Passione of the Week: Vermentino

Vermentino is never going to make it on to the Top 10 most popular grape varieties, not even close. By contrast, its most similar varietal, Sauvignon Blanc is among the most over ordered (sorry) down the local pub, whereas Vermentino hardly gets a look in even at the most niche wine bars. And that, to be perfectly frank, is a real shame.

The thin skins of this white grape make it best adapted for warm areas meaning that is generally grown on the coastlines and more often than not on the Mediterranean side of Italy. Wines made from Vermentino are typically crisp and delicate, with an underlying salinity due to the proximity of many Vermentino vineyards to the sea. Though this means that Vermentino is too often poured as an easy drinking, versatile wine to serve with any fish dish going, when used creatively by low intervention and natural winemakers it creates some intriguing wines. These are all of completely different characters and coming from different areas of Italy. Here’s a lowdown of our favourites.

The idyllic island of Sardinia is home to the majority of Italy’s Vermentino vines, even though it is one of the last regions in Italy to have adopted the grape. In fact, it appears that the variety was not introduced to Sardinia until the end of the twentieth century. It quickly found a stronghold in the wooded hills of Gallura to the north of the island and Vermentino di Gallura is the only Sardinian wine to have been awarded DOCG.

Our favourite Sardinian winemakers using Vermentino at Passione Vino though, do not come from this appellation (proof that DOC status is not the be all and end all). Tenute Dettori is located in an area known as Romangia, in the northwest of Sardinia. Romangia is best known for its Cannonau vines as this is the only place where this indigenous grape grows. Yet, on this fertile land that has been cultivated for winemaking for over 3,000 years a variety of grapes also flourish, including (of course), Vermentino. More specifically, the vineyards of Tenute Dettori are located at Badde Nigolosu which is a land where three different geological land eras merge with limestone, sandstone and iron-rich soils that in turn contribute to a striking biodiversity.

Vermentino vines at Dettori’s vineyard are trained in the ‘sa sardisca’ alberello system, the low height of which protects them from coastal wines, as too do stone walls that surround the vineyard. The Dettori Bianco is the more refined of the two whites produced by Dettori, as belied by its golden hue and is produced from 100% Vermentino. Fermentation and ageing in cement for 7 months leads to the expression of Vermentino in a rich, radiant way rather than the crispness that is often associated with the grape. A nose of pear, chestnut and subtle honey is offset by a dry palate with citrus notes and a soft tannins. Renosu Bianco was created as ‘an everyday wine’, but it is certainly not one you just want to knock back: it needs some consideration. The wine is a non-vintage and created from a blend of Vermentino with Moscato. Unfiltered and unfined, it undergoes a short maturation in steel tank to retain the grape’s freshness.

If Corsica has the majority share of Italy’s Vermentino vines, then Liguria is arguably where the most interesting wines are being created from the (not so) humble grape. You could partly say that this is tied to the difficulties that come with working this terroir: sharply sloping terrain that is difficult to work. Winemakers that we work with show a great respect for this terroir and into preserving the historic vineyards with decades old Vermentino vines.

To focus on the most radical, enter Il Torchio who you may already know from their pretty striking label designs and wine names … Who doesn’t want a wine called ‘Il Brutto Anatroccolo’ (The Ugly Duckling) or ‘Lunatica’ with a red-eyed, tattooed woman staring at you as you empty her bottle? To get serious for a second though, Il Torchio is run by two siblings who took over an ancient oil press (Torchio) from their father and converted it to a winery using vineyards inherited from their grandfather. Though this is a nod to their heritage, the wines of Il Torchio are anything but traditional.

Vermentino is the principal focus of their winemaking. The siblings have experimented with maceration to see how this changes the character of the usually crisp Vermentino. The Il Bianco is perhaps (unsurprisingly) the most traditional with just a few days of skin contact. This retains the freshness typical of Vermentino yet adds depth and a brackish grip. Stralunato is created from a blend of Vermentino with Moscato with 2 weeks on skin fermentation in steel tanks making it taste clean with a strong sense of citrus. Deserving of its status at the ‘crazy one’ of Il Torchio’s wines, Lunatica is 100% Vermentino with six weeks maceration in terracotta. This results in mature spices and herbal notes with a strong yet silky touch.

White wines coming from a land traditionally associated with red have to work a little harder to get a reputation beyond the local table wine. A case in point is Bolgheri. The region is generally known for its powerful red wines produced mainly from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon. Yet, Bolgheri’s DOC appellation was originally awarded to its white and rosé wines back in 1983. Unlike producers using Vermentino in Sardinia and Liguria that often blend Vermentino with Muscat, Bolgheri white wine is blended with either with Viognier (or sometimes with Sauvignon Blanc). Why? Because the French grape is known for its creamy texture and fruity notes of white peach and ripe pear that softens the crispness of Vermentino.

Giorgio Merletti Cavallari has a small vineyard in the heart of the Bolgheri appellation. It is a young vineyard, founded in 2002 and consists of 7 hectares. After training at Podere Grattamacco he acquired his own vineyards in a small area known as Castagneto Carducci. He produces his Bolgheri White DOC in a ratio of 70:30 for Vermentino to Viognier. Aged for 4 months in Acacia barrels, the resulting wines have a complexity on the nose with an intriguing play of softness and salinity in the mouth. Who said opposites don’t attract…