smoothness to it. In short, if you're traditionally minded and have experience with Campanian wines it isn't necessarily your glass. However, if you're more generally minded and enjoy rich nicely fruit driven wines you will enjoy it considerably. In terms of accompaniments, hearty stews and roasts.
88-90

Terre del Principe Vigna Piancastelli Terre del Volturno IGT 2007
Impenetrable pyrope -- poured ink -- with violet pyrope rim. The bouquet is deft, with rich prune plum fruit supported by some cedar and delicate spice; it's quite harmonious, and as it opens some graphite shavings also emerge. On the palate it's bright, with slightly richer fruit than the 2008 -- more berry fruit and a touch more acidity -- supported by moderately intense smooth sweet tannins and by fairly bright acidity that flows into a clean bright sour cherry plum finish. Pleasant, and will drink quite well with roasts or stews; it is a bit brighter than the 2008, and a touch defter on its toes, though it displays a similar richness and approachability, and the comments for the 2008 vintage also apply, perhaps even to a greater degree.
90

Nanni Cope

Terre del Principe impressed me enough that upon leaving the stand I immediately looked about for others pouring Pallagrello and came across Nanni Cope, a young winemaker who has recently begun working with vineyards dating to the 80s -- and therefore mature -- which are planted atop sandstones, which are less fertile than the volcanic soils commonly found in Campania.

Nanni Copé Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco Terre del Bosco Terre del Volturno IGT 2008
This is a blend of Pallagrello with some Aglianico and a touch of Casavecchia; it's impenetrable pyrope with slight hints of almandine -- the color is a touch orange. The bouquet is intense, and brooding, with balsam-laced spice and red berry fruit supported by minerality and savory notes, with hints of lathered horse as well. On the palate it's medium bodied, and deft, with lively acidity supporting sour cherry fruit and tannins that are decidedly savory, and flow into a warm savory tannic finish with considerable minerality. It's quite deft, and very fresh, and also particular; if you like the style, which is bright and brash, you will enjoy it considerably. If you prefer smoother softer wines it will leave you perplexed, tho9ugh if you give it some thought you may find yourself enjoying it. If you are instead more traditionally minded (for want of a better term) you will enjoy it considerably.
88-90

Nanni Copé Sabbie di Sopra il Bosco Terre del Bosco Terre del Volturno IGT 2009
Slightly deeper ruby that has more purple to it -- youth. The bouquet is rich, with elegant sour red berry fruit supported by minerality and some savory accents and pleasant acidity. Considerable finesse, and brighter than the 2008. On the palate it's medium bodied and bright, with lively sour berry fruit supported by bright sour cherry acidity that has some brambly greenish accents, and by tannins that are smooth and glancing, and flow into a long warm sour berry fruit finish. Quite pleasant in a bright scrappy key, and will drink very well with roasts or stews, or even an elegant platter of fried meats and vegetables. It's not a wine for everyone, but if you like brash bright wines you will enjoy it very much.
90-91

Garantito IGP: Pisciotto, Cilento - Rinaldo Merola's Trattoria Angiolina

This time Luciano Pignataro takes the stand:

Inns are dying; long live inns! Our daily lunch is quick, in some cases emerging from vending machines in our workplaces, and in others taken while standing at a bar. And then there are the Agriturismi people frequent because everything they offer is cheap, despite the fact that the food sometimes isn't worth even what little it costs.

In Naples were once a thousand inns, of which no more than a hundred survive. And out in the country they're going under too, one by one.

This is why when one comes across a real, traditional inn, one must go at once. Rinaldo is tall, blond, and blue-eyed, like his mother, who opened the inn not far from the train station in Pisciotta, in the heart of the Cilento region near Capo Palinuro; there's lots of Norman and Lombard blood in these parts, especially in hamlets that were long isolated.

The trattoria opened its doors 50 years ago, first to slake the hunger of the workers building the second track of the Tyrrhenian rail line, and then that of passersby. Tourism, which is reserved and aristocratic in these parts, has allowed the Trattoria Angelina to survive without sacrificing its identity in the slightest.

Here quality is called to compete with home cooking, mastery that transforms food into gastronomic artistry and restaurant portions! Spaghetti with menaica alici http://www.alicidimenaica.it/ (alici are close relatives of sardines), locally caught using the looser-woven nets of an ancient Greek technique that gives extraordinary results, because only the larger fish are caught, is biblical in its volume. And the Alici salad overflows the plate even if one orders a half-portion.

There are also new dishes, for example spectacular mussels and beans.

The Cilentean Sea displays a generosity rarely seen elsewhere: for 10 months out of the year there are fewer than 50,000 people along a hundred kilometers of coastline. The silence of the seasons is a prize for those who love this cuisine.

There is the daily catch, but above all two classic dishes. This first is ciualedda, prepared with the of the Mediterranean: hot peppers, eggplant, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and basil, all seasoned with oil from Pisciottane olives, harvested from huge, centuries-old trees -- there are about 600,000 olive trees Pisciotta, Ascesa, and the nearby towns. The other dish is cauraro, made with fava beans, alici, and wild fennel fronds.

The desserts are by Ivana, Rinaldo's wife.

At Angelina you will find the slow pleasant rhythms of the past, especially if you come in the off season.

30-40 Euros, and wines from Campania and Cilento.

Ristorante Angiolina
Via Passariello, 2
Pisciotta (SA)
Tel. 0974-973188
Closed Sunday evening and Monday
Vacation: November to Easter





Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Angiuli Donato: Eye-Opening Wines from Gioa Del Colle and the Val D'Itria, Revisited

Donato Angiuli is a small winemaker located in Gioia del Colle that Enzo Scivetti introduced me to last year at Vinitaly. The wines were a revelation then and continue to be one now. Truth be told, Enzo took me to see him because of a white, rather than the reds that are the mainstay of production, and I returned as much for it this year as for the reds.

A word of explanation: Though the winery is located in Gioa Del Colle, they also have some vineyards in the Valle D'Itria, home to some of Puglia's finest white wines, and in addition to making a Verdeca, are reviving an almost forgotten grape called Maruggio, which they are producing in a sparkling version that is -- so far as I know -- unique.

It's sparkling, and though the sparkle is obtained through bottle fermentation it's not obtained by the Metodo Classico. Rather, they ferment the wine almost to completion in tank, and then bottle it, thus capturing the last of the gasses produced by the primary fermentation, and producing the sparkle. The bottles are then disgorged, topped off, and recorked, and that's it.

Sounds odd, but Donato says it's how the farmers of the area used to make a little sparkling wine, and when the university people who are studying Maruggio suggested he make it sparkle, he decided to use the old technique.
Angiuli Donato Spumante Binaco Brut
This is from Maruggio and is bottle fermented (look up last year) Pale milky yellowish white with fine intense perlage. The bouquet is fresh and savory with considerable sea salt and some yeasty notes that almost bring whey to mind, and also some citric accents. On the palate it's full, with the fullness coming from both wine and sparkle, and decidedly savory, with underlying minerality and slight citric accents that fade as the finish come forth, giving way to the mineral acidity that continues throughout, mineral accents, and slight sea salt. It's a very, very different sparkling wine and one that isn't for everyone, but if you like deft savory sparkle supported by mineral acidity you will enjoy it. It stands out, and is worth seeking out if you like this kind of wine.
2 stars

This year, something new:

Angiuli Donato Spumante Rosato Brut
This is made from Malvasia Nera and Montepulciano, with indigenous yeasts as is the case with the Bianco. It's pale slightly cloudy pink with fine white perlage, and has a bright bouquet with savory notes mingled with raspberries and some vegetal accents. Bracing. On the palate it's dry, with mineral laced sour berry fruit supported by mineral acidity and savory accents, with some underlying bitterness, that carry into the finish. It's not quite as full as the Bianco because the sparkle isn't quite as powerful, but does have considerable character, and if you like this sort of thing you will enjoy it. It's not for all, but will hit the spot perfectly for some and be a nice apritif
2 stars

Angiuli Donato Maccone Moscato Bianco Puglia IGT 2010 This is dry, to go well with crustaceans and other things along those lines. The wine is brassy yellow with bright brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is elegant, with rich slightly greenish honeysuckle supported by clover honey and some dried apricot with underlying savory accents. It's quite pleasant to sniff, and has a lot to say. On the palate it's ample, and dry (as dry as a Moscato can be), with rich loquat and dried apricot fruit supported by deft apricot acidity that gains depth and complexity from considerable savory notes, and flows into a clean savory loquat laced finish with some minerality as well. Very nice, and will work well with crustaceans, and also be a nice wine for antipsti, especially fish or cheese based, and I could see it working well with a frittata on a hot summer's day.
90-92

