2020 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tradizionale

I would posit this as one of the house flagships, and even a flagship for Vernaccia at its finest from any address. The more that I taste this wine as it ages, the more that I am WOWED by its off the charts value quotient. This is her entry level Vernaccia, containing the press juice whose skin contact and extraction makes it almost denser and chewier. Often a toss up in preference vs the Fiore for different folks….this is THE perfect foil for the often difficult pairing with green vegetables. For lovers of dry, floral, mineral wines of moderate richness, this is a perennial all star and then some.
“Montenidoli is one of my favorite producers in San Gimignano that I admire because of the very pure and symmetrical wines made here. The 2018 Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tradizionale draws its fruit from the typical limestone soils of the area that are rich in ancient marine sediment. With 25,000 bottles made, it sees an easy fermentation in glass-tiled cement vats. It opens to an enriched golden color (maybe even too saturated) with aromas of neutral fruit, peach, pear and Golden Delicious apple. There are slight hints of that limestone soil as well. The mouthfeel ends on a dry note, with pretty honey-like flavors on the finish.” 91+ Monica Larner of RobertParker.com

In her words: “Following local tradition, the must macerates long on the skins, and is pressed just before the fermentation begins, to capture the character and the flavors of the land. Pale yellow, tending towards gold, with hay and almonds on the nose, and rich on the palate, with a firm dry finish.”

Food pairings: “Perfect for ideal for olive oil-based Mediterranean dishes. Well suited for all manner of seafood dishes, including raw fish, and is perfect with sushi. For vegetable based dishes year round, including the tannins of artichokes or asparagus, and the iron of spinach and liver.”

“Montenidoli is one of my favorite producers in San Gimignano that I admire because of the very pure and symmetrical wines made here. The 2018 Vernaccia di San Gimignano Tradizionale draws its fruit from the typical limestone soils of the area that are rich in ancient marine sediment. With 25,000 bottles made, it sees an easy fermentation in glass-tiled cement vats. It opens to an enriched golden color (maybe even too saturated) with aromas of neutral fruit, peach, pear and Golden Delicious apple. There are slight hints of that limestone soil as well. The mouthfeel ends on a dry note, with pretty honey-like flavors on the finish.” 91+ Monica Larner of RobertParker.com for the 2018, NOT THE 2020 OFFERED HERE