Italiano
Maremma Vermentino: a DOC appellation on the rise
Maremma Vermentino is establishing itself as “the” Tuscan white, a wine that is undeniably pleasing to drink.
All of us, including our readers, are getting used to the so-called web tasting, which one does comfortably at home in a conference call with a producer. The following, on the other hand, was not with a producer but with representatives from the Consorzio Maremma Toscana DOC producer’s association, more precisely with its president, Francesco Mazzei, and director, Luca Pollini. The occasion was a focus on Vermentino from Maremma, a wine that is increasingly winning the hearts (and glasses) of consumers with production rising among estates in that area of southern Tuscany.
The cultivation of Vermentino, in fact, expands each year by around 40-50 hectares to the extent that this variety has become the third most-cultivated in the province of Grossetto, after Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, for a total of 810 hectares. Just to give you an idea, 64 hectares of Vermentino are cultivated in the Bolgheri DOC appellation. At present, of the some six million bottles of DOC Maremma Toscana produced, 28% is Vermentino. The fact becomes even more significant if you consider that “with regulations governing Maremma production, which allows for the use of many grape varieties, it is very difficult to give this wine a defined identity a priori, one that is discovered onsite both for vocation and the market,” Mazzei explained. “And Vermentino has risen to this challenge becoming in just a few years, the white wine of Tuscany”.
The area of the DOC Maremma Vermentino appellation is a very vast (the entire province of Grossetto) and has a variety of microclimates and soils. Some 4,500 square km in size, it extends from the southern Tuscan coast, including the island of Giglio, to Monte Amiata, and is home to around 8,775 hectares of vineyards. The pedoclimates thus determine a great variety of versions of Vermentino wine. When you add in the stylistic differences among producers, it becomes clear that the next step will be to define the various subzones and eventual wine types. The appellation includes the coastal area, where the soil has more sand and chalk and is more exposed to northwest winds (a blessing in the summer to keep temperatures down), and the interior hills, those more to the northeast towards Monte Amiata, an extinct volcano, and to the northwest towards the Colline Metallifere. More to the south are Pitigliano and Sorano, where there is tuff soil of volcanic origin.
As for the types of Vermentino they range from the more simple, easy-to-drink wines, usually made in stainless steel, to the slightly more complex wines, often matured in wood (or amphorae) which could be considered the reserve wine, to some orange wines, which have trouble getting certified by Valoritalia, given that at present there is no recognition of this type of wine. Another complicating factor is that, aside from the 70% of producers who use Vermentino to make a single-grape wine, there are others who prefer to offer it in a blend with other varietals (allowed by production regulations), 90% of these with Viognier while some prefer to use Sauvignon, Riesling, Trebbiano or Malvasia.
In conclusion, a lot still has to be done to define the details of the many various kinds of Maremma Vermentino. But what is certain is that the average quality is good, the price reasonable and the wine is undeniably pleasing to drink, making it a guaranteed success.
We chose these 4 wines from the tasting:
Maremma Toscana Vermentino Ben 2019 Nittardi
87/100 - € 10 q/p
Nittardi is a well-known Chianti estate that also has land in Maremma, the Mongibello delle Mandorlaie estate, between Scansano and Magliano, 11km from the sea. The soil is sandy and rich in chalk and clay.
An organic blend of mostly Vermentino with a small addition of Roussanne that matures for four months without malolactic fermentation. A bold straw color with golden reflections and a floral aroma with scents of Mediterranean shrubs and a note of ripe fruit. The mouthfeel is pleasing in its simplicity and is fresh, vertical and saline.
Maremma Toscana Vermentino 2018 Tenuta Fertuna
89/100 - € 11
The Tenuta Fertuna estate is in the northern part of Maremma, towards the province of Livorno, in an area that includes the DOC Monteregio di Massa Marittima appellation. Here the soil is rich in marl (schist rocks) and alberese (a calcareous substrata).
Made in stainless steel from only Vermentino grapes. A straw color with some green hues and a bouquet centered on chalk and flint notes with some hints of grapefruit and scents of pear. The mouthfeel is flavorful and saline with a nice acidity and a finish that is almost brackish and has a pleasing persistence.
Maremma Toscana Vermentino Nebula Gialla 2018 Poggio Cagnano
90/100 - € 16
The estate is in Manciano (near the Saturnia spa) at an altitude of some 450m above sea level, on a rise that is a block of sandstone and from which the view stretches from Monte Amiata to the sea.
Vermentino grapes that macerate on the skins for 2-4 days with the wine maturing for six months on the lees in cement. The wine has an almost golden color and intense aromas of almond, medicinal herbs and face powder with citrus fragrances. The mouthfeel is very good, broad and rounded, bold and salty, flavorful and long.
Maremma Toscana Vermentino 2017 Le Vigne
88/100 - € 12
The estate is in the Maremma interior, Montenero d’Orci, in the town of Castel del Piano, in a hilly area (some 300m) where the soil is rich in chalky clay.
Made from organic Vermentino grapes, matured for six months on the lees in stainless steel. The wine’s two years of age is evidenced by its golden color and complex aroma with notes of anise, boxwood, face powder, peanuts and hints of exotic fruit. The mouthfeel is very saline and flavorful. A cheerful wine.
