Anyone try any? Neal has one from Rutherford Valley AVA -
I have had Ser Winery’s Vermentino a couple of times, including Monday night. It drinks very well when it is young. Here is my tasting note:
2021 Ser Vermentino Cedar Lane Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Arroyo Seco (3/27/2023)
Similar notes as before: apple and lemon on the palate, but with the addition of a very nice and subtly sweet hint of pear juice. There was also a brief echo of tartness deep into the finish. I have 1 more bottle and will drink it the first day we hit 70 degrees. Very nice. (90 points)
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A good bit grown down in Paso and Santa Barbara County. I know Tablas makes one that is liked by most year in and year out; I believe that Paix Sur Terre may be making one too
Down here, Brick Barn makes a distinctive one; Crawford Family has made in the past (not sure if they are still doing so); Rick Longoria made one for a long time - not sure if the new owners are continuing that or now
Cheers
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Unti makes one up in Dry Creek. I thought it was tasty, but I’m no expert on the grape.
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I’ve liked the Tablas Creek.
Edmunds St John’s Heart of Gold is Vermentino with Grenache blanc, always buy when I see.
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Look no further than RYME cellars. Their tasting room is in Forestville, Sonoma County.
They make two Vermentino’s. First is RYME Vermentino “Hers”. Direct to press with all the lemony, saline, stony, notes you want in Vermentino. The second is RYME Vermentino “His”. This sees two weeks on skins and is full of stone fruit (Peach, apricot) tropical and herbal notes. Also some phenolic notes, very age worthy.
Two totally different Vermentino, both are wonderful. The back story on “Hers” and “His” and other infor on RYME wines is below.
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decent range of prices in the high $20’s to $30 range
excellent recommendation for Ryme
I’m also a fan of RYME 'Hers"
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Addicted to Ryme “Hers”…and I love Tablas Creek. These and the cal/ital blends from Massican comprise a healthy portion of my “summer jam”. Perfect accompaniment to all the fresh fruit and local produce.
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I believe Giornata makes a Vermentino almost every year. I have had the 2018 and 2019 and both were good after a couple years laying down. I have a 2021 (95% Vermentino / 5% Arneis) and will likely have it later this year or next. If you are not familiar with Giornata, they are worth checking out. Difficult to find nicer/better people than Brian and Stephy Terrizzi…and their wines are great too! I should mention, the 2021 is sold out, but there’s always next year.
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I used to love the vermentino by Seghesio. Havent had it in several years but it was my go to white for bbq. Crowd pleaser.
Big second of Tom’s rec for the Ryme Vermentino. From Frank Mahoney’s LasBrisas Vnyd in the Carneros, one of the colder Verm vnyds in the World.
The Hers is always the better right out of the gate because the effusive Verm fruit.
The His is dominated by the VM/phenolic character and not much pleasure to taste. But, with age, the His evolves into a magnificent/complex VM.
But they are my favorite Verm producers.
Tom
Mel Knox (yes) made an excellent late harvest NV (yes) vermentino from (yes) Lodi under his Uvaggio label. I have several bottles, and he still had some to sell last time I checked.
I’m also a fan of Tablas Creek’s Verementino. I also like Sardinian versions, and drink a few every summer, but TC’s is my favorite.
Looks like there are a few other CA versions I should look out for.
So here is my gripe… I cannot justify paying above $25.00 for Vermentino, when I can grab some here in the NY area for about $12-18 per bottle… just my two cents…
Also do not want to get into winery pricing… because I understand that rent, labor, and insurance has all increased.
Thought I would chime in on this Vermentino thread as I’m a big fan of this grape. I have worked with vineyards from many locations throughout CA and there are big differences between sites. My favorite vineyard to source from has been the Cedar Lane Vineyard in Arroyo Seco. Mark Chesebro also produces his Vermentino from the site and is a very nice wine (Chesebro Winery in Carmel Valley). The fruit is consistently near perfect chemistry and ripeness at harvest compared to any of the other 5 or 6 vineyards I’ve worked with. It carries a marine character and minerality that I love as well. As a grape prone to reduction, I have found barrel fermentation and ageing in neutral french oak really allows the right amount of oxygen it needs. I also allow a partial malolactic fermentation to take place to achieve balance and length in the mid palate. I understand the pricing debate. If you can find a Vermentino for a good price, why not!? However, for small producers like myself, some of these special vineyards are expensive to source from and the overhead is not easily spread out like the larger producers.
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Neal Family Vineyards in Napa makes a really delicious Vermentino.
I can get good Cabernet Sauvignon for $25, so why would I want to pay more for a Cab or Cab-based blend?
Well, maybe different site expression, different style, higher quality site or better winemaking justifies paying a higher price. Or maybe a wine fails to be any of that.