Maccone Rosso Vino Da Tavola
This is a 2008, obtained from red grapes (Primitivo) trained in the Alberello, or bush style. 17 gradi, 17% alcohol. It's impenetrable pyrope with cherry rim, and has an elegant bouquet with prunes and cherry fruit supported by deft sandalwood and spice with some hints of bramble as well. Quite harmonious. On the palate it's full, and rich, with sweet plum cherry fruit supported by warmth and cedar laced tannins that flow into a fairly dry finish with underlying tannic bitterness and more sweetness that is a consequence of alcohol; it's absolutely classic and very pleasant, and if you like this sort of extreme Primitivo (which isn't for everyone) you will enjoy it very much.
88-90

Maccone Primitivo Dolce Puglia IGT 2007
This is again from vines trained in the Alberello style. It's impenetrable pyrope with cherry rim, and has a powerful, sweet bouquet with iodine laced jammy plum fruit and some savory balsamic accents, also slight seas alt. Quite a lot to say. On the palate it's full and sweet, with rich plum cherry fruit supported by tannins that have some sandalwood accents, and as the richness of the fruit fades some warmth that continues at great length, while the fruit works from underneath to provide a sweet counterpart. It's very fine, and a superb expression of Primitivo Dolce, which I would rank among the finest sweet wines in the world, bar none.
92-3

Nicola Bergaglio: A Quick Vertical

Nicola Bergaglio is one of the stauncher traditionalists in Gavi, and when someone mentioned that he was serving up a vertical at his stand in Vinitaly, I hurried over. No need for conversation with wines like these:

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2005
Lot 120 06
Brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is intense, with berry fruit supported by acidity and minerality with some petroleum accents and a greenish spicy underpinning. Refreshing. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony fruit supported by languid lemony acidity and some spice, and it flows into a clean bright citric finish with a tart underpinning. Elegant and very fresh, with lively bracing acidity that provides a nice counterpoint to the fruit, which is lemony bit also rather languid, and flows into a clean greenish finish with considerable lasting warmth. Quite pleasant and still very young.
91-2

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2006
Lot 1507
Pale greenish brassy yellow with brilliant green reflections and brassy highlights. The bouquet is intense, and more herbal than that of the 05, with hints of butterscotch supported by vegetal acidity and in tense heather with a slight savory underpinning. On the palate it's ample and languid; it's considerably softer than the 05 though it does display pleasant lemony acidity and is supported by slight tannins from grape; it gives an impression of being from a warmer vintage and is graceful in an approachable key. I would serve it with grilled or roasted fish, or with cheese dishes.
88-90

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2007
Lot 1308
Brilliant brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense, with elegant white berry fruit supported by lively berry fruit acidity and some mineral accents coupled with greenish notes and sea salt. Nice balance and pleasant to sniff. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by deft lemon acidity that flows into a long tart citric finish with mineral accents. Quite pleasant; it's graceful and very fresh, with lively acidity, and will drink well with fried fish or meats, and also with egg or cheese based dishes.
90-91

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2008
Lot 2009
Pale brassy white with greenish highlights. The bouquet is fairly intense, with bright lemony accents supported by heather and minerality and some underlying vegetal notes. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemon fruit supported by slight brambly accents and lively acidity that flow into a clean fresh slightly greenish finish that goes on and on. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well with grilled or fried fish or meats; it will also age nicely for a number of years.
88-90

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2009
Lot 0510
Brassy yellow with brassy reflections and greenish gold highlights. The bouquet is fresh and rather young with vegetal notes and honeysuckle mingled with lively lemony fruit and though it is quick to write it also displays considerable harmony. On the palate it's ample and languid with elegant lemony fruit supported by moderately intense lemony acidity -- less than in the other vintages -- and some savory accents. It's a touch softer than its siblings, and not as bracing, and this is the heat of the 2009 summer at work.
2 stars

Nicola Bergaglio Minaia Gavi di Gavi DOCG 2010
Lot 0411
Brassy yellow with brilliant golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is promising for a just-bottled wine, with greenish vegetal accents mingled with honeydew melon and some sour pineapple acidity. On the palate it's elegant, with lemon-laced honeydew melon supported by bright citric acidity that is quite long, and flows into a lengthy tart finish. Impressive for a freshly bottled wine,a nd I would expect it to improve markedly over the next months and years.
92

What to say? That Gavi can age very well, and that though the Italian restaurant crowd invariably asks for and pushes the most recent vintage, with Nicola Bergaglio's Gavi you'll be much happier if you give it more time. The 2005, after 6 years, was perfectly fresh and eminently drinkable, though it can also stand to age further, at least 3-4 more years and perhaps longer.

I finished with:

Nicola Bergaglio Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2010
This is their base wine; it's lively brassy gold with brilliant brassy reflections and some greenish highlights. The bouquet is delicate, with lemony fruit supported by floral accents and savory notes; it's quite refreshing, in a more direct key than the Minaia. On the palate it's ample with bright lemony fruit supported by lemony acidity that flows into a long citric finish. Very pleasant, and is clearly cut from the same cloth as Minaia, but just as clearly a lesser sibling. It will work very well with foods.
2 stars

Garantito IGP: The Mead Poet

This time Carlo Macchi takes the Stand:



Take me, on a hot summer day, add a good, young Verdicchio producer (Andrea Felici, whom our readers know), mix well in the cool hall of a restaurant (Il Marchese del Grillo; if our readers don't know of the place they soon will), and what do we have? A top mead (and honey) maker.

It's clear that as math goes this is leaky, so let me explain myself better.

I was having lunch with Andrea Felici in the cool depths of the Marchese del Grillo in Fabriano, when the conversation turned to honey. We had gotten there from the love of the establishment's owners for local foods, and Andrea had said, "For example, you should meet the only young mead-maker in the area."

Mead? The concept attracts. Unfortunately, they tell me he makes just a few hundred bottles a year, and it's very hard to come by. They also tell me he makes extraordinary honey that recently won an important award. I'm a bit nonplussed, but what's a body to do? The conversation continues until I see Andrea peeing into the depths of the hall, and say, with a smile, "You wanted the mead maker? There he is!"

And almost by magic I find in front of me Giorgio Poeta, who hadn't come to eat, but rather pay his respects (that's what people used to say) to the young chef, and owner, of the establishment. Before the respects, however, I see he's got what looks like a half-full jar of honey in his hand. Presentations and a few words, but my attention's fixed on the jar, which has an amber liquid that even I in my ignorance recognize to be honey. He says it's unusual and gives us a taste: excellent but odd, with hints of vanilla and peat; he say's it's aged in barriques, and we discover it's the honey that won the award.

Those who know me know that my hair stands on end at the mention of barriques in wine, and can imagine what I feel about their being used elsewhere. Seeing that the honey really was good, I try to overlook this and steer the conversation to mead. Do you think I didn't insist he go home to get a bottle? Of course I did, and after a 40-minute wait (spent happily eating) he reappeared with a bottle of mead in hand. I said bottle, not labeled bottle, because he hasn't started to sell it yet.

Indeed, Giorgio, who has a degree in agriculture and is a beekeeper because he loves it, only fell under their thrall 7 years ago. After his fate, almost as a joke, give him two hives, he started to make top quality honey, selling it locally. Hand-crafted, but labeled too. Young people do have to try new things however, and that's why he thought of mead, which was traditionally made in the area.

