Baudains’ pick: 10 top Italian Vermentinos
1 Capichera, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia 2018 96
£ 59.95 (2016) Eurowines
Despite the IGT label, Capichera’s top Vermentino is sourced entirely from its own vineyards in Gallura, which it has been largely instrumental in establishing as one of Italy’s great white wine terroirs. First produced in 1980, the iconic Isola dei Nuraghi ages in vat for 12 months. The 2018 has the producer’s hallmark elegance and complexity, with its array of fruit and floral aromas, beautifully balanced freshness and infinitely long finish. Drink 2021-2026 Alcohol 14%
2 Surrau, Sciala Vendemmia Tardiva, Vermentino di Gallura, Sardinia 2018 95 £42 The Vices York
Beppe Caviola is the consultant winemaker at this dynamic modern winery, which makes some of the most impressive wines in the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG. This late-harvest selection is vinified half in vat and half in large French oak barrels, producing a wine of suave elegance, with great freshness, energy and complexity. Drink 2021-2026
Alc 14%
3 Antonio Camillo, Tuscany 2019 94 £ 12.99-£ 13.50 Bottle London, Les Caves de Pyrene, Natty Boy Wines, Prezzemolo & Vitale, Richard Kihl, Yardarm
Former roaming consultant and now highly respected artisan producer in his own right, Antonio Camillo works exclusively with native varieties from small plots of old vines in the Maremma. His Vermentino is a wine of great personality with a deep straw shade, aromas of fully ripe grape, and tangy naturalness on the palate. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 13% 4 Cantina del Vermentino, Arakena Vendemmia Tardiva, Vermentino di Gallura Superiore, Sardinia 2018 94 N/A UK www.vermentinomonti. it
This highly regarded cooperative is the region’s biggest Vermentino producer, sourcing its fruit from nearly 500ha of DOCG vineyards. The limited production late-harvest selection has a gorgeous pale-gold shade, with a delicate tropical
fruit character, great freshness and a gentle underlying mineral quality.
Drink 2021-2025 Alc 13.5%
5 Grattamacco, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2019 94 £ 31 Laithwaite’s
A prestigious property from the ColleMassari group better known for its great reds, Grattamacco is located on low hills with calcareous marl soils – unusual for the Bolgheri DOC. Its Vermentino, fermented and aged partially in barrique, is a wine of impressive structure with an intense mineral character, designed to evolve with time. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 14.5%
6 Laura Aschero, Riviera Ligure di Ponente, Liguria 2019 94
£ 22 Vinissimus
The Ashero family owns 5ha of terraced vineyards on prime sites overlooking the sea on Liguria’s western coast, exclusively dedicated to Vermentino and Pigato. The excellent 2019 vintage has an almost sultana-like quality to the fruit, with a fascinating array of savoury herb aromas, good body and a bone-dry, tangy intensity on the palate. Drink 2021-2029
Alc 13.5%
7 Lunae, Etichetta Nera, Colli di Luni, Liguria 2019 94 £ 23.28 Armit
This third-generation family estate is large by Ligurian standards and makes an extensive range of Vermentinos. The Etichetta Nera is a vineyard selection from the top sites. Vinified exclusively in vat, its intriguing notes of pear and savoury herbs and its minerally undercurrent encapsulate the varietal character and the terroir of the Colli di Luni. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 13%
8 Terenzuola, Fosso di Corsano,
Colli di Luni, Liguria 2019 94
£ 22.75 Tannico
From stony hillsides at some of the highest sites on the Tuscan coast, this is the top selection from the leading producer in the Colli di Luni DOC. The complex mix of yellow fruit and aromatic herbs on the
nose leads onto a rich and concentrated palate with a distinctive mineral twist and considerable ageing potential.
Drink 2021-2028 Alc 14%
ColleMassari, Irisse, Montecucco, Tuscany 2019 93
£ 18.95 (2017) Berry Bros & Rudd
Owned by ex-industrialist Claudio Tipa, the high-powered ColleMassari estate has put Montecucco on the map with its range of modern, organically grown wines. Irisse is an oak-conditioned blend of 85% Vermentino and 15% Grechetto, displaying punchy intensity and notes of wild
blossom, citrus and white fruit. Drink 2021-2025 Alc 14.5%
Poggio Al Tesoro, Solosole, Bolgheri, Tuscany 2019 93
£ 19.20-£ 22.99 Exel, Liberty Wines, Valvona & Crolla, Vin Neuf, Vinvm, Wine Utopia
From the Tuscan property of the Allegrini family of Valpolicella, this Vermentino comes from the Sondraie vineyard, better known for the estate’s top red. The nose is delicately floral with notes of white fruit and citrus, and the palate is round and fleshy with an attractive juiciness and a saltymineral finish. Drink 2021-2024 Alc 14% D