Discover our list with photos, description and tasting of the best best Vernaccia di San Gimignano recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri. You will also find the food and Vernaccia di San Gimignano pairings in the dedicated article.
Discover also the articles dedicated to the best Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Nobile di Montepulciano, Bolgheri and Morellino di Scansano and wine events in Tuscany. You may also be interested in the article on the best Italian white wines.
INDICE:
- History Vernaccia di San Gimignano
- Types of Vernaccia di San Gimignano
- Best Vernaccia di San Gimignano
- Pairings Vernaccia di San Gimignano
History Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG is considered one of the most important Italian and Tuscan white wines, and boasts a long history documented since 1000 AD.
Vernaccia di San di San Gimignano is in fact mentioned by Dante, Boccaccio, Cecco Angiolieri and Francesco Redi and was requested in abundance by the Medici during the Renaissance to brighten their best banquets and weddings.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG saw its rebirth in the 1960s, becoming the first Italian wine to boast the prestigious DOC in 1966 and later DOCG in 1993.
From the very beginning, the denomination wanted to distinguish itself for quality by placing itself among the best in the Italian panorama: low yields and great attention to biodiversity. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is in fact historically one of the Italian denominations with the highest number of organic wineries.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG – Disciplinary
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a DOCG wine produced in the Pliocene hills of San Gimignano, a Tuscan town located between the provinces of Siena, Pisa and Florence. The hectares of vineyards dedicated to Vernaccia di San Gimignano are about 800.
The specification of Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG provides that it is produced starting from the Vernaccia di San Gimignano grape (85% minimum), to which percentages of other authorized non-aromatic white grape varieties can be added.
Types of Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG vintage:
The first to be put on the market, fresh, fragrant, immediate and ideal for daily consumption.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Reserve:
With prolonged aging and greater structure, extremely long-lived and capable of maturing complex aromas. Also ideal with spicy and more structured dishes.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG Cru:
The flagship of the cellars, produced from the best grapes from individual vineyards particularly suited. Generally it is the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano proposed by the cellars.
Best Vernaccia di San Gimignano recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
Which are the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano?
Let’s find out together the updated list of the 20 best Vernaccia di San Gimignano with photos and characteristics so that everyone can find the best wineries that produce Vernaccia di San Gimignano suited to their tastes.
To discover other excellences and the best producers of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, search our archive with in-depth articles on the producers.
Panizzi – Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva 2018
Characteristics: Nose rich in facets, including citrus notes of orange blossom, brackish hints and ancienne mustard. In the mouth it creates a sensational dialectic between the acidity of the backbone and the sapidity.
Among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for evolutionary potential: the varietal character of Vernaccia stands out, embellished with a woody côté and masterfully integrated tertiary nuances. Organic label.
Not wine, but an irreducible apologist of the eloquent and elegant character of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Cesani – Vernaccia San Gimignano ‘Sanice’ Riserva 2019
Characteristics: It opens on suggestions of broom, yellow pulp tropical fruits, wild fennel and incipient peaty suggestions. The sip is voluminous, with a grainy iodized saline presence.
One of the best and most sincere interpretations of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, great identity and territorial character.
Deservedly among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for the transparency of the varietal identity of the Vernaccia and which emerges sincerely without make-up. Thanks to the terroir of Pancole, one of the best suited in the San Gimignano area. Organic wine.
Vernaccia Di San Gimignano Ori 2020 – Il Palagione
Characteristics: Penetrating opens on complex citrus, yeast and pastry notes that fade towards aromatic epiphanies of wasabi and hydrocarbons. The palate confirms the sense of smell: extraordinarily full-bodied and enveloping, but also with excellent freshness and a sapid iodized structure.
Part of the wine ferments and refines in barriques while the remainder refines on the fine lees with constant pumping over and batonnages.
Fully among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for nuances and lysergic aromatic complexity. Probably among the best Vernaccia for expansive presence on the palate. Organic wine.
Vernaccia San Gimignano Riserva Antalis 2018 – Mormoraia
Characteristics: It opens captivatingly on exotic and floral notes, with decisive citrus hints and hints of mango and apricot that stretch towards sweet spices.