At this point, in the interest of clarity I'll let him speak:

"We start from honey. The use of honey with powerful aromas makes for distinctive meads. I use honey from Stachys Officinalis, a betony of the Labiatae Family that is unique because it grows on the wheat stalks if they are not plowed under immediately after the harvest. Fabriano and the surrounding area are the only places in Italy where this honey is made. It's elegant, moderately sweet, and in color resembles acacia. The preponderance of fructose with respect to glucose (structural isomers) make it crystallize even more finely during the fall, becoming almost white. "Now that we've said what honey we use, the procedure. What I do is my technique, and I don't want to imply that what others do is wrong. This is simply what I do. "Forts of all, to fully amalgamate water and honey, something that usually doesn't happen, you have to warm everything, though never more than 45 C (about 113 F), because at higher temperatures the enzymes in the honey can break down. With everything well amalgamated I let the mixture rest for a day in a cool, dry, dark place, and then transfer it to an acacia cask, sealing it with a fermentation lock because fermentation does produce Co2. Not immediately; I prefer selected yeasts of the kind used for white wines, and add them to the cask after four days. The fermentation is like wine fermentation, with the only difference being that almost all of the sugars become alcohol, resulting in an alcohol content of 15-16%. "The remaining sugars could make the mead cloyingly sweet. Aging in acacia wood reduces this sensation, while filtration can also help reduce sugar content, though only at the end of the fermentation. I think that to obtain a drier mead, one should increase (and I do do this) bottle aging to at least 9 months, for a total of 6 months in wood and 9 in bottle."

Got that? Now I expect you're wondering what this mead is like. Patience, let's first think about what to drink it with (I know, I should first discuss it, but I like keeping you in suspense). Are you familiar with those (for me useless) jars or jams and honeys people serve with cheeses? Well, you can toss them, because the perfect accompaniment to moderately aged cheese is Giorgio Poeta's mead.

Intense straw yellow, powerful nose, smelling -- obviously -- of honey, but also blossoms and white berry fruit. On the palate, despite its being made from honey it's not at all overly sweet. Very well balanced, thanks also to its concentration, about 10%, is not just a drink, but an alcoholic drink that can easily match a good wine. In short, it's good! The finish isn't overly sweet, but clean, and leaves one ready for another sip.

Now I can hear you wondering where to find it, since it's unlabeled and so on. You'll have to contact Giorgio Poeta. A word of advice: When you call, ask if he has some honey, like the jar he gave me. I finished it in 10 days, and I usually don't eat honey.

Last thing... The hunt is on to find a name for his mead. Even though it works well with cheese (and more), I modestly suggest "Ape Ritivo."

Note: Carlo is making a horrid play on words; Aperitivo is Aperitif.

Azienda Agricola Poeta
Via Dante 71/E
60044 Fabriano (AN)
Tel.3283787555
Website: www.giorgiopoeta.com





Published Simultaneously by IGP, I Giovani Promettenti.

We Are:
Carlo Macchi
Kyle Phillips
Luciano Pignataro
Roberto Giuliani
Stefano Tesi

Vernaccia di San Gimignano: The 2010 Vintage, Mostly

Tuscany is primarily known for red wines, and justly so. However, the town of San Gimignano has always been known for its white wines, and in particular a white made from a grape called Vernaccia, whose origins are shrouded in the mists of time; some say it was brought by the Etruscans, and by the Renaissance it was firing the imaginations of poets and kings. And it was because of this historical renown that it was the first Italian wine to receive DOC status when the appellation system was set up in the early 1960s.

Unfortunately, as Riccardo Falchini once said to me, in the centuries after the Renaissance warfare and turmoil swept away most of the region's enological traditions. Thus, most of the modern (as of 1966) white wines of San Gimignano bore little resemblance to their ancestor; in short order Vernaccia acquired a reputation of being light and spritzy that has still not been dispelled today, despite tremendous improvements in quality, especially on the part of the leading vintners.

Part of the problem is that Vernaccia grape is not noble, and therefore requires careful cultivation to low yields and superb technique to give good results; even today there are considerable differences in quality and much is still spritzy. Why do vintners persevere with it rather than plant Chardonnay? Because it's distinctive and unique, and the best is excellent: Powerful and full-bodied, with a rich, heady bouquet and a crisp clean taste that lingers long on the palate, a golden-hued wine that both warms and inspires. As Montenidoli's Elisabetta Fagiuoli observes, "it is really a red wine made from white grapes."

The Vernaccia appellation is fairly small, about 850 hectares of vineyards, planted on Pliocene hilly terrains of an average altitude of 280 M ASL around the town of San Gimignano; the soil types are primarily argille sabbiose (sandy clays) and sabbie gialle (yellow sands). The predominant varietal is, as one might expect, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, though the DOCG regulations allow a maximum of 15% non-aromatic white, or 10% aromatic, e.g. Sauvignon, varietals to be added. While I did find a couple of wines with Sauvignon, the most popular blending varietal is Chardonnay, which is not as popular as it was in the past. In other words, people are concentrating more on their Vernaccia.

The vineyards are primarily trained to the Guyot system, with a minimum planting density of 3000 vines per hectare, which many producers exceed by a considerable margin. The total allowable yield per hectare is 90 quintals, and many harvest much less.

The harvest generally falls between September and October 15, and is followed by temperature controlled fermentation; some producers ferment everything in steel or cement vats, while others barrel ferment some of their wines. The minimum alcohol level for Vernaccia di San Gimignano tout court is 11%, and the wine can be released in the spring following the harvest. There is also a Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva, which must be at least 11.5% alcohol, and must be aged for a year, at least four months of which in bottle,, prior to release. As general notes, most Vernaccia di San Gimignano is more than 11% alcohol, sometimes considerably more, and though some producers do make the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva, it is not as popular.

A few words on the vintage: 2010 was difficult in Tuscany. June and July were quite cool, and wet too, which means that the growing cycle was somewhat behind schedule. August was instead quite hot, searingly so, and the vines, which had become accustomed to the cooler temperatures of the early part of the season, did not react well; acidities dropped, and consequently many of the vintage wines revolve more around minerality than acidity.

The picture changes with the 2010 vintage selections, which were made with the best grapes: here acidities are livelier and duet with minerality, making for wines that are on average considerably more interesting.

In addition to the vintage selections I tasted the 2008 Riserva, which was more of a mixed bag. Some of the wines are quite elegant, whereas others came across as trying too hard and as a result coming up short.

I also tasted a number of white IGT wines; with these the winemakers are free from the strictures of the Appellation, and can consequently do as they will. Though there were a couple of notable exceptions, these wines are clearly intensed to be approachable and easy to drink. Not quite quaffing wines, but very nice in the hotter summer months.

And finally, San Gimignano, lime many other parts of Italy, is showing renewed interest in Rosati. Some are made from grapes grown specifically to become rosato, whereas others are the result of the salasso technique, in which the winemaker draws off some of the must from the tanks that will yield red wine to increase the concentration of what remains; this must is pale pink and when fermented becomes rosato. Again, perfect wines for the summer months, and I enjoyed some of them considerably.

Winding down, I am much indebted to Elisabetta Borgonovi of the Consorzio della Vernaccia di San Gimignano, who gathered samples from close to 40 wineries for me. I tasted them blind at the Consorzio in late June 2011, and they appear in the order in which the Vernaccia Base was poured.

Castellaccia

Castellaccia Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy gold with white rim. The bouquet is fresh, with some bitter floral accents and some bitter almond with savory notes as well. On the palate it's light, and quite mineral with savory notes and some underlying hazelnut minerality, flowing into a dusky savory finish. It's a little direct, and has a hint of oxidation to it; it's not a wine to set aside but will work well now with simple foods.
1 star

Castellaccia Murice Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Pale brassy greenish white with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is moderately intense, with chopped Granny Smith apples mingled with some shellac and some spice. A bit unusual and not as fresh as I might have expected from the appearance; the second bottle has less apple and a touch more shellac. On the palate it's bright and decidedly savory, and also has a rather tired feel too it, flowing into a quick savory finish. Not working too well for me.
1 star

Castellaccia Astrea Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense and fairly mineral, with spice from grape and some greenish accents mingled with bitter almond blossoms and some mineral acidity. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with more minerality and less fruit than I expected, though there is some citric warmth that provides direction, coupled with slight greenish acidity. It has an oddly empty feel to it, like a structure whose foundations and walls are solid, but that doesn't have much between them
1 star

Castellaccia Ciriole Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Lively pale salmon ruby with onionskin rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with delicate red berry fruit supported by some greenish vegetal accents and slight spice. On the palate it's bright, with lively raspberry fruit supported by peppery acidity and tannins that are light and slightly greenish, and it flows into a clean rather savory peppery finish with sour berry fruit underpinning. Direct, up front, and will work nicely with simple summer foods, or as an aperitif. It's a little too bitter to be drunk by the glass, though that flinty bitterness will work nicely with foods.
1 star

