I just opened my first Italian Vin Santo and was quite struck by both its similarities and contrasts to 10 year old Tawny Port. First off, it had a similar lovely caramel and butterscotch nose, but quite a bit softer and less pronounced even though just as distinct as the “rancio” from Portuguese Tawny. The fruit flavors show in the middle, giving way to the rancio again before finishing off with some heat. Naturally, with less ABV the heat was lesser on the finish but still came through due to the delicateness of the wine.
By contrast, it was very noticeable that the body was much fuller and more mouthcoating, despite being far less alcoholic at just 15% ABV than Tawny. The biggest difference, of course, was in the taste. Whereas Tawny tends to have a major taste of dried plums and cherries for me, Italian Vin Santo has a taste of dried golden raisins and peaches. It was actually a bit floral, almost similar to the taste of Moscato, actually.
I would say this is like a white grape version of a 10 year old Tawny, but I have in fact had 10 year old white Tawny Porto and it was nothing like this. The fruit on the Vin Santo is much more pronounced whereas the aged white Porto is all butterscotch pudding with little to no fruit. I don’t think it can touch 20 or 30 year old Tawny but definitely holds its own against a 10 year old and outclasses a regular Tawny.
It was also interesting to compare and contrast to Greek Vinsanto which I raved about late last year. While the fruit flavors are almost 100% identical, they are more than twice as powerful in the Greek Vinsanto. The Italian Vin Santo tastes almost diluted in comparison. It was also interesting that at only half the ABV at 9%, you can still taste heat on the Greek version.
The biggest difference between the two is that the Greek version completely lacks any caramel, toffee or butterscotch flavors due to not really having any rancio. It’s a tradeoff of power for complexity.
I am very much hearting all three types of wine at the moment and find them very complimentary to each other. Does anyone else here find the same similarities between Vin Santo and 10 year old Tawny?
Tran, what are the specific bottlings you’re comparing?
With respect to Italian Vin Santo, if you try various producers you’ll find a very wide range of styles, much more so than you will find with 10 Year Tawny as a category. It can vary from super oxidized, nutty aperitif style (i.e. - Livio Sassetti) to extravagantly concentrated, thick and unctuous bottlings (Avignonesi & Rocca di Montegrossi come to mind), while the vast majority are somewhere in the middle (Felsina makes a gorgeous bottling in this style).
I’ve had very few Greek Vin Santos, but the most recent – 2004 Domaine Sigalas - was so incredibly think, chewy and sweet (for my palate it could have used a whole lot more acidity) that I didn’t find it all too enjoyable. In some regards it reminded me of Avignonesi’s Vin Santo, but without the acidity, which is so vital in keeping sweet wines fresh on the palate.
Ultimately I drink the three categories you’re trying to compare for their singular-ness and differing styles from one another, not because I find something similar about them.
Thanks for the note, Rico. My comparisons for point of view were the Lornano 1999 Vin Santo, the Domaine Sigalas 2003 Vinsanto and the Calem 10 Year Old Tawny which I had recently. Godo to know there’s such a variance in Vin Santo. If it helps, I also have bottles of the 04 Tenuta di Trecciano, the 05 Castello di Pomino Frescobaldi and the 06 Tenute Marchesi Antinori Vin Santos to all go through and will also be acquiring the 04 Badia a Coltibuono as well.
I do agree with you the Sigalas Vinsanto is quite a lot to take in, but I found the 03 to have enough acidity to prevent it from tasting like concentrated fruit syrup. I suspect your palate is a lot more refined that my strictly sweet tooth is.
I will keep an eye out for the Aziendas you mentioned as well. Right now they are not available at either the LCBO or the SAQ but the latter especially is always bringing in newer dessert wines at a steady rate so you never know. Thanks again.
I think Rico describes my thoughts on the question nicely when he talks about the differences in acidity. Good italian Vin Santo has lip smacking acidity that gives it verve, freshness, and liveliness beyond tawny Port and vinsanto, although my Greek vinsanto experience is limited to Sigalas, so I can’t speak with any authority in that category.
Agreed. They’re only marginally similar. Port is fortified, vin santo and vinsanto aren’t. Vin Santo is made from straw-dried grapes and in some cases, ferments, stops, and ferments again, depending on the ambient temps of the seasons and then it’s aged in wood of varying types for a long time. Vinsanto is made from vine-ripened grapes and it’s fermented all at once and it’s generally sweeter, although as mentioned, the other comes in varying degrees of sweetness.
Tran - I think you’re reacting to the oxidized nature of the wine more than anything. You get that in wines like Fondillon, vin doux naturel from Rivesaltes, sherries, many wines from Tokaj, Maury, traditional wines from Monstant, Vin de Paille from Jura, and elsewhere. Can be good and the oxidation adds a level of complexity, but they’re quite different from each other IMO. The fortification of some makes them distinguishable and the sweetness levels also vary considerably.
I like them all from time to time, mostly because I just like sweet wines. But even more, I like non-oxidized, fruity sweet wines with higher acidity.
I posted this note a few months ago on another wine forum:
2002 Castello di Meleto Vin Santo del Chianti Classico (DOC), Italy.
14.5% alcohol. This wine matures at least three years in small oak casks. Imported by Vias Imports Ltd. First tried at a Fayetteville (NC) Wine Society dinner.
Plum/prune scents similar to a Port. Hints of brown sugar and creme brulee crust. Quite enjoyable. Probably could be served over ice cream but I enjoyed it on its own as an after-dinner sipper. I was surprised how similar I found it to be to a tawny Port but with lower alcohol.
I don’t remember who, but I distinctly recall reading an Italian winemaker as being quoted as saying that if ever caught someone dipping a biscotti into his Vin Santo, he would strangle them on the spot because it takes so much work to make a good one and that he labors too hard for it to be treated as a cookie dip. I am in 100% in agreement with him.