Vermentino 2023 Tuscany vs Sardinia: Panel tasting results

Jason Millar, Michael Garner, and Vincenzo Arnese tasted 83 wines, with 18 Highly Recommended

Vermentino 2023: Panel tasting scores

83 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly recommended 18

Recommended 55

Commended 9

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Vermentino wines from Sardinia or Tuscany, from the 2023 vintage only

Fashionable Vermentino has been making a name for itself in recent years. Native to Italy, the grape is synonymous with Sardinia, which boasts two-thirds of the country’s plantings, but this century has seen the island’s dominance challenged by the Tuscan coast’s ambitious and skilled winemakers.

This exciting panel tasting set out to discover whether it’s the Sardinians or the Tuscans who are currently making Italy’s most impressive Vermentino – and the results were fascinating.

The top-scoring Vermentino from the panel tasting are listed below

The key areas in Sardinia are Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, which covers the entire island, and Vermentino di Gallura DOCG in the northeast.

In Tuscany, Vermentino is a specialty of the Bolgheri DOC and has also become popular in the coastal Maremma Toscana DOC.

There can only be one

So who won? The results were definitive: seven of the top 11 wines were from the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG.

The judges agreed that its wines exhibited the highest quality and varietal typicity. Although Sardinia retained its crown, its most dangerous rival seems to be Bolgheri DOC.

Only five wines were submitted for the tasting; however, none received less than 90 points (as an average of the three judges’ scores) – impressively consistent, yet Michael Garner was expecting more.

‘Good, but not as good as I had hoped,’ was his verdict. Italy’s myriad DOCs and DOCGs can be unhelpful for consumers, but in this case, the classifications appear to have merit, especially given the variability of style and quality in the IGT wines assessed.

‘I found few of much interest,’ Garner said. Vermentino is also on the rise in the Maremma, and Vincenzo Arnese was impressed with this diverse region, highlighting ‘exceptional quality at accessible price points’.

The judges all agreed that the 2023s were drinking well now, with the best wines mostly medium-bodied with crisp acidity and discreet complexity – it seems that the real winners in the battle between the Tuscans and Sardinians are wine drinkers interested in quality.

Click here to see more results from the panel tasting

What to drink with Vermentino, by Fiona Beckett

It’s not only the wine that’s different in Sardinia and Tuscany: the food is different, too. Sardinian menus are dominated by seafood; Tuscany’s – except on the coast – are more classically Italian.

Vermentino, a wonderfully versatile white, goes with both.

Sardinia specialises in seafood platters, with which Vermentino pairs perfectly. Fresher, younger wines are spot-on with raw and marinated shellfish and fritto misto (mixed fried seafood and vegetables).

Try them with shellfish- and vegetable-based pasta dishes such as crab linguine, spaghetti vongole or pasta primavera. (Try a glass with some Pecorino cheese and new season’s broad beans, straight from the garden if you grow them.)

Vermentino is also a good accompaniment for delicate dishes with soft herbs.

On the mainland, you may be inclined to drink Vermentino with antipasti and creamier pasta sauces. Older vintages are great with grilled or roasted fish or a veal chop, particularly with salsa verde.

They’re great, too, with vitello tonnato – veal with tuna and anchovy sauce.

Vermentino 2023 panel tasting results

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Jason Millar is a freelance wine writer, consultant, judge and communicator, with a focus on Italy and South Africa. He has a background in buying, importing and sales, and in 2016 was the top WSET Diploma graduate worldwide

Vincenzo Arnese is director of wine at Raffles London at the OWO. Born in Naples, he worked at top hotels in Italy, Switzerland and Australia, and later Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. A DWWA judge, in 2022 he won the coveted title of Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year

Michael Garner is co-owner of Italian specialist Tria Wines and DWWA Regional Chair for Northern Italy. He is the author of Amarone and the Fine Wines of Verona (£35 Académie du Vin Library, 2017)

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