Macinatico

Macinatico Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with white rim. The bouquet is delicate with floral accents and some savory honeydew melon; it's rather graceful. On the palate it's bright, with bitter minerality and sea salt supported by mineral acidity and slight vegetal notes that flows into a rather peppery finish. Pleasant and will work well as an aperitif or with grilled or roasted fish, also with creamy white meats, and the tannic structure, which is supported by peppery accents, will make it a nice bet with sushi and similar. 2 stars

Macinatico IGT Toscana 2010
Pale white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and slight floral accents with some heather as well, and as it opens hints of honeydew melon that gain in intensity with time. On the palate it's fairly rich, with savory honeydew melon supported by loquat acidity and some savory slightly tannic notes, and slow into a fairly long tart savory finish. Pleasant in a fairly direct key, and will work well as an aperitif or with white meats or fish.
2 stars

San Benedetto

San Benedetto Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with slight greenish reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with some ripe sour lemon fruit and underlying vegetal bitterness, and also some greenish accents and slight bitter almond. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with mineral-laced white berry fruit supported by savory accents and slight acidity; it's more the minerality carrying the show, and it flows into a fresh mineral finish with some loquat accents. Fairly direct, and will drink nicely with simple fish or vegetable based dishes.
1 star

San Benedetto Vermentino IGT Toscana 2010
Quite pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with warm tropical fruit supported by slight savory accents and some greenish notes as well. On the palate it's ample and languid, with fairly rich tropical fruit supported by moderate acidity and some sweetness, which makes it considerably more approachable; it's not quite crooking a finger in a "come hither" gesture but headed in that direction, and will work well as an aperitif or with simple summer foods, and will also be nice by the glass when you want a wine but don't want to meditate over it.
2 stars

La Lastra

La Lastra Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with some greenish notes in the reflections. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some brambly heather and minerality with slight sour lemon too. On the palate it's full, and quite mineral, with some brambly tannins and underlying lemony acidity that gradually emerges, then fades to bitter, almost flinty minerality. It's straight forward, and one of those wines that will support what it's served with -- soups, simple vegetarian dishes, mildly flavored fish or white meats -- without demanding attention.
2 stars

La Lastra Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Pale brassy white with slight greenish reflections. The bouquet is moderately intense, with loquat and some heather mingled with some pineapple and other ripe tropical fruit. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich tropical fruit supported by mineral acidity and savory minerality that brings struck granite to mind, and flows into a long tart mineral finish with lasting underlying bitterness. Pleasant and approachable in a powerful key, and will work well with rich grilled or roasted fish -- salmon, even, and also with white meats, while one could also press it into service with white meats, or mixed fried meats and vegetables, and, given its body, Chinese including dishes from the more flavorful schools, such as Hunan.
2 stars

Il Palagione

Il Palagione Hydra Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections. The bouquet is savory with some hops -- the kind used to make beer at home, and I don't remember enough from my home brewing days to be able to say which -- with some sea salt as well, and some heather too. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich minerality and some vegetal-laced bitterness that is also supported by flinty tannins from grapes, and flows into a bitter mineral finish. Fairly direct, and will drink nicely with grilled or roasted fish; it's a wine that will work well with what it's served with, supporting but not demanding attention.
2 stars

Palagione Enif IGT Toscana 2010
Pale greenish white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up sea salt and heather mingled with bright sunny accents. Quite up front in a tomboyish sort of way. On the palate it's savory, with lemony fruit and acidity that flows into a savory finish; it's again quite up front, and will work well as an aperitif if you like this sort of tartness, though I would perhaps think to serve it with fried fish or fried meats, and fried vegetables. Expect it to go quickly in the proper setting, and that would include cookouts.
1 star

Fontaleoni

Fontaleoni Notte di Luna Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is mineral with some vegetal accents, heather, bitter almonds and sea salt. On the palate it's fairly rich, with minerality and some lemony mineral acidity, and also a slight languidity that flows into a savory finish with some mineral accents and acidity. Pleasant, and will work well with grilled ro roasted fish, and also with simple white meats.
2 stars

Fontaleoni Etichetta Verde Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy greenish yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is brambly, with savory almond blossom and almond fuzz supported by greenish vegetal accents and bitter minerality. On the palate it's quite mineral, with gunflint bitterness and savory accents supported by some savory minerality, and it flows into a decidedly mineral finish with lasting bitterness. Pleasant in a mineral key, and if you like this style you will enjoy it considerably. If you prefer whites with more fruit you may initially be perplexed, but then find it has something to say.
2 stars

Fontaleoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Brilliant brassy gold with brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with butterscotch and some citrus mingled with greenish accents and slight lactic acid and some mentholated notes. On the palate it's ample, and rather soft, with moderately intense sour lemon fruit supported by languidity and some greenish accents, with tannins that are greenish and have a flinty burr. It's a bit less lively than some, revolving more around minerality than acidity, and brings to mind someone who is muscular but not really tight.
1 star

Fontaleoni Casanuova Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Brilliant brassy gold with pale greenish highlights and brassy reflections. the bouquet is moderately intense, with gunflint bitterness mingled with some vegetal notes as well, and some mineral acidity. On the palate it's rather languid, with moderately intense loquat fruit supported by minerality and loquat-lemon acidity, while there is also a savory underpinning that flows into a rather savory finish with underlying slightly bitter minerality. It's a touch laxer than some, but harmonious, and will drink well with somewhat simpler fish or white meats.
2 stars

Cesani

Cesani Vincenzo Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and slight vegetal accents with sea salt and hints of bitter almond. On the palate it's bright and savory, with lemony acidity supported by minerality that brings granite to mind, and flows into a fairly bright savory finish with lemony underpinning. Pleasant and bright, and will work well with fish, white meats, and also has just enough verve to work with fried fish or meats and vegetables.
2 stars

Cesani Vincenzo Sanice Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2008
Pale brassy gold with greenish highlights and brilliant brassy golden reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with honeysuckle and butterscotch mingled with slight greenish notes and some gunflint; there's also some mineral acidity, and underlying mentholated accents that add depth. On the palate it's fairly bright, with lively lemony fruit supported by gunflint bitterness and spice, and by warm savory accents that flow into a fairly long savory gunflint laced finish. It's pleasant in a middle of the road key, and will drink well with both fish and white meats.
2 stars

Cesani Serarosa Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale salmon orange with onionskin rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some raspberry fruit and some acidity, and some heather as well. On the palate it's direct, with moderately intense berry fruit supported by acidity and to a greater degree by gunflint minerality, while the tannins though light do have a slight burr, and flow into a savory finish. A simple, direct cookout or picnic wine.
1 star

Rocca delle Macie

Rocca delle Macie Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with slight greenish reflections. The bouquet is greenish, with almond blossoms and fuzz supported by gunflint bitterness and some savory accents. On the palate it's fairly rich, with savory minerality supported by lemony acidity and bitter almonds, which flow into a warm tart bitter almond finish with a bright savory underpinning and slight tannins with hints of greenish minerality. Pleasant, and will work nicely with grilled or roasted fish, simple white meats, and also be a good with cheese or vegetable based pasta or risotto.
2 stars

Casa alle Vacche

Casa alle Vacche Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale greenish brassy gold. The bouquet is moderately intense, with greenish minerality and sea salt supported by some peppery bitterness. On the palate it's ample and languid, with pleasant savory bitterness supported by sea salt and some peppery accents that flow into a clean savory finish. It's ample and rather languid, and will work well with grilled or roasted fish, and also with simple vegetable based pasta and risotto dishes.
1 star

Casa alle Vacche Crocus Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Pale brassy yellow with slight greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with floral notes and sea salt, and also some savory accents. On the palate it's bright, with brambly sour lemon fruit supported by considerable savory minerality tan by light brambly tannins that hayve a warm burr and flow into a fairly long savory sour citric finish. It's young, and rather charged, and will work well with flavorful fish or white meats, and also has the capacity to age nicely for several years.
2 stars

Casa alle Vacche Macchioni Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is riper than some, with loquat fruit supported by acidity and greenish bitter almond accents, with some savory spice as well, and some underlying bitterness. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with warm flinty lemony fruit supported by lemony acidity and savory gunflint bitterness, and it flows into a warm citric laced savory finish with bitter accents. It's big boned, with considerable flesh to it that isn't as tightly defined as some; were it a teen I'd say it still had its baby fat. Pleasant to drink, but not as tight and interesting as some.
2 stars

