Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Italy · DOP · Toscana · 1 commune(s)

Styles

Natural factors

Soils of Pliocene origin (6.8–1.8 Ma) formed on marine deposits: yellow sands ('tufo'), yellow and grey clays layered over compact clays.
Marked presence of sand, coarse skeleton, and argillaceous scisti: a combination that promotes deep root penetration.
Sub-Mediterranean climate: dry summers, cold winters, average rainfall ~700 mm over ~83 days, with a summer minimum and an autumn peak.
Vineyards situated between 70 and 500 m a.s.l., on hillside slopes with varying gradient and aspect.

Human factors

Italy's first DOC (1966), subsequently elevated to DOCG (1993); already in 1276 subject to an export tax of three soldi per soma. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
DNA analysis of Vernaccia reveals genetic uniformity derived from a single common rootstock introduced in the 12th century, with no external contributions in subsequent centuries.

Product characteristics

On the palate: dry, harmonious, and sapid, with a characteristic almond finish; fruity aromas that evolve toward mineral notes with ageing.
Straw-yellow colour with golden highlights that deepen with age; a Riserva typology also exists, displaying greater structure.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.