In the mouth it is soft and balanced, with a good acid thorn that leaves room for a persistent and almond finish.
Riserva Antalis di Mormorai is a Vernaccia di San Gimignano with a multifaceted and suggestive nose and which boasts great drinkability and smoothness on the palate. Deservedly among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva ‘L’ Albereta’ – Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara 2018
Features: Suggests notes of yellow fruit, citrus notes, sage, woody notes and wet stone.
Penetrating acidity on the palate supported by an immersive flavor. Intense and persistent finish. organic wine, fermentation with native yeasts in oak barrels.
The Albereta de Il Colombaio in Santa Chiara is definitely one of the best Vernaccia in San Gimignano for its expansive presence on the palate, an excellent persistence in which the varietal character of the fruit embellished with delicate woody notes echoes penetratingly and as a protagonist. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva 2018 – San Benedetto
Description: The nose is broad and penetrating, with notes of lemon peel and ripe yellow pulp fruits, vanilla and mustard and white chocolate.
When tasted, it is balanced, whole and fresh.
The Riserva di San Benedetto is a vibrant interpretation of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, of great eloquence on the nose, which is only a prelude to the voluminousness of the palate.
Among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for freshness and drinkability.
Vernaccia Di San Gimignano Riserva ‘Vigna Ai Sassi’ 2019 – Tenuta Le Calcinaie
Characteristics: Fresh and fragrant olfactory range, with balsamic and citrus notes that blend with hints of honey, melon and orange blossom.
In the mouth it is long, brackish and balanced, with a persistent finish that confirms the nose. A biological reserve that does not make wood, an elegant synthesis of the varietal expression of the grape.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna ai Sassi from Tenuta le Calcinaie is certainly among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for its amazing taste-olfactory complexity. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano ‘Carato’ Montenidoli 2019
Description: Aromas initially played on notes of hawthorn and boxwood and elderberry embellished with more enigmatic hydrocarbons and brioche bread. The mouth is wide and lively and supported by a pleasant mineral trail with a slightly almond finish.
Organic wine, spontaneous fermentation in steel containers followed by maturation and aging on the fine lees for several months,
Carato di Montenidoli is one of the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for its olfactory versatility, refined, voluminous and with a great presence on the palate. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Prima Luce 2019 – Cappella Sant’Andrea
Description: The nose alternates floral aromas, notes of orange blossom, chalky and vanilla.
The sip is dense and harmonious with a gritty acidity of backbone and an intriguing minerality.
Organic wine, Fermentation is spontaneous, aging for 6 months on fine lees.
A vertical wine on the nose and with a whimsical and incisive sip, among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the alternating note of iodized flavor and acidity creates a very convincing dialectic. Good value for money. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva “Le Mandorle” 2019 – Poggio Alloro
Characteristics: Stratified, honeyed and spicy nose, embellished with elegant notes of white flowers, vegetal suggestions reminiscent of thyme and dried green tea leaves, hints of yellow peach, melon and bitter almonds.
In the mouth it explodes fresh and vibrant, supported by a beautiful saline presence that enters into synergy with the long and persistent finish.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Le Mandorle is a powerful and olfactory complex wine in which the might of the terroir is released on the palate, among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for character and elegance. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano ‘Ab Vinea Doni’ 2019 – Falchini
Description: A large bouquet stands out on the nose that ranges from exotic pulp fruit, mustard, orange blossom flowers to hints reminiscent of sage and brackish tones.
On the palate it flows energetic and juicy integrated by a marked mineral flavor. Voluminous finish with long persistence.
The Ab Vinea Doni by Falchini is a white wine triumph of fruit and minerality, in which the aromas, multifaceted and authentic, are the prelude to an energetic and vibrant sip.
Among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for depth and overall balance.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva “Benedetta” 2019 – Fattoria San Donato
Characteristics: Olfactory texture characterized by notes of yellow flowers, acacia and apricot, with aromatic reflections of white pepper, barley candy and sweet spices.
In the mouth it is dense and rhythmic, with a very pleasant brackish blade.
Organic Vernaccia di San Gimignano, beautiful and compelling, with a large, clean and mineral sip.