Casa alle Vacche Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Lively pink with white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with berry fruit laced with some greenish acidity and spice, and also some savory accents, and greenish spice. On the palate it's deft, with fairly bright berry fruit supported by savory notes and moderate sour berry fruit acidity, while the tannins are light and dusky, and flow into a tart sour berry fruit finish with greenish vegetal underpinning. Powerful, and will work better with foods than by the glass.
1 star

Società Agricola Rubicini

Società Agricola Rubicini Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with white rim. The bouquet is decidedly mineral with greenish vegetal accents and sea salt, and has some deft greenish mineral acidity -- not quite gunflint -- as well. On the palate it's bright, and mineral, with gunflint bitterness and sea salt that work nicely together and flow into a clean rather bitter mineral finish with lasting savory accents. It's direct and up front, and will work well with foods, in particular lighter summer dishes or fish or white meats.
2 stars

Società Agricola Rubicini Etherea Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is powerful, and decidedly greenish with a great rush of bitter almonds mingled with minerality and vegetal notes that bring artichoke stems to mind, mingled with slight honey sweetness and some honeysuckle. Quite a bit going on in a charged key; it stands out. On the palate it's again powerful, with bright sour gunflint supported by sea salt and flinty peppery notes, and by slight bitter butterscotch, which flows into a dusky savory finish with lasting gunflint bitterness. It's pleasant in a muscular charged key -- though there are some subtle aspects to the wine that emerge if one thinks about them, it's not a subtle wine by any means -- and will drink well with flavorful fish, ranging from fried fish to hearty fish stews, and also work well with creamy white meats.
2 stars

San Quirico San Quirico Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Deep brassy white with some hints of green in the reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, and rather mineral, with some sea salt as well, and greenish vegetal accents and some spi8ce from grapes. On the palate it's more languid than I expected, with savory minerality supported by some mineral acidity, but not the strong savory accents I expected; and flows into a decidedly savory rather mineral finish. Pleasant in a savory mineral key, and will work well with simple foods or be a nice aperitif. Not quite bracing enough for things such as fried fish or meats.
2 stars

San Quirico I Campi Santi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2005
Pale brassy green with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and slight butterscotch with some spice as well. On the palate it's ample, with fairly bright mineral laced sour lemon fruit supported by tannins that have a flinty burr and flow into a clean rather mineral finish with lasting citric acidity and savory accents. I'd expected a little more from the nose, but the palate is quite in keeping with the cool wet weather of the 2005 summer, and the wine will work quite well with foods.
2 stars

San Quirico Isabella Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2005
Pale brassy gold with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with sour lemon fruit supported by the pungent notes white develop with time, and by fairly bright acidity, with some gunflint as well. On the palate it's fairly rich, with savory lemon fruit supported by savory minerality and tannins that have a slight greenish burr, and flow into a long savory finish with lasting warmth. Pleasant, and will work well with foods, though it's a little too lax to drink by the glass and sit thinking about now.
2 stars

Fornacelle Fornacelle Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some mineral notes and slight wet paper; one has the impression that it hasn't recovered from filtration yet. On the palate it's savory, with some minerality and some acidity, and overall fairly direct, flowing into a clean mineral finish. Some loquat.
1 star

Vagnoni Vagnoni Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy green with greenish highlights and white rim. The bouquet is savory, with some languid sea salt and hints of hops (the kind used to make beer) mingled with some greenish vegetal notes and bitter languid, with savory minerality and sea salt mingled with slight loquat. On the palate it's savory, with some sour loquat fruit and fairly intense minerality that flow into a clean mineral finish with sour slight bitter underpinning. It's fairly direct, but pleasant to drink, and will work well with fish or white meats; they say that Vernaccia is a red wine in white clothes and this matches that description.
2 stars

Vagnoni Mocali Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some butterscotch and languid tropical fruit mingled with some savory notes. A bit more butterscotch than the others. )On the palate it's ample and languid, with lemony fruit laced with butterscotch that carries into a fairly long lemony finish with some hints of butterscotch and sea salt. It's fairly international in style, and if you like the style well made. If you prefer Vernaccia that's more traditional it will work less well for you.
1 star

Vagnoni Mocali Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Brassy yellow with brassy reflections. The bouquet is deft, with minerality and some gunflint supported by slight greenish accents and some bitter almond, while there is also citric fruit and acidity, and some menthol. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by deft mineral laced citric acidity and by tannins that have a slight peppery burr, and flow into a long mineral finish with citric underpinning. Deft, with considerable power and studied elegance; it will work well now with hearty fish or creamy white meat dishes, and also has the wherewithal to age nicely for a number of years.
2 stars

Vagnoni Fontabuccio Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Brassy gold with bright brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, and more savory than some, with deft minerality supported by fairly rich bitterness. Harmonious. On the palate it's quite mineral, with warm minerality supported by mineral acidity that has slight hints of citrus to it, though there is also struck granite, and a savory underpinning that coupled with warmth flows into a fairly long finish that has a flinty bitterness to it too. Pleasant, and will drink well with flavorful grilled or roasted fish, and also age nicely for 3-5 years.
2 stars

Vagnoni Pancolino Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale salmon pink with white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish floral accents mingled with some red berry fruit and spice. Quite fresh and nice balance. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour forest berry fruit and raspberry fruit supported by a mixture of sour cherry raspberry acidity and tannins that are light and have some peppery accents, and slow into a clean peppery finish with a savory sour berry fruit underpinning. Pleasant and will drink nicely as an aperitif if you want a rosè, or with picnic or cookout foods.
2 stars

Fattoria San Donato Fattoria San Donato Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is savory, with some minerality and lemony acidity mingled with some loquat and supported by slight greenish accents. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony fruit supported by savory acidity and minerality that gives a nice underpinning, and it all flows into a clean savory finish with loquat fruit that adds depth. Pleasant, in a bright key, and will work well as an aperitif or with flavorful fish or white meats (creamy), and also has the verve necessary to work well with fried fish or meats and vegetables; I would also be tempted to serve it with sushi, In short, versatile.
2 stars

Fattoria San Donato Benedetta Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2007
Pale brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some butterscotch and some spice, supported by slight smoky accents and some gunflint bitterness. On the palate it's ample and languid, with moderately intense savory minerality supported by mineral acidity and slight gunflint greenish accents, which flow into a clean fairly bright greenish finish. It's ample and rather languid, and if you like the style you will enjoy it. If you prefer wines that are tighter and more together it will work less well for you.
2 stars

Fattoria San Donato Angelica Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2008
Deep brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is deft, with lemony fruit laced with citric acidity and some bitter almonds, and supported by butterscotch and some savory minerality laced with gunflint, Quite a bit going on, in a fairly modern key. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich minerality and citric acidity more than fruit, and also a fairly rich gunflint bitterness, while the tannins are slight and have peppery accents, flowing into a clean peppery finish. Pleasant in a middle of the road key, and will work quite well with foods, though there is an aggressiveness to the gunflint that will make it not perfect for everyone by the glass.
2 stars

Poderi del Paradiso

Poderi del Paradiso Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Deep brassy gold with some greenish highlights and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with lemony fruit mingled with scalded milk and some spice, and also some greenish vegetal accents. With time the scalded milk gives way to hints of cedar and savory hops. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with sea salt and lemony fruit supported by some bitterness and slight acidity, and it flows into a fairly long rather bitter mineral finish. It's ample, and rather soft, though there is quite enough acidity to provide direction.. It's a wine that will work well with simple foods and won't be overly demanding at table, and there is very much a place for these wines in the world. A second bottle would be nice.
1 star

Poderi del Paradiso Lo Cha IGT Toscana 2010
Pale greenish white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense,with ith greenish accents and bitter almond mingled with floral notes and some heather. Graceful in a fairly direct key. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with fairly intense loquat fruit that has some green apricot overtones, and is supported by bright green apricot acidity that has slight peppery accents, and flows into a fairly long loquat-green apricot finish with considerable peppery bitterness. It's quite up front, with a brashness that brings a teen giving a "who me" sort of look to mind, and will work well with grilled or fried fish or meats, and also be a nice cookout wine.
2 stars

Guidi

Guidi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with almond fuzz and bitterness mingled with some citric acidity and slight loquat, and also savory notes and minerality On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with considerable sea salt and some lemony acidity that flow into a clean fairly bright mineral citric finish. It's ample and fairly direct, and will drink well with simple foods; I might have liked a bit more tightness, but it is well balanced and at peace with itself, so my desires are merely quibbling.
1 star

