Just like the crimson Cannonau that gives a novel, Sardinian tackle the grape in any other case referred to as Grenache or Garnacha, the Vermentino selection — the island’s signature white grape — can even shock and please you.
And just like the Cannonaus, which I reviewed in my final column, Sardinia’s Vermentinos are quintessentially Mediterranean wines from grapes which have discovered a welcoming residence within the island’s arid local weather (in addition to in Corsica, Tuscany, Liguria, and the south of France, the place it’s referred to as Rolle). The grape grows in quite a lot of soils, most prominently the granite discovered on a lot of the island.
In Sardinia, the wine is characterised by quite a lot of fruit flavors, together with pear and apple, peach, citrus, plenty of herbs, and a stony minerality. Sometimes produced with out oak getting older, it’s a singular fragrant white wine and an fascinating different to Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, and even Grüner Veltliner.
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Karen MacNeil, creator of “The Wine Bible,” calls it “a easy wine to make certain. However the aromas and flavors mirror the wind-swept island itself, and are evocative of wine-whipped dry brush and resinous herbs like wild rosemary, sage and dried lavender.”
You’ll discover Vermentino below a few denominations of origin, together with the island-wide Vermentino di Sardegna and the smaller (and a few say extra prestigious) Vermentino di Gallura, a DOCG, named for a small area within the northeast a part of the island. The Gallura wines are usually a bit richer in character.
Along with the Vermentinos beneath, I’ve additionally included an enchanting white wine primarily based on the native Nuragus grape, which many think about a extra pedestrian selection however which produces a surprising wine on this instance.
Listed below are seven of the most effective white wines from Sardinia.
Sella & Mosca Vermentino di Sardegna 2023
Reliably constant and broadly obtainable, this under-$15 discount reveals notes of herb-infused pear, apricot, and a contact of honey that add as much as good complexity for the value. A go-to wine for broiled fish fillets and sushi.
Value: $13
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Contini ‘Elibaria’ Vermentino di Gallura 2023
Aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, eucalyptus, inexperienced apple, lemon-lime, and many herbs outline this expressive and refined wine from grapes grown organically on granitic soils. Fermentation and getting older befell in stainless-steel tanks.
Value: $18
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Pedres ‘Thilibas’ Vermentino di Gallura Superiore 2022
Eighty p.c of the Pedres vineyard’s output is dedicated to Vermentino, and this one shines with notes of inexperienced apple skins, Mediterranean herbs, minerals, and wisps of orange and butterscotch.
Value: $23
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Argiolas ‘Merì’ Vermentino di Sardegna 2023
This Vermentino has wonderful complexity with aromas and flavors of inexperienced apple, grapefruit, and hints or orange rind, oregano, and honeysuckle. Additionally price contemplating: Argiolas’s extra broadly obtainable and cheaper “Costamolino” Vermentino.
Value: $22
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Surrau ‘Limizzani’ Vermentino di Gallura 2023
There’s a pleasant richness to this wine, with spicy stone fruits, together with white peach and apricot, together with a contact of honey and hints of pencil shavings and minerals.
Value: $16
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Santa Maria La Palma ‘Aragosta’ Vermentino di Sardegna 2023
“Aragosta” means lobster in Italian, as depicted by the image on the label of this wine. It drives residence the purpose that these Vermentinos are made for seafood. This one is citrusy, with lemon, lime, and orange peel aromas and flavors, herbs, and a contact of almond on the end. The wine is each easy and scrumptious, and the value makes it a house run. I’m linking to a retailer that sells it for $10.
Value: $10
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Schirru ‘Arkìmia’ Bianco 2022
Made out of the traditional Sardinian Nuragus selection, this very dry white wine is marked by flinty mineral and floral aromas adopted by notes of Bosc pear, orange, and a touch of honey. This one is all about texture and might be mistaken for an orange wine, although there isn’t any pores and skin contact.
Value: $31
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Subsequent up: Gamay, the up-and-coming wine from Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
