If you think all Vernaccia is simple, clean, and crisp, think again. Since 1965, Elisabetta Fagiuoli of Montenidoli has been making some of the most singular white wines in all of Italy from this humble and native Italian varietal.
Like Elisabetta, her wines are singular, distinctive, and unlike any others made in the DOCG. Her 2023 Tradizionale offers up a mesmerizing mix of savory and rich flavors, wonderful texture, and stunning complexity. That is not something I say about many other Vernaccias.
2023 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano 'Tradizionale'
95 points Josh Spurling, more big scores coming.....
Let's start with a bit of context provided by Wine Spectator's Senior Editor Bruce Sanderson. He said the "wines of Montenidoli are in a class by themselves," and that "they are stylistically unlike any others in the denomination and stand head and shoulders above the rest." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Elisabetta Fagiuoli and her husband Serio Muratori bought an old, run-down Tuscan farm in 1965. The property was in shambles, but they knew it held great potential, and they slowly and meticulously cleaned up the vineyards and the olive groves without the use of any synthetic chemicals. Today, the estate is not only certified organic, it is a reference point winery for this type of clean and regenerative farming. Bravo!
This is not easy work folks, but the best wines come from makers who care about their land, their vines, and their legacy. Montenidoli's Tradizionale is made kind of like a red, whereby the skin and juice are left to "steep" for a bit before the wine is pressed and fermented. The resulting wine isn't quite orange....I like to call it golden.
This process extracts more complex aromas and flavors as well as an almost-red wine-like texture and structure. I know it sounds a bit strange, but you're going to have to trust me on this one, as this stuff is incredible. Offering up enticing notes of spiced apple, Bosc pear, lemon, fennel, almond, and flinty mineral, this is rich and creamy yet fresh and enlivening on the palate.
This will offer wonderful drinking through 2029, and I recommend enjoying a bottle with a classic, olive oil-based, Mediterranean seafood dish. If you need a recipe, let me know : )
It's also a truly contemplative white for sipping slowly, not too cold.