Guidi Chardonnay Vino Bianco IGT Toscana 2010
Pale brassy white with bright brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with floral accents mingled with minerality and slight hints of honey, and some savory heather as well. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour loquat and lemon acidity supported by considerable black pepper and some spice, which flow into a fairly long sour loquat finish with some hints of green apricot. It will work nicely as an aperitif or with simple summer dishes, and be quite versatile too.
2 stars

Cecchi

Cecchi Montauto Montauto Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Greenish brassy yellow with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is unusual, and much more aromatic than most, with gooseberry and floral accents mingled with sea salt and mineral acidity; to be frank it brings a Sauvignon to mind. On the palate it's ample, and bright, with lively gooseberry sour lemon acidity supported by languid notes and slight sea salt, and it flows into a clean lemony gooseberry finish that ends with savory bitterness. It's quite distinct from the other wines poured at the tasting, but also lively, and if you like the style you will enjoy it. If you prefer the minerality and bitterness that are more Vernaccia's stock in trade, especially in this vintage, it won't work as well for you. Were I to judge on typicity alone I would have scored it lower.
2 stars

Panizzi

Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with minerality and some mineral acidity, and also some vegetal notes and heather from a Tuscan field in summer. On the palate it's bright, with lively minerality supported by lemony acidity and some peppery spice that flow into a clean savory mineral finish with underlying lemony fruit. Pleasant in a fresh rich key, with slight hints of languidity, though they are just hints, and it will work quite well with flavorful fish or white meats, and also has the acidity to work well with fried meats and vegetables. Or fish.
2 stars

Panizzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Deep greenish brassy yellow with bright brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with tropical fruit laced with some balsamic accents and warmth, and also sea salt. On the palate it's ample, with rich languid lemony fruit supported by fairly intense acidity and by tannins that have a peppery flinty burr and flow into a fairly long peppery finish that resolves into savory accents. Bright, with nice depth, and will drink well with foods, though it's a touch course to be drink by the glass.
2 stars

Panizzi Vigna Santa Margherita Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with mentholated gunflint and some savory notes with underlying hints of butterscotch (from grape) and slight balsamic accents, also greenish vegetal notes. On the palate it's ample, with fairly rich lemony fruit that has some underlying honey suckle sweetness to it, and warm flinty acidity that has a flinty burr, and flows into an ample savory gunflint finish. It's harmonious in a softer more mineral key, and if you like this style, which is a touch laxer because there's less acidity to keep it taut, you will enjoy it.
2 stars

Panizzi Ceraso Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Deeper almost brick pink; no salmon here and almost a light red as opposed to a rosé. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some red berry fruit and slight acidity, and with time yellow peaches. On the palate it's fairly rich, with cherry and raspberry fruit supported by berry fruit acidity that has some mineral accents, and by light tannins that flow into a fairly long sour berry fruit finish. It's closer to a red in some ways, though remaining very much a rosé. I'd have liked a little more verve to the nose, which isn't quite up to the palate, though as it opens it does come closer.
1 star

Mattia Barzaghi

Mattia Barzaghi Impronta Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is mineral, with some savory bitterness and heather; there are also hints of bitter almond mingled into the minerality. On the palate it's bright and mineral with lively mineral acidity and some loquat fruit supported by peppery spice and some savory notes that flow into a clean savory mineral finish with slight loquat underpinning. Bracing, and will work quite well with foods, ranging from grilled or roasted fish through white meats, and also rich risotti or vegetable or fish based pasta dishes. Quite a bit going on in a fairly powerful key, and it's still coming together.
2 stars

Mattia Barzaghi Cassandra Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Pale brassy green with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with butterscotch mingled with berry fruit and tropical fruit, and supported by some loquat acidity. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with bright sour lemon loquat fruit supported by minerality and sour lemon acidity, and by tannins that have a slight mineral burr and flow into a fairly bright greenish mineral laced finish that's quite long, fading into bitter savory accents. It will be versatile, working well with a variety of flavorful fish and creamy white meats, and also with fish or vegetable based pasta dishes and risotti. Also some oriental, sushi and moderately spiced Chinese.
2 stars

Mattia Barzaghi Zeta Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy whitish gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense, and decidedly more vegetal than most, with brambly gunflint as well that brings to mind hammer-struck granite, and some savory notes and acidity; it's still coming together in a fairly powerful key. On the palate it's fairly rich, with more languid than expected sour lemon fruit supported by mineral warmth and slight scalded milk, while there arte also savory accents and it flows into a mineral finish with citric underpinning and savory bitter notes. It's somewhat more languid than some, and if you like the style you will enjoy it.
2 stars

Mattia Barzaghi Sorriso Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale salmon with white rim. The bouquet is deft, with sour berry fruit supported by spice and slight greenish accents, and hints of sandalwood spice. On the palate it's fairly rich, and savory, with bright sour berry fruit supported by berry fruit acidity and tannins that have a slight peppery burr and flow into a clean sour berry fruit finish. Deft, with nice finesse, and will work well as an aperitif or with foods. Expect it to go quickly, and to want more.
2 stars

Guicciardini Strozzi

Guicciardini Strozzi Titolare Strozzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy green si brassy reflections and pale greenish highlights. The bouquet is fairly rich, and more floral than most, with a degree of sweetness as well and slight spice supported by bitter almond fuzz; it's almost giving a come-hither look. On the palate it's ample, with savory minerality and white berry fruit laced with hints of butterscotch and bitter almond that flow into a fairly bitter finish with some savory underpinning and hints of butterscotch and smoke. It's a bit more opulent than some, and also breaks from the field with respect to the flavor cast and a certain opulence; if you like the style you will enjoy it, but it's not standard Vernaccia.
1 star

Guicciardini Strozzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some citric acidity and slight brambles laced with butterscotch. Niced epth and balance, though it gives an impression of youth. On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony fruit supported by clean mienrlaity and some peppery spice, and flows into a bright citric finish with some peppery accents. Pleasant, and will work quite well with foods; it displays pleasing verve and liveliness in a bright muscular key.
2 stars

Guicciardini Strozzi 33 Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with loquat fruit laced with slight honeydew melon and some honeysuckle, also slight clover honey, and some greenish honeysuckle accents. Not much acidity, however, and it gives an impression of roundness. On the palate it's brighter than I expected with lively loquat fruit supported by gunflint minerality and considerable flinty sea salt that also has some peppery accents, and flows into a fairly bright long savory finish with underlying tart lemony loquat acidity. It's a big wine, with a nice balance between acidity, fruit and minerality in a slightly more languid key than some, and will work well with fish or white meats, while I would also be tempted to serve it with Chinese dishes, both meat and fish based, and also with raw fish.
2 stars

Guicciardini Strozzi Arabesque Vermentino IGT Toscana 2010
Brassy yellow with brilliant straw yellow reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense and savory, bringing hops to mind, and supported by some floral accents as well and slight greenish notes. On the palate it's ample and languid, with fullness coming more from glycerin and minerality than fruit or fruit 8or even mineral) driven acidity; it isn't empty, but not as full as I had expected wither, and the wine revolves more around minerality and bitterness than acidity, which I find to be more interesting.
1 star

Fattoria Pietrafitta

Fattoria Pietrafitta Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and brilliant brassy highlights. The bouquet is muted, though some minerality and slight heather emerge, supported by some sea salt. On the palate it's ample and languid, with moderately intense acidity and some minerality, which provides the fullness, and flows into a languid mineral finish. It's a big wine, and approachable, but not really tight, nor with verve; it will work well with foods however and won't hog the limelight.
1 star

Pietrafitta La Costa Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Pale greenish white with white rim. One of the palest and coolest looking wines; there's almost no yellow to it. The bouquet is moderately intense, with mentholated accents and some pine pitch mingled with spice and slight butterscotch that develops into hints of Sapone di Marsiglia. On the palate it's fairly rich, with bright savory lemon fruit supported by peppery accents and fairly rich loquat acidity that flow into a clean fairly tart finish with some hints of butterscotch that provide softness in the finish. It's brash, with the pepperyness in the mouthfeel contributing to this, and will work well with foods now; it has the acidity to age well for a number of years, but I would drink it sooner to enjoy its freshness.
2 stars

