Vernaccia and San Gimignano, a history of overlapped lucks, reflected in the glass

Native vineyard among the most ancient ones in Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano linked so much its fates to that of “New York del Medioevo” - “New York of Middle Age”, the city of towers which is among the most visited destinations in Italy to the extent that see overlapping its history and luck: from the exceptional international success of Middle Age and Renaissance – testified by the mentions that this noble wine, white in “red” Tuscany, can boast by the greatest poets and writers, from Dante to Boccaccio, from Francesco Redi to Cecco Angiolieri, from Lorenzo Il Magnifico to Vasari, from Eustache Deschamps to Geoffrey Chaucer, in addition to the presence on the tables of Popes and Kings from all over Europe – to the subsequent long period of decline lasted until the modern period, when, stating from the second half of XX century, both were capable of reinnovating and restarting with leap, reconquering a new, deserved attention. Today, the Consortium (arose in 1972, conquering Docg in 1993, starting from the Doc in 1966 obtained as first wine in Italy) can count on over 100 companies representing 88% of vine surface of the territory. The same overall vine surfce of the Municipality of San Gimignano corresponds to 2,146 hectares (out of total agricultural 5,600): of these, 768 are destined to the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg, while the remaining ones are dedicated to Doc San Gimignano – in the different types Rosato - Rosè, Rosso - Red, Vin Santo Occhio di Pernice (all Sangiovese based at minimum 50%), Vin Santo (from white grapes, with maximum 20% of Vernaccia di San Gimignano), Sangiovese and other red grapes international monovineyards – and, to the production of Chianti Docg, Chianti Colli Senesi Docg, and Toscana Igt.
And, behind this “framework”, which, in these days, edition No. 2 of “Regina Ribelle Vernaccia di  San Gimignano Wine Fest”, the Festival wanted by Consorzio della Vernaccia, headed by Irina Strozzi, together with the Municipality, which, up to May, 18th, involves all the territory, is already an awaited meeting attended by wine lovers and sector experts: a unique occasion to taste and deepen this Denomination in the places in which the centennial history arose, and, where today, it continues to flourish renovates.
On May, 15th and 16th, to-days reserved to the presentation of the last vintages to Italian and world media, in the fascinating Middle Age historical center Unesco World Heritage (since 1990, ed). On tasting, at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art De Grada, 80 labels presented by 34 producers of the Consortium: in the glass, mainly 2024 labels, and Riserva 2023, two decisively complex vintages, but for opposite reasons held. A tasting headed by Marco Sabellico, curator of guide “I Migliori Vini d’Italia” by Gambero Rosso, reserved to other Doc wines in production on the territory enriched the event.
And, which arise in vineyards all included between 70 and 500 altitude meters, on soils of Pliocene origin, dating back to 6.8-1.8 million years ago, and made up of yellow sands, and sandy clays and/or of medium mixture. The productive potential referred to vineyard surface corresponds to 6,912,000 kilograms of grapes for 48,384 wine hectoliters. In the last decade, a marked tendency to the reduction of unitary yields was observed, partly hoped to improve the quality of wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg at the expense of quantity, and partly caused to extreme phenomenons that current climatic emergency is generating, negatively affecting on productions. Consequently, the quantity of grapes produced prone to become Vernaccia di San Gimignano was 5.26 million of kilograms in 2022 (corresponding to 36,800 wine hectoliters), 3.25 million of kilograms in 2023 (corresponding to 22,700 wine hectoliters, with a loss of 37.7% compared to the production of the last year), and 5.90 million of kilograms in 2024 (corresponding to 40,700 wine hectoliters with an increase of 44.2% compared to the production of the last year). The companies which claimed the denomination in harvest 2024 were 150 of which 108 associated to the Consortium. In 2024, 27,500 hectoliters were inserted in the market, in 2023 35,600 hectoliters, while, in 2022, 34,800 hectoliters of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. On the contrary, the number of bottles of Vernaccia di San Gimignano Docg on trade result to be quite stable, dropping in 2024 (4.67 million in 2019, 4.38 million in 2020, 4.95 million in 2021, 4.63 million in 2022, 4.79 million in 2023, and, in the end, 3.67 million in 2024).
The analysis of the harvest carried out by the experts of the Consortium in the presented vintages explain a complex vintage in 2024. To the winter without peaks of low temperatures, a fresh spring with rainfalls on average followed which slowed down the budding of vine which would have resulted to be anticipated for mild temperatures of winter months. Rainfalls alternated to dry periods until the entire June. Starting from July, African anticyclone followed which made temperatures increase (with peaks of 41 grades for several consecutive days, also night), and slowed down the maturation of grapes bunches. A strong storm on August, 20th made a long unsteady period begin bringing to episodes of rainfalls for all the month of September; a factor which slowed down harvest times. Therefore, plants didn’t undergo water stress, but in the period August, 20th – October, 2nd, even 330 mm felt against a twenty-year average of 100 mm. Late blight attacks occurred (but in a less invasive way compared to 2023) together with powdery mildew and moth, and botrytis due to the September rainfalls. As well as in other parts of Italy, also here, the harvest began inverting the anticipated trend of the last three vintages: the succession of rainfalls, for all September, made that the harvest of Vernaccia di San Gimignano lasted well over the averages of the period. Moreover, rainfalls made a “progressive” harvest necessary basing on the levels of maturation, and with an attentive selection of grapes bunch in order to bring to the winery healthy grapes, and with a right gradation. The harvest was productive on average, after the drop of about 30% compared to 2023.
Regarding vintage 2023, dedicated to typology Riserva, from a climatic point of view, it was very difficult. The frequency and intensity of spring rainfalls have, as of now, put at risk the entire production of the territory of San Gimignano. To worsen an already partially compromised situation, by far higher compared to the average summer temperatures did it, together with real heat waves which lasted for days. These conditions – persisting widespread attack of late blight and extreme hot over 40 grades – made further damage to some varieties and arrested the maturation of red grapes: in some vineyards, the situation was so serious to register a complete loss of the harvest, while the companies in which the production registered barely 20-30% are frequent. Harvest began the first days of September with the harvest of aromatic white grapes vineyards, to, then, continue, until the end of the month, with Vernaccia di San Gimignano; and, it finished among the first and second ten days of October with that of Sangiovese. From a quality point of view, 2023 appears to be aligned to the last two or three vintages because they also reported an irregular ongoing.
But, in so complex vintages, Vernaccia di San Gimignano demonstrated, still another time, its secular vocation and capacity of adapting to climatic ongoing in the area of belonging, mainly thanks to agronomic choices implemented in the vineyard in the last years to cope with extreme events, which are increasingly more frequent (the service of agro-weather alert activated by the Consortium after the experience of 2023, which, by monitoring the seasonal ongoing through data collected by seven weather stations on the entire municipality territory of San Gimignano, allows prompt treatments, limiting the number, and increasing its effectiveness). In 2024, grapes presented health with parameters of acidity and Ph on average, and with grades lower than about 1 alcoholic grade compared to the average of the last years. Therefore, Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2024 presents as already ready, expressive, and with good aromas, and a slightly thinner structure compared to the last vintages. On the contrary, in 2023, grapes presented healthy and with almost perfect parameters of acidity and Ph: smooth and round wines, not so high acidities and good aromas. Despite the awful seasonal ongoing, harvests resulted good.
Considering all these factors, here are the best 10 WineNews tastings, chosen among the samples presented in tasting in preview.

