Winemaker Notes
From a single granite-rich vineyard near Gallura. Harvested in early fall, the grapes are delicately pressed and then fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine ages in stainless steel as well for about six months followed by two months in bottle. It shows the appellation’s hallmark balance between alcohol, acidity, and fruit. Intensely aromatic with tropical nuances and a lovely finish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Vermentino di Gallura Superiore is wickedly fresh, opening with a burst of white smoke and stone dust invigorated by candied citrus and mint. It’s silky and supple, nearly oily in feel, with zesty acidity to balance and crisp orchard fruits that cascade throughout. This leaves a tinge of sour lime while finishing long yet remarkably fresh, with a green apple crunch punctuating the experience. Nicely done.
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.
Hailed for centuries as a Mediterranean vine-growing paradise, multiple cultures over many centuries have ruled the large island of Sardinia. Set in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Phonoecians, Ancient Rome, and subsequently the Byzantines, Arabs and Catalans have all staked a claim on the island at some point in history. Along the way, these inhabitants transported many of their homeland’s prized vines and today Sardinia’s modern-day indigenous grape varieties claim multiple origins. Sardinia’s most important red grapes—namely Cannonau (a synonym for Grenache) and Carignan—are actually of Spanish origin.
Vermentino, a prolific Mediterranean variety, is the island’s star white. Vermentino has a stronghold the Languedoc region of France as well as Italy’s western and coastal regions, namely Liguria (where it is called Pigato), Piedmont (where it is called Favorita) and in Tuscany, where it goes by the name, Vermentino. The best Vermentino, in arguably all of the Mediterranean, grows in Sardinia's northeastern region of Gallura where its vines struggle to dig roots deep down into north-facing slopes of granitic soils. These Vermentino vines produce highly aromatic, full and concentrated whites of unparalleled balance.
Today aside from its dedication to viticulture, Sardinia remains committed to maintaining its natural farmlands, bucolic plains of grazing sheep and perhaps most of all, its sandy, sunny, Mediterranean beaches.