The Vernaccia di San Gimignano in the glass: our best tastings

The Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the only regional white Docg, at the “Anteprime di Toscana 2022, showed the 2021 vintage, unfortunately also characterized by not so exciting phenomena for producers, from frosts to drought, while highlighting well-executed wines even if with a little in debt of reactivity; the 2020 vintage, in the “selection” version, a more regular vintage and with wines characterized by a good fragrance, and the Riserva 2019, confirming the good profile of the year also in its white version, with wines of substance and intensity partly unexpected aromatic for Vernaccia (a vine, as it is known, tends to be neutral).
Among our best tastings, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna a Solatio 2021 by Casale Falchini has a well-defined floral profile, with a tendentially snappy gustatory development. Nose still to settle completely for Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021 by La Lastra, which finds its strong point in a solid and tasty mouth. Aromas with clear citrus references for Mormoraia’s Vernaccia di San Gimignano Suavis 2021, which in the mouth is enjoyable and well defined. The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Isola Bianca 2021 by Teruzzi (Terra Moretti Group) is well executed, subtle in its gustatory. With its ferrous and floral scents, the Vernaccia di San Gimignano Clanys 2020 by Cesani, with an enjoyable and refreshing taste. The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Fiore 2020 by Montenidoli is refined in its floral and stoney tones, with a contrasted and continuous flavor, which ends on a beautiful salty note. The mouth of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna Santa Margherita 2020 by Panizzi, is smooth and tasty, well supported by fresh and subtle aromas. The olfactory profile of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Lyra 2019 by Il Palagione is fragrant and precise, with a sip well accented by the acid verve. The nose of Vernaccia di San Gimignano L’Albereta Riserva 2019 by Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara is refined and articulated, with a rhythmic and savory sip. From the references of flint and field grass the aromas of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna to the Sassi Riserva 2019 of Le Calcinaie, with a solid and tasty sip. If this is the verdict of the glass, it should be noted that San Gimignano, a city of unique beauty, with its medieval towers that are an icon in the world, and its production area, already mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy (the only wine mentioned by the “Supreme Poet” is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, ed). and immortalized by Vasari, which today exceeds 700 hectares of vineyards, in general, have substantially overcome the criticalities caused by the pandemic, closing 2021 positively. Market shares increased by 12% over 2019 and, in the year just ended, over 37,000 hectoliters of Vernaccia were bottled (in 2020 they were just over 36,000 while in 2019 just over 39,000). The turnover, according to data from the Consortium of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, led by Irina Guicciardini Strozzi, is just over 13 million euros with 52% of production sold abroad (30% in Europe, for 18% in the US and the remaining percentage in Asia), while the slice of bottled products sold in Italy is 42%, half of which directly in San Gimignano.