Melini, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Le Grillaie 2024
Ripe and warm, not too intense, smells of white peach and white melon, violet and wisteria, vanilla; mouthfeel is firmer, savory and soft, mineral and almondy on the finish.

Palagetto, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Santa Chiara 2024
A broad and warm wine, notes of herbs, hay, chamomile, caju and yellow melon; the mouth is tighter on entry, then broadens and increases in savoriness, juicy and balsamic in the center of the mouth.

Pietraserena, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna del Sole 2024
Lively nose of elderflower and iris, melon and white peach, finally yellow plum; also on the sip it is crisp, mineral, tight, warm and fruity, gentle herbs and vanilla finish.

Teruzzi, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Isola Bianca 2024
Nose of vanilla, elderberry berry and jasmine, flint and white melon; mouth initially sweet with vanilla, flowers and white fruit, then intense and slightly savory, turns out mentholated on the finish.

Cappellasantandrea, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Prima Luce 2023
Intense wine on the nose and in the mouth: yellow fruit also in candy, dried fruit, beeswax and herbs; tight and savory mouthfeel, where ripe yellow fruit and beeswax return, with broom and chamomile, long and clean finish.

Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Campo della Pieve 2023
Deep and warm, but very elegant: mentholated, then yellow fruit and white flowers, flint; enrapturing in the mouth, where it starts out vanilla, savory, broad and almost salty, balsamic returns and then floral, clean on the finish.

Mormoraia, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Ostrea 2023
Delicious interpretation of Vernaccia with balanced contrasts: golden yellow in color, it is intense and firm but not blinkered, open and welcoming, pointed but broad. The mouthfeel is savory, fruity and mineral, where warmth and freshness are nicely balanced with vanilla and white-fleshed fruit and sage flavors.

Poderi Arcangelo, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Per Bruno Riserva 2023
Again a light-dark wine, with sweet but spiky notes of violet and gooseberry, white melon and apricot, chamomile and beeswax, finally sage; very fine but full, tight and astringent, fresh and warm, fruity and balsamic, closes on memories of orange candy.

Tenuta Le Calcinaie, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna ai Sassi Riserva 2022
Citrus also in jam, rosemary flowers, vanilla, a chalky touch, peach and yellow melon; the mouth is full, with sweet citrus and spicy tones, of chamomile and almond; balsamic the fresh finish.

Casale Falchini, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna a Solatìo Riserva 2020
A well-executed example of Vernaccia agée: sweet with freesia and chamomile and wildflower honey, very fresh with underbrush balsams, finally jammy orange; on the sip it is fresh and savory, the citrus and balsamic part returns, finally pepper and flint, excellent sweet/savory/almondy final contrast, but not bitter.