It’s official: Antonella Corda is a star, and her Vermentino di Sardegna qualifies as a best-in-class white. And, for what it’s worth, this proclamation comes from a true Vermentino fanatic. I strongly believe that this variety, as grown in this place, is one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the world of white wine: It is textured, it is structured, and it evokes its Mediterranean surroundings with its aromas of scrub-brush and sea breezes. And Ms. Corda, the granddaughter of Sardinian wine icon Antonio Argiolas, does it as well as anyone—consistently, too.
Working in vineyards she’s known intimately since childhood, Antonella made a splashy debut on the Italian wine scene when she launched her own label in 2010. Hers are honest, resolutely authentic wines from organically farmed vineyards, offering incredible value for the money—and today’s wine makes a compelling case for a grape variety that doesn’t get its proper due, whether it’s grown on Sardinia, Corsica (where it’s called Rolle), or its many outcroppings along the French/Italian Riviera. Corda’s 2020 has the luscious texture and hint of tropical fruit typical of Sardinian Vermentino, but also the racy acidity and herbal fragrance of its “mainland” counterparts. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect white to drink with a lemon-drizzled piece of fish on a summer day, but in the end, delicious is delicious no matter what time of year it is. There are plenty of occasions for which this impeccable classic will be just the ticket because there’s never a “wrong” time to drink world-class white wine. Jump all over it!
In fact, I think Vermentino gets unfairly pigeonholed as a “summer quaffer” because its preferred terroirs are in scenic, sun-splashed locales. But in the same way that Provençal rosé can be serious, age-worthy wine, whites from Vermentino—especially the more substantial, structured styles of Sardinia and Corsica—deserve a more prestigious ranking than they’re often given. Greece’s Assyrtiko is considered a world-class white. Ditto for Spain’s Albariño. Vermentino belongs in that company.
Antonella Corda’s home base is in the village of Serdiana, toward the southern end of Sardinia (it’s about 20 kilometers north of the port city of Cagliari, the regional capital). Her 40-hectare farm includes 15 hectares of vineyards and 12 of olive groves, all farmed organically (non-certified), with the Vermentino hailing from a six-hectare parcel on soils of sandy, marly limestone. Vermentino is famous for its hardiness—it thrives in poor, rocky soils and hot Mediterranean climates—but Corda’s vineyard has a little altitude to it as well (about 200 meters), which may account for the wine’s combination of viscosity (a trademark of Sardinian Vermentino) and invigorating freshness.
Vinified and aged in stainless steel, Corda’s ’20 demonstrates just how great Vermentino can be at communicating terroir—it’s a salty, herb-infused, express ferry ride to the heart of the Mediterranean. Shining a bright yellow-gold with flecks of green, it evokes Sardinia’s fragrant scrub-brush in vivid detail, with scents of wild sage, fennel, and mint layered over ripe fruit notes of green mango, white peach, green apple, wildflower honey, and sea spray. It is medium-plus in body, feeling quite substantial on the palate yet lifted and lip-smackingly fresh. A lot of Sardinian Vermentinos lack backbone, but not this one, and as far as food-pairing options go, there are all sorts of directions one could go—although I’m choosing to keep it simple with a fresh fillet of white-fleshed fish (halibut, branzino, sole) drizzled with an aromatic salmoriglio sauce (a preparation more readily associated with Sicily, but whatever). This wine is ready to enjoy now and over the next few years, and yes, “year-round” is the way to go. Enjoy!
