Friday pm desk wine – 5th May 2015

by Tash Tastes

What’s on the desk: Val di Toro Auramaris Vermentino 2012, Maremma Toscana DOCG, Italy

Why it’s cool: It’s a characterful Italian white from Tuscany. By crikey they do exist.

For the non wine geeks: Tuscany is dominated by red wines and its signature grape is Sangiovese, which goes into its famous Chianti. The region’s whites have never received much attention, however this example gives the white grapes Vermentino and Grechetto their moment in the limelight. These grapes do well in Maremma, a relatively low altitude coastal region that benefits from the cooling influence of the Mediterranean Sea. The fact that the Val di Toro vines are managed organically, without the use of pesticides/herbicides/nasty things, also gives them a helping hand. While the Vermentino brings bright, citrussy flavours, the Grechetto brings complexity – a dynamic duo that have proved Tuscan white can be immensely pleasing.

For the wine geeks: This wine is a blend of 85% Vermentino and 15% Grechetto grown in the Val di Toro vineyards at Poggia la Mozzo, Grosetto in Maremma, Tuscany. Situated at 90m above sea level on fragmented sandstone and limestone soils, they were planted by husband and wife Anna Maria Cruciata and Hugh Constable Maxwell in 2004, and are managed organically and mainly by hand. During the summer a vigorous green harvest is carried out to eliminate excess bunches and promote good grape health. Consulting oenologists Maurizio Castelli and Gabriele Gadenz are the heroes behind this wine. The grapes were harvested by hand in early September, sorted, destemmed and then immediately chilled to 6°C. Following a 12 hour cold maceration on skins, the must was left to decant for a further 48 hours at 4°C. Fermentation then took place at 16-17°C, and the wine was stabilised and finally bottled around 5 months after harvest.

A taster: This wine gives so much more on the nose than I expected it to – oodles of ripe lemon fruit, soft pear, salted almond and hay notes. It is fresh and lively but also layered. Italian whites are always perky in the acid department and this wine is no exception, but here this is balanced by a fruity fleshiness on the palate, which means it avoids tasting lean, green or mean. Ideal summer wine.

Go forth and taste: Ok, so it seems you have to pay for good Tuscan white – this is £15.95 at Philglas & Swiggot or £14.50 online at Bon Coeur Fine Wines. To be honest you can buy equally interesting whites for much less and I think the label needs a serious rethink, but this is a delightful treat for a sunny Friday afternoon. And for proving Italian white cynics wrong.

Happy Friday! x