Fattoria Pietrafitta Borghetto Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense with loquat fruit supported by some honeysuckle and some mineral acidity, while there is also some heather and hints of honey. On the palate it's bright, with lively brambly mineral laced savory citric supported by some gunflint and by slight tannins from grapes that have a flinty feel to them, which flow into a fairly long mineral finish with a flinty citric underpinning. It's pleasant, and will work well as an aperitif or with foods -- it has the power to work with fried fish or meats, and the elegance to work with grilled or roasted fish, and also elegant white meats -- and also the wherewithal to age well for at least 5 years.
2 stars

Cappella Sant'Andrea

Cappella Sant'Andrea Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale bassy white with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with bitter almonds and some minerality mingled with some greenish accents and spice, and very slight gooseberry. Fairly direct, in an up front key. On the palate it's ample and languid, with minerality more than acidity carrying the show, and flows into an ample mineral finish. The minerality does carry the show nicely, but I'd have liked a touch more acidity to provide brightness.
1 star

Cappella Sant'Anndrea Rialto Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is powerful, and decidedly brambly with greenish vegetal accents supported by mentholated spice and the heather from a field cut in the summer months, and also some almost balsamic acidity. Quite charged, and very intense. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by balsamic accents and warmth, coupled with citric acidity and tannins that have a slight flinty burr and flow into a long mineral finish with gunflint bitterness and some vegetal notes. Pleasant, in a more powerful key that demands to be noted -- if you like more delicate wines it won't work as well for you -- and will work well with flavorful foods, ranging from fried fish or meats and vegetables through flavorful grilled fish -- fish steaks topped with a tomatoey sauce that also has capers and onions comes to mind. It will do a fine job of supporting richly flavored foods and will also age nicely for several years.
2 stars

Cappella Sant'Andrea Tramontano Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale salmon with onionskin rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some red berry fruit supported by lactic acidity and some greenish vegetal accents and slight peppery spice. On the palate it's fairly bright, with moderately intense raspberry cherry fruit supported by berry fruit acidity and some minerality with hints of gunflint that flow into a fairly long bitter finsh. Direct, and will work well as a picnic or cookout wine, or with simple summer dishes.
1 star

Colombaio Santa Chiara

Colombaio Santa Chiara Selvabianca Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy gold with brilliant greenish highlights and brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with marked vegetal notes mingled with spice and some heather, and also very slight honey sweetness. On the palate it's ample, with savory lemony fruit supported by some bitter accents and fairly bright minerality that flow into a clean savory citric finish. It's an ample, rather languid wine that will work well with foods, ranging from fish or vegetable risotti through green pasta sauces and flavorful, not too fatty fish or white meats.
2 stars

Colombaio Santa Chiara L'Albereta Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2009
Brassy gold with golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish accents and butterscotch mingled with some sea salt and some underbrush, also spice. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with white berry fruit supported by moderate mineral acidity and by tannins that have a hint of butterscotch to them, and flow into a warm fairly long butterscotch laced finish. It has digested -- successfully -- a little more oak than I might have liked. If you like the style you will enjoy it, but I found it a touch too disciplined.
1 star

Le Rote

Le Rote Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some heather and slight greenish notes as well, and some sea salt and slight hops. On the palate it's fairly rich, with peppery spice and bitter minerality supported by hints of gunflint and lemony acidity that flow into a fairly long mineral finish with a slight peppery tannic underpinning and hoppy bitterness.
2 stars

Melini - GIV

Melini - GIV Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with pale greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, with hints of minerality and some wet paper that's the filtration, and will fade, while there is also some greenish notes and heather from a cut field. On the palate it's ample and languid, with sea salt and minerality supported by some citric acidity, though what carries more is the minerality, and it flows into a clean savory finish. It is ample and rather languid, with minerality and bitterness that give it depth, in a substantial key, well thewed and solid.
1 star

Melini - GIV Le Grillaie Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy greenish white with slight greenish accents and white rim. The bouquet is delicate, with bitter almonds and some greenish mineral accents mingled with gunflint bitterness and some citric spice. On the palate it's ample and rather languid, with pleasant bitter minerality mingled with citric acidity and some greenish brambly accents that provide depth, while the finish is quite savory. Pleasant in a slightly softer middle of the road key, and will work well as an aperitif or with white meats or fish.
2 stars

Melini - GIV Poggio a Rosi Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale pink with rosy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is deft, with moderately intense berry fruit supported by hints of roses and some citric acidity, which adds depth. On the palate it's fairly bright, with sour cherry and forest berry fruit supported by moderate acidity and some greenish accents, and by tannins that are smooth and sweet and light, flowing into a bitter savory finish. It's fairly direct, and will work nicely as an aperitif or with picnic foods.
2 stars

Cà del Vispo

Cà del Vispo Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and yellow rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and spice, and some gunflint as well. On the palate it's bright, with lively savory minerality supported by lemony acidity and sea salt, which flow into a bright savory finish. Pleasant, in a fairly rich key, and will work very well with foods.
2 stars

Cà del Vispo Vigna in Fiore Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Brassy gold with white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with butterscotch and spice supported by slight scalded milk and some acidity, and by some spicy mentholated accents, and as it opens nice honeysuckle too. Nice balance. On the palate it's bright, with rich lemony fruit supported by slight honeysuckle sweetness, savory tannins and some bitter notes that flow into a fairly long tart savory finish. Quite pleasant, and will drink very well as an aperitif or with elegant fish dishes.
2 stars

Cà del Vispo Segumo IGT Toscana 2008
Pale brassy straw yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with haunting greenish vegetal accents with some gooseberry notes supported by heather and warm savory gunflint and gunflint acidity. On the palate it's bright, with lively greenish white berry fruit supported by tart lemony acidity and by warm savory accents that flow into a decidedly savory finish with dome flinty minerality that's quite long. It's charged, a wine that will work well with foods as opposed to by the glass (unless you really like these kinds of savory accents), and in terms of accompaniments will be good with flavorful things such as fish stew.
2 stars

Fattoria Poggio Alloro

Fattoria Poggio Alloro Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections. the bouquet is delicate, with floral accents and heather mingled with minerality and slight gunflint; deft with nice balance though quite young. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich lemony mineral fruit supported by mineral acidity and some spice, and also savory notes that flow into a fairly long savory finish with some hints of loquat and bitter almond. Pleasant in an ample rather languid key, and will do a nice job of supporting simple summer dishes without demanding center stage.
2 stars

Fattoria Poggio Alloro Le Mandorle Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Deep greenish gold with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with butterscotch and some sweetness mingled with slight wood smoke and slight butterscotch-laced acidity. Fairly international in style. On the palate it's ample and quite smooth, with moderately intense lemony fruit supported by gunflint minerality and a smooth richness that derives from oak, which tamed the acidity considerably, and it flows into a clean butterscotch laced mineral citric finish. Pleasant in a modern key, and if you like the style you will enjoy it.
2 stars

Fattoria Poggio Alloro IGT Toscana 2009
Pale brassy green with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality and slight hints of banana peel with a slight greenish underpinning. On the palate it's direct, and mineral, with some mineral acidity and slight floral accents, and flows into a fairly direct mineral finish. I'd have liked more acidity and verve; it's rather settled.
1 star

Mormoraia

Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with savory notes and sea salt supported by some smoke and hints of stable straw; it's a bit more rustic than some but does have something to say. On the palate it's ample and languid, with loquat fruit supported by bitterness and minerality ,and some loquat acidity that flows into a fairly long savory finish with lasting mineral warmth. It's a bit more particular than some, and is a wine you will like if you like the style.
1 star

Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Pale brassy greenish gold with white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some butterscotch supported by greenish notes and some sea salt, but not much fruit nor acidity. On the palate it's a bit brighter than expected, with sour lemon fruit supported by greenish notes and some spice, and it all flows into a clean rather mineral finish. A bit more depth and elegance might have been nice; it's a touch settled.
1 star

Casale Falchini

Falchini Vigna a Solatio Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and brassy rim paling to white. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some minerality. It's not really ready yet, and needs time. On the palate it's fairly rich, with languid lemony fruit supported by herbal accents and bitter almond bitterness, while there are tannins that have slight bitter savory notes to them, and flow into a fairly long rather bitter finish. It's pleasant, and when the nose catches up with the palate, in a year, it will be rather nice in a well thewed key. It needs time.
2 stars

