Taste
Maremma Toscana DOC: Vermentino becomes Superiore
The desire of the Consorzio Tutela Vini della Maremma Toscana (Consortium for the Protection of Tuscan Maremma Wines) to position one of the spearheads of the Appellation at an even higher level has taken concrete form
Italy, Tuscany – After a long period of work by the Consorzio Tutela Vini della Maremma Toscana, the decree amending the DOC production regulations to include the term Superiore for the Vermentino type was published yesterday in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic. “It has been a very demanding path, but we have finally reached the goal we had set ourselves to be able to raise the bar even higher in terms of quality and the positioning of the Vermentino typology,” explains Francesco Mazzei, President of the Consortium, who, from the beginning of his first mandate, has strongly believed in the need to give producers the opportunity to propose more complex and mature Vermentinos that are also rightly valued on the label. “Market trends confirm our daily appreciation for the personality and quality of our Vermentinos, not only for the fresh and easy-drinking ones, but also for the more important versions with complex vinification processes and longer ageing periods; Vermentino at the level of complexity and longevity can be conceived as a great red wine and Maremma has an extraordinary vocation for this grape variety in its many expressions,” adds Mazzei, emphasising that “with a world market that is increasingly attentive and curious about great whites, we hope that soon a significant number of wineries in our Denomination will include Vermentino Superiore in their range”
The Vermentino Superiore typology may be used as early as the 2021 harvest, if in line with the requirements of the product specification. Vermentino Superiore must come at least 95 per cent from Vermentino grapes, the maximum grape/hectare production is reduced to 9 tonnes, and the wine must be released for consumption from 1 January of the second year following the harvest. “The Superiore mention attributed to the Vermentino typology sanctions an important qualification for this variety, which has grown steadily in Maremma in recent years to the extent that it now represents the leading white grape variety in the province of Grosseto with almost 940 hectares of vineyard area,” explains Consortium Director Luca Pollini.
The prediction is that – as early as the next few weeks – we will see the marketing of the Vermentino Superiore Annata 2021 by several producers ready on the starting tape for this important new milestone for the Appellation
