Today’s wine is from a grape, and a region, that demands closer inspection. Let’s start with the grape, Vermentino: Grown throughout the Mediterranean basin (and known as Rolle in France), Vermentino loves poor, rocky soils and coastal climates. It’s a variety with beautiful transparency to it, in that it soaks up every element of its surroundings—the minerality of the soil; the ‘green,’ herb-infused aromas and flavors of the olives and scrub-brush it so often grows near; and yes, the sun, manifested in both texture and tropical fruit notes.
Then there’s Montecucco, a region tucked between Montalcino and Grosseto in southwestern Tuscany, which is poised to have its moment—not just for its Sangiovese-based reds, which rival those of Montalcino, but for its whites from Vermentino, which derive great mineral depth from the rocky, volcanic soils of the zone. Though well inland from some of the other Tuscan terroirs in which it thrives (like the Colli di Luni, near the border with Liguria), there is still a salinity and an herbal savor to today’s ’17 from Assolati that transports the taster to some sunny Mediterranean locale, where a
fritto misto of assorted seafood is on the menu and there aren’t any time constraints on lunch. I know it’s the middle of winter, but no matter: This mouth-watering white has the character and the stuffing to satisfy, whenever you choose to pull the cork.
The Montecucco appellation has been on my radar for a while now, thanks to my friend Maurizio Castelli, a legendary enologist who, over the course of a long career, has worked with some of Tuscany’s greatest estates in its greatest terroirs: Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Montepulciano…you name it, Castelli knows it intimately. So, when he told me many years ago that Montecucco was going to be the next big thing, I listened, and while reds from Sangiovese have become the regional calling card—Montecucco Sangiovese was elevated to DOCG appellation status in 2011—I always perk up when I see a Vermentino from the area (thanks in large part to the excellent example Castelli has set with the “Melacce” Vermentino from Montecucco’s Colle Massari). Although it essentially picks up where Montalcino leaves off, marking a point where the mountains and forests of central Tuscany give way to the more open, scrubby, gently rolling hills of the coastal Maremma region. Although the topography in Montecucco is similar to that of Montalcino, the soils are different, with more volcanic tuff (tufo) in comparison to Montalcino’s clay/marl mix. The seven towns that comprise the appellation sit in the shadow of Monte Amiata, the highest peak (and a dormant volcano) in southern Tuscany.
Assolati (meaning “sunny”) is a 105-hectare property that has been in the Giannetti family for several generations. It is currently run by siblings Silvia and Luca Giannetti, who maintain an agriturismo and restaurant on the property along with organically farmed vineyards, wheat fields, and olive groves. Much of the property is still a vast swath of wild scrubland, with Amiata in one direction and the Mediterranean Sea about 40 minutes to the west; just five hectares devoted to grapevines, including those for today’s Vermentino—which, unhelpfully, carries a ‘Toscana’ IGT designation rather than the Montecucco DOC.
Hand-harvested fruit for this 2016 was fermented and aged in stainless steel only, and it captures the spirit of its place perfectly: It displays both cool-climate tension and a kind of sunny tropicality, with good fruit concentration and lots of wild-herb savor. In the glass, it’s a bright yellow-gold with hints of green at the rim, with fresh aromas of yellow peach, green and yellow apple, green mango and melon, sage, eucalyptus, sea salt, and wet stones. It is medium-plus in body, showing great palate persistence before a wave of freshness crashes ashore and starts you salivating. It is ready to drink now: Simply pull the cork and enjoy at 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems, next to just about any seafood preparation you like—although, having mentioned it above, I’ll share a recipe for fritto misto as a little respite from mid-winter braises. Have lots of lemons (and at least a second bottle) at the ready. Enjoy!
