Nittardi Toscana BEN Vermentino 2012
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Nittardi is a family run organic winery situated in the heart of the Chianti Classico region between Florence and Siena, not far from the village of Castellina in Chianti. This deeply historical winery enjoys a reputation for producing a variety of elegant and fine wines. Not a year goes by without their wines receiving an important award or rating.
Once owned and operated by renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was said to have sent his wines from this estate to the Pope in Rome as a gift; it’s a unique connection between art and wine that is still actively cultivated today by current owners Peter Femfert and his wife Stefania Canali, who acquired the property in 1981. In fact, as homage to Michelangelo, every year a well-known artist paints the label as well as the wrapping paper for some of the labels such as the Casanuova di Nittardi Vigna Doghessa.
The vineyards of Nittardi represent the heart of the estate and produce elegant and refined grapes year after year. The Villa Rosa Vineyards are located close to the beautiful hamlet of San Quirico, south of Castellina in Chianti, most of the vineyards are over 50 years old. The Mongibello delle Mandorlaie Vineyards in Maremma are south of Scansano and close to Montiano, only eight kilometers from the seaside. All vineyards are certified organic. The wines are made with the help of legendary Italian consultant oenologist Carlo Ferrini, who has been part of the Nittardi team since 1991.
A fantastic, aromatic white grape that grows with great success in Sardinia, Tuscany and in lesser proportions on the island of Corsica. Somm Secret—Vermentino is thought to be genetically identical to Liguria’s Pigato grape and Peidmont’s Favorita. It comprises a large proportion of the whites in southern France where it is called Rolle.
One of the most iconic Italian regions for wine, scenery and history, Tuscany is the world’s most important outpost for the Sangiovese grape. Tuscan wine ranges in style from fruity and simple to complex and age-worthy, Sangiovese makes up a significant percentage of plantings here, with the white Trebbiano Toscano coming in second.
Within Tuscany, many esteemed wines have their own respective sub-zones, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The climate is Mediterranean and the topography consists mostly of picturesque rolling hills, scattered with vineyards.
Sangiovese at its simplest produces straightforward pizza-friendly Tuscan wines with bright and juicy red fruit, but at its best it shows remarkable complexity and ageability. Top-quality Sangiovese-based wines can be expressive of a range of characteristics such as sour cherry, balsamic, dried herbs, leather, fresh earth, dried flowers, anise and tobacco. Brunello, an exceptionally bold Tuscan wine, expresses well the particularities of vintage variations and is thus popular among collectors. Chianti is associated with tangy and food-friendly dry wines at various price points. A more recent phenomenon as of the 1970s is the “Super Tuscan”—a red wine made from international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, with or without Sangiovese. These are common in Tuscany’s coastal regions like Bolgheri, Val di Cornia, Carmignano and the island of Elba.