Lambruschi Makes Beautiful Vermentino

7/10/12 -

Ottaviano Lambruschi makes renowned Vermentino near the Cinqueterre in Liguria. Very little comes to the US – there is only one importer (located in California), and almost all of the wine goes to restaurants; we seem to be the only retailer in the US offering the wine. Lambruschi is also one of the only producers bottling Vermentino from two different vineyards – the wines are made the same way, so the differences between the vineyards are readily apparent. Costa Marina was created by Lambruschi in the early ‘80s; it sits on a ridge surrounded by woods and ‘macchia’ – brush that’s rich with wild rosemary and oregano. Exposure is southeast, with sea breezes funneled up a valley to the vines, and the soils are very rocky. Lambruschi’s vines in Sarticola are up to 70 years old; it’s a long established site (other producers have plots there) a bit further from the sea, and at higher elevation; soils are a thin layer of clay over limestone. Yields are less than half of what’s permitted (what’s permitted is “ridiculously high”); all work is manual, with minimal treatments (inc no herbicides), but the viticulture is not organic. Selected yeasts are used for all-steel fermentations; the wines are bottled without filtration.

Because of the slightly unusual distribution arrangement for Lambruschi , we’ve never had the chance to taste more than one wine at a time, and some of us had never tried the wine. So we had a tasting here last week of the four wines we currently have in stock, and happily the wines impressed everyone – including the resident francophiles, which isn’t always so easy to do. The wines are impressive – intensely aromatic, and long on the palate, rich and full-bodied without being overwhelming or hot. Beyond the most obvious food pairings of seafood and pesto, the wines have sufficient body and intensity to drink well with meat and other rich dishes.

A purchase of any of the wines shown here will be discounted 10%, and a case purchase 15% (or 15% off the Lambruschi wines that are part of a mixed case of other wines, which will enjoy our usual case discount of 10%). These discounts will be applied when we charge for the wines - don't worry that they don't show up on your web order.