Casale Falchini Vigna a Solatio Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Brassy gold with golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense, with honeysuckle mingled with butterscotch and clover honey, and there are also hints of sweet dried apricots. Intense in a ripe key. On the palate it's ample and smooth, with gunflint laced minerality and some citric fruit supported by slight tannins that have peppery accents and flow into a clean savory finish with lasting warmth and underlying minerality. Pleasant, and will drink well either with foods or as an aperitif, and in a few years' time it will be nice by the glass too.
2 stars

Fattoria Abbazia Monteoliveto

Fattoria Abbazia Monteoliveto Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with the heather of a Tuscan field in summer mingled with minerality and some bitterness. Nice balance and graceful though also young. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich lemony fruit supported by bitter minerality and sea salt that flow into a fairly long savory finish with a deft mineral underpinning that has some gunflint bitterness to it. Quite pleasant in a mineral key, and if you like the style you will enjoy it considerably.
2 stars

Fattoria Abbazia di Monteoliveto Gentilesca Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Pale brassy yellow with greenish highlights and brassy reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with honeysuckle laced loquat that gains depth from brambly accents and some bitter almond bitterness, while there are also hints of graphite shavings and greenish almost artichoke stem-laced savory accents. On the palate it's full and rather languid, with ample loquat fruit that is supported by peppery spice and some loquat laced acidity, and flows into a rather languid loquat fruit finish with savory mineral underpinning and lasting warmth. It's a little bigger than some, and a touch laxer too.
1 star

Il Lebbio

Il Lebbio Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is delicate, with loquat and bitter gunflint mingled with greenish accents and some heather. On the palate it's savory, with some minerality and slight hops mingled with sea salt and citric acidity that flows into a savory fairly citric finish. It's ample and fairly direct, and revolves more around minerality than acidity, though there is quite enough of the latter to keep it on its toes and moving along. It will work well with foods, and be quite versatile at table, though you shouldn't expect something crisp and linear.
2 stars

Il Lebbio Tropie Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Brassy yellow with golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with honeysuckle and lemony acidity mingled with some greenish vegetal accents and a slight sea salt underpinning. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich lemony fruit supported by deft citric acidity and some bitter accents, while the tannins have a slight flinty burr and flow into a clean flinty citric finish. Pleasant in a rather citric key, nicely balanced by gunflint, and will work well with hearty fish or white meat dishes, and also age well for several years. It has interesting things to say.
2 stars

Signano

Signano Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is unusual, with pineapple fruit that's quite ripe, and some greenish vegetal accents supported by spice. On the palate it's more of the same, with pineapple fruit supported by minerality and sea salt, and by slight peppery accents that tingle the tongue, and flow into a fairly long mineral finish. It's not quite what I expect from Vernaccia -- tropical fruit isn't normal -- but does have a pleasing zestiness to it, and flows into a clean savory tropical fruit laced finish.
2 stars

Signano Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2008
Brassy gold with brilliant golden reflections. The bouquet is fairly rich, with butterscotch mingled with yellow berry fruit and some greenish accents, also some savory notes. On the palate it's mineral, with moderate white berry fruit supported by minerality more than acidity, bringing to mind struck granite, and flows into a savory mineral finish. It's a touch settled, and a little more acidity would have helped it to perk up some.
1 star

Signano Poggiarelli Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale greenish brassy white with brassy reflections and white rim. Looks cool, somehow. The bouquet is delicate, with honeysuckle laced citric acidity supported by some bitter almond blossoms and almond skins, and by slight gunflint. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich, fairly full lemony fruit supported by bitterness and slight tannins that have a flinty granitic feel to the, and flow into a fairly long citric finish with a savory flinty underpinning. Pleasant, and will drink well with fish or white meats, and could also be pressed into service with rich fish-based pasta sauces, including more powerful fish stews such as cacciucco.
2 stars

Signano Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pink with rose pink highlights and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense with floral accents and some forest berry fruit supported by deft slightly greenish acidity. On the palate it's fresh, and lively, with fairly bright sour cherry fruit supported by bright berry fruit acidity and tannins that are light,a nd flow into a fairly long tart finish. It's a fine picnic or summer foods wine, and because of the brightness of the fruit and lightness of the tannins will perhaps be a good bet with oriental dishes too.
2 stars

Tenuta Le Calcinaie

Tenuta Le Calcinaie Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy yellow with greenish golden reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with minerality and sea salt mingled with some citric fruit and slight tropical accents. On the palate it's fairly rich, with languid tropical fruit and loquat supported by minerality and savory acidity that flow into a fairly long mineral finish.
2 stars

Tenuta Le Calcinaie Vigna ai Sassi Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva DOCG 2007
Pale brassy yellow with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is muted, though swishing brings up some vegetal notes mingled with sea salt and some spice, and also some gunflint and hints of honey and cut apple. On the palate it's ample, with fairly bright white berry fruit supported by savory accents and some spice, and flow into a fairly long savory finish. It's a touch soft, and is also quite ample; it's a wine that will work well with foods but I'd have preferred greater tightness and acidity to drink it by the glass. Personal preference, and yours may differ.
1 star

Poderi Arcangelo

Poderi Arcangelo Terra del Lago Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2010
Pale brassy white with greenish reflections and white rim. The bouquet is intense, with delicate floral notes mingled with bitter almonds, sea salt, and some citric acidity. Nice depth and still young. On the palate it's ample and fairly languid, with pleasant minerality supported by gunflint bitterness and some mineral acidity, which flow into a fairly long clean bitter mineral finish with a pleasant savory underpinning. One can taste the ground of the vineyard, almost. It will work nicely as an aperitif, and with more delicately flavored fish or white meats, and I might also be tempted to serve it with sushi or a fish capraccio.
2 stars

Montenidoli

Montenidoli Tradizionale Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Deep brassy gold with golden highlights and brassy reflections. The bouquet is intense, with honeysuckle and butterscotch mingled with minerality and some spice, with considerable heather as well. On the palate it's mineral, with mineral acidity and some butterscotch laced warmth, and also fairly pronounced gunflint bitterness, which flow into a clean bitter savory finish. It's a touch more direct than some, and also revolves more around savory minerality and less around fruit driven acidity, though this doesn't mean it's not on its toes, because it very much is. If you like the style, which is quite muscular, you will enjoy it.
2 stars

Montenidoli Fiore Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2009
Brassy yellowish gold with brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is moderately intense, with some butterscotch and some savory notes mingled with slight spice and greenish accents coupled with heather. On the palate it's bright, with intense lemony citric supported by peppery spice and some bitterness, and also by savory accents that flow into a fairly long savory finish with minerality and some citric acidity. It's quite deft and will drink nicely with foods, and will also age well for many years.
2 stars

Montenidoli Carato Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG 2007
Pale brassy white with brilliant brassy reflections. The bouquet is deft, with delicate butterscotch supported by equally delicate citric accents and some greenish vegetal notes; there's great harmony and control and very nice finesse too. Impressive. On the palate it's rich and full, with terrific harmony between lemony fruit and deft gunflint minerality that provides support and direction without being overbearing and flows into a long savory lemon laced finish with just a hint of oak to provide direction and smoothness. A beautiful wine of the kind one hates to pour out at a tasting, and that at table will work very well with delicate fish or white meats -- you won't want an overlay brash dish lest it distract you from the wine, and in a few years you'll want to drink it with appreciative friends far from the table.
90-92

Montenidoli Il Tempalre IGT Toscana 2007
Fairly deep straw yellow with brilliant reflections. The bouquet is fairly intense, with butterscotch supported by sea salt and savory notes, and by some underlying lemony fruit, though what really comes across at present is the oak, which also has savory bitter accents. On the palate it's ample, with moderately intense lemony fruit laced with butterscotch and supported by savory notes that flow into a fairly long savory finish with a slight butterscotch underpinning and some gunflint minerality as well. It's pleasant, displaying considerable finesse in a savory slightly more oaked key, and if you like the style you will enjoy it very much even now, though I would give it time -- a couple of years at least to absorb the oak, because it has the potential to age well.
2 stars

Montenidoli Canaiuolo Rosato IGT Toscana 2010
Pale salmon with rim paling to white. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit, some sour and some cassis, supported by some vegetal notes and spice, and also by some sea salt. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour berry fruit supported by zesty acidity and some savory accents that flow into a clean savory fruit laced finish. Pleasant, and will work quite well with simple grilled meats, especially white meats, and also has the acidity necessary to work with fried meats and vegetables, or also fried fish. Versatile in a slightly aggressive key, and if you like the style you will enjoy it.
2 stars