vermentino anyone?

J

Joel Stewart

Joel Stewart
anyone enjoy this grape? i know close to nothing at all except for the bottle of vermentino di sardegna we enjoyed the other night. a lightly rich 13.5%, with intriguing perfumed nose and flavors.....vaguely reminiscent of alsace, yet different still. worked extremely well with a pasta tossed with butter and sea urchin roe. i wonder how the gallura versions differ from this one...or for that matter, how the spanish, portuguese or french versions differ?

any fans?
 
Fan? yes. Do I know enough about it to comment intelligently? No.

I've liked all the ones I've had but since I think they were all opened by Greg dal Piaz there was a bit of selection going on before that.
 
I think Vermentino is probably the best white wine grape California could plant. I believe it's much better-suited to the warm environs of this part of the world than most of the white varieties planted here. But what do I know?
 
I've enjoyed the basic Argiolas bottling for a number of years and Tablas Creek's version (although they would rather call it Rolle) keeps getting better. I find the variety goes will with Thai food.

I've never had or seen one from the Iberian peninsula (do they call it something else?), but I'd like to try one.
 
originally posted by Dan Donahue:
I've enjoyed the basic Argiolas bottling for a number of years and Tablas Creek's version (although they would rather call it Rolle) keeps getting better. I find the variety goes will with Thai food.

I've never had or seen one from the Iberian peninsula (do they call it something else?), but I'd like to try one.
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Don't they call it Spain?
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
originally posted by Dan Donahue:
I've enjoyed the basic Argiolas bottling for a number of years and Tablas Creek's version (although they would rather call it Rolle) keeps getting better. I find the variety goes will with Thai food.

I've never had or seen one from the Iberian peninsula (do they call it something else?), but I'd like to try one.
Click to expand...

Don't they call it Spain?
Click to expand...

+Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar....
 
originally posted by Chris Coad:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
originally posted by Dan Donahue:
I've enjoyed the basic Argiolas bottling for a number of years and Tablas Creek's version (although they would rather call it Rolle) keeps getting better. I find the variety goes will with Thai food.

I've never had or seen one from the Iberian peninsula (do they call it something else?), but I'd like to try one.
Click to expand...

Don't they call it Spain?
Click to expand...

+Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar....
Click to expand...
Oh, yes...Roger that.
 
I'll ride on Jay Miller's coattails: every one I've had, I've liked, but I am no expert in the matter, having only tried a few so far.
 
Antoine Arena makes an excellent version (or two, actually) in Corsica.

There are some good ones in Provence and the Languedoc, too (it's known as "rolle" in Provence, I believe). Domaine de la Prose in the appellation Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Georges d'Orcques is nice.
 
Clearly any confusion relating to my post is caused by the existence of a preview function. I demand the immediate disabling of said function.
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
The Great White HopeI think Vermentino is probably the best white wine grape California could plant. I believe it's much better-suited to the warm environs of this part of the world than most of the white varieties planted here. But what do I know?
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Steve, you're too modest. I think your Vermentino blend is delicious.

How did it taste unblended, if I may ask?
 
I'm a longtime fan of the grape. The perfect food match is something like a garlicky pasta dish tossed with shellfish. It has the brightness to cut through the garlic and the shellfish brings out the minerality. Most are cheap of course, and while there's a few "serious"/pricey ones like Lambruschi, they don't seem to age well.
 
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
The Great White HopeI think Vermentino is probably the best white wine grape California could plant. I believe it's much better-suited to the warm environs of this part of the world than most of the white varieties planted here. But what do I know?
Click to expand...

Steve, you're too modest. I think your Vermentino blend is delicious.

How did it taste unblended, if I may ask?
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Don't exactly know, Oliver. The vineyard is planted to both Grenache Blanc and Vermentino, and so far, in both '07 and '08, they've been picked, pressed and fermented together. I'm enamored of the way they seem to like each other, so I'm disinclined to separate them. (They offer, in this particular site, nice ripeness at 22 degrees Brix or less.)
I had a Vermentino that Francis Mahoney grows, one made in '06 by Loren Tayerle, that I thought was splendid, very comparable to good Ligurian Vermentino. I've liked Tablas Creek's wine as well. This grape has so much going for it that no other white variety grown in California that I've had can match.
 