Among the best for the quality-price ratio. Organic wine.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva Crocus 2019 – Casa alle Vacche
Involving the olfactory picture that ranges from yellow pulp fruit, candied ginger, orange blossom and flint.
On the palate it spreads is voluminous and savory, with a finish of excellent cleanliness and persistence.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Crocus by Casa alle Vacche is a captivating wine, with multifaceted, clear and intense aromas. Excellent versatility in food pairing.
Deservedly among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva ‘I Mocali’ 2018 – Vagnoni
The Vernaccia wine of San Gimignano DOCG 2018 from Vagnoni opens on notes of hawthorn and crispy white fruit, to continue towards strong stamps of acacia honey and salty sensations.
The sip is soft, with a sharp and well-dashed acid line.
‘I Mocali’ by Vagnoni is a Vernaccia di San Gimignano with great aromatic expressiveness and great versatility in the gastronomic combination.
La Ginestra – Signano 2020
La Ginestra di Signano wine opens on a large bouquet that ranges from yellow pulp fruit and orange blossom flowers embellished with notes of Dijon mustard and acacia honey.
On the palate it is voluminous and savory, with a finish of excellent cleanliness and persistence in which floral and fruity notes echo.
Ginestra di Signano is a fragrant and immediate Vernaccia di San Gimignano, with great versatility in food pairing.
Interesting value for money.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva Mareterra 2018 – Casa Lucii
Characteristics: Fragrant opens on tropical fruit, orange peel, embellished with Dijon mustard, vanilla and brackish.
The sip is enveloped by pressing, with a marked acidity and a lively iodized vein well outlined.
Refine in first and second passage barriques and then in steel.
The Mareterra di Casa Lucii is one of the best emerging Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva: great intelligibility of the fruit but also tertiary nuances. Imaginative and with excellent aging potential.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Libera 2021 – Collina dei Venti
Characteristics: Delicate notes of broom and orange marmalade are mixed with intense suggestions of wild resin and officinal herbs.
The sip explodes soft and full, supported by a well-integrated savory vein that leaves the mouth fresh and fruity.
The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Libera from Collina dei Venti is one of the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano in the vintage version for freshness and fragrance. The great expressiveness of the vintage version creates great potential even for more advanced and ambitious versions.
Excellent value for money.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021 – Fattoria di Fugnano
Characteristics: Delicate notes of yellow pulp fruit emerge on the nose, orange blossom followed by hay and hints of mustard.
On the palate it is medium-bodied, with a nice sour blade and a slightly almond finish.
The Vernaccia di San Gimignano ‘Da Fugnano’ by Fattoria di Fugnano is among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano in the vintage version.
Pleasant interpretation of the grape that combines aromatic finesse, flavor and drinkability.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021 – Abbazia di Monte Oliveto
Characteristics: Very captivating citrus scent, which is articulated between lemon peel, broom, followed by wild mint and salt.
The mouth is broad and dry, made lively by a strong acidity that enhances the vibrant finish of excellent cleanliness.
Fully among the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for enhancing the floral and citric character of Vernaccia.
One senses a raw material of excellent quality, which although available in the vintage version, would also make us want more advanced and ambitious versions.
Astrea 2020 – Alessandro Tofanari
Characteristics: Yellow peach and grapefruit blend with floral notes, of lambic beer and toasted almonds.
On the palate it flows sensationally lively and saline, with a delicate mineral and voluminous finish.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano Astrea by Alessandro Tofanari is one of the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano for its sui generis character: rich and pleasant, animated by marine and floral suggestions.
What is the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano?
What is the best Vernaccia di San Gimignano? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which however inevitably is subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have simply compiled a list of our favorite interpretations according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that wine is not born as a status symbol, to be exhibited or flaunted coram populo.
But to excite us and be shared in a genuine way with the people we love, binding ourselves to contingent situations and to the unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to visit wineries and get to know the producers who produce wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently discover and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your personal favorite wines. If you have had the patience to read this far, thank you for your attention, but now is the time to fill the glasses and cut the distant hopes, and therefore:
Cheers, Salute, Santé
Jean Marco Palmieri
