Grape Variety: Vermentino

Colour: White

Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape originating in Spain or Madeira, or perhaps Portugal, and now widely planted in Corsica, Sardinia, and the coastal arc running from Tuscany through Liguria and into southern France, around Nice (where it is known as Rolle). It is thought to be related to the Malvasia variety and to have been brought to Italy in the fifteenth century during the period of Spanish domination.

The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light.

The most famous wine made from Vermentino is probably the DOCG Vermentino di Gallura (and Vermentino di Gallura superiore) which is produced in the province of Olbia-Tempio, in the north of Sardinia. The grape is said to have been cultivated in this part of Gallura, often under the name arratelau, since the fourteenth century. Elsewhere on the island the grape is used for a variety of white wines, including sweet and sparkling variants.

Patrimonio, located in the north of Corsica, in the Saint Florent gulf, was the first region of the island to attain AC status (in 1968). Its white wine is 100% Vermentino.
In Provence, close to Nice, the grape is used for the AOC white wines of Bellet

Although it is now found throughout Sardinia, Vermentino expresses itself best, yielding wines of outstanding personality, in the Gallura, an area incessantly swept by the fierce wind from the Alps, the Mistral. The area’s dry, harsh soils are not conducive to most agricultural production.  The quality of the wine is due not only to the microclimatic conditions but also to the character of the terrain, which features a thin and poor substratum of granitic material. That material accounts for the wine’s pronounced perfume, which is balanced by a substantial alcohol level, fine fragrance and good body.
The Vermentino Gemellae from Cantina di Gallura is brilliant straw yellow in colour with light greenish reflections; intense and subtle aroma with a delicate and persistent bouquet it is dry, alcoholic, soft flavour with low acidity and an extremely pleasing bitter background. The Canayli, a wine regularly nudging three glasses in Gambero Rosso, has hints of crisp apple, melon and fresh herbs. A long, well-rounded, lemony finish make it the ideal partner with Sardinian-style braised young chicken with tomatoes, red bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, and pepperoncino, served with spicy roasted potatoes, eggplant and peppers; swordfish loin filled with shrimp, pecorino and caciocavallo cheeses, almonds and garlic or sautéed shrimp and fennel with pink peppercorns, caperberries and arugula sauce.

Pedra Majore makes superb Vermentino. Both the lie of the land and the composition of the soil make the area exceptionally suitable for Vermentino production. The soils, formed by the breakdown of the granite go deep and give mineral character and personality to the wines and the Mediterranean macchia gives its own subtle herbal accents. The I Graniti, produced from vines cultivated organically amongst scents of myrtle and cane apple blossom, is a perfect example of this style: the nose is direct with intense, pervasive aromas redolent of rennet apple and almond blossom. The palate is powerfully structured yet soft and almost round and leaves a clean, velvety feel in the mouth. This is a wine for strongly flavoured food: cheesy omelettes, dishes with mushroom-based sauces, grilled or fried fish.

Domaine Culombu makes two versions of this grape variety. Both Vermentinos are typically aromatic combining notes of citrus, fresh grass, herbs, and almonds with a crisp and acidic framework. The Domaine wine is softer in the mouth with a touch of verbena and lime; the Clos has more structure and fine mineral notes plus leesy creaminess, apricot and white chocolate undertones.