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
The Great White HopeI think Vermentino is probably the best white wine grape California could plant. I believe it's much better-suited to the warm environs of this part of the world than most of the white varieties planted here. But what do I know?
Click to expand...

Steve, you're too modest. I think your Vermentino blend is delicious.

How did it taste unblended, if I may ask?
Click to expand...

Indeed, the ESJ 2007 Heart of Gold vermentino blend is very delicious.

Bill
 
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:
The Great White HopeI think Vermentino is probably the best white wine grape California could plant. I believe it's much better-suited to the warm environs of this part of the world than most of the white varieties planted here. But what do I know?
Click to expand...

Steve, you're too modest. I think your Vermentino blend is delicious.

How did it taste unblended, if I may ask?
Click to expand...

Don't exactly know, Oliver. The vineyard is planted to both Grenache Blanc and Vermentino, and so far, in both '07 and '08, they've been picked, pressed and fermented together. I'm enamored of the way they seem to like each other, so I'm disinclined to separate them. (They offer, in this particular site, nice ripeness at 22 degrees Brix or less.)
I had a Vermentino that Francis Mahoney grows, one made in '06 by Loren Tayerle, that I thought was splendid, very comparable to good Ligurian Vermentino. I've liked Tablas Creek's wine as well. This grape has so much going for it that no other white variety grown in California that I've had can match.
Click to expand...

Ripe at 22 Brix, you're singing my tune.

The problem with 'Cal-Ital' is that everyone planted the same grape (Sangiovese) and it didn't work. I can't wait for the next wave: Barbera, maybe Aglianico, various southern white varieties...
 
originally posted by Redwinger:

Indeed, the ESJ 2007 Heart of Gold vermentino blend is very delicious.

Bill
Click to expand...

Oops, forgot the Heart of Gold has vermentino in it. That's good stuff and Greg didn't open it for me.
 
Thanks for the input everyone...will try to hunt down folks' recommendations. Does anyone have a sort of textbook definition of this grape's characteristics? I've read of the variations from light to heavy, more and less acidic, perfumy and tangerine-y have been mentioned, but I have yet to find a clear description.

Steve..I've read F Jim's notes on your H.O.G. white blend (that doesn't read quite right, does it?)...can only hope that Village Cellars brings it in someday.

Sharon....do you have much of a sense of the similarities and differences between the Corsican and French versions of this grape?

some extra info, for those interested:

"[ver-mehn-TEE-noh] A white-wine grape thought to be related to malvasia and to a variety grown in Italy's piedmont known as Favorita. Vermentino is most often associated with the French island of corsica. However, it's also grown on the neighboring Italian island sardinia and on Italy's mainland in the liguria region. On Corsica, Vermentino is usually blended with Ugni Blanc (trebbiano). Corsica's best wines, however, are made with 100 percent Vermentino grapes and are deep-colored, fruity, and full-bodied (see body). In Liguria, where Vermentino is doc classified as Riviera Ligure di Ponente, the wines are lighter and crisper than the Corsican versions. Sardinian renditions, which are classified as Vermentino di Gallura DOCG and Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, are similar to those from Liguria, but not as acidic. Vermentino, known in France as Rolle, is also called Varresana Bianca and Vennentino." ...from answers.com
 
My range of exploration isn't wide enough to give more than a few impressions. (Side note: Corsica is part of France. But I understood what you meant.) The Languedoc and Provence versions I've had have also been blends, with ugni blanc or grenache blanc or roussane, so that changes the profile.

The Corsican versions I've had have been glyceriny and bitter-pith with some heat and sharpness but good acidity. I love that style.

The Languedoc and Provence versions are somewhat more supple, a little softer.
 
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