I made Vermentino’s acquaintance purely by chance and, boy, am I glad our paths crossed!
Friends had invited me to lunch at Baccō Wine Estate, on the Simonsvlei Rd outside Paarl. As I always do when going to lunch on a wine farm, I checked out the wine offering online before heading out. Being easily bored with the usual suspects, I immediately fixated on the Vermentino.
I was disappointed at lunch though as the Vermentino was sold out… (We settled on their very appealing Chardonnay instead to accompany their restaurant’s super-tasty Italian fare.) Naturally, I had to order some Vermentino and settled in for the wait with much anticipation. On delivery day, mere minutes passed between the delivery to my door and my delivery of a bottle to the fridge!
Vermentino has been compared to Sauvignon Blanc in style – they certainly have wonderful acidity and freshness in common. In terms of complexity though I felt this Vermentino trumps most Sauvignon Blancs. Grapefruit and lime generally lead the bouquet, with hints of daffodil, ocean spray and blossoms. The taste is complex with clementine, nectarine and almond and an oily, salty finish – quite reminiscent of Riesling.
Vermentino wines are very rare in South Africa, particularly as varietal bottlings. At a touch over 12 hectares, Vermentino makes up only 0.014% of our national vineyard, one hectare of which – planted in 2018 – is to be found at Baccō.
Most of the world’s Vermentino is found in its home country of Italy, particularly in Sardinia, Liguria, Corsica and Piedmont – where it is known as Favorita. Increasing amounts are also grown in Languedoc-Roussillon in the southwest of France.
It has apparently taken well to Paarl conditions (there is also Vermentino at Ayama estate on the other side of Paarl) and flourishes in Baccō’s sandy topsoil. (The subsoil is clay with ferrecrete and quartz.)
The grapes were handpicked and sorted. After destemming they spent 6 hours on the skins before pressing to ensure optimal flavour and aroma extraction from the skins. Fermentation took place in neutral French oak barrels as did 12 months’ maturation. (In wine speak ‘neutral’ is another way of saying ‘previously used’, which means the barrels impart little to no flavour to the wine.)
In aroma terms, expect to find grapefruit, lime, daffodil and subtle oak with a touch of ocean spray. Taste-wise it presents a pleasant combination of nectarine, pineapple and citrus flavours with a minerally edge. It’s medium-bodied, complex and has great length, making it great with food. Pretty much any pairing involving seafood, pork or chicken is bound to be a pleasant one.
Alcohol 13% vol | Residual Sugar 3.2 g/l | Total Acid 5.56 g/l | pH 3.21
www.baccoestate.co.za | +27 (0) 63 296 2147
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