Belguardo Codice V 2024

Belguardo Codice V 2024, Vermentino put to the test

With Belguardo Codice V 2024, Vermentino strays from the most expected paths: part of the grapes ferment and macerate on the skins in amphorae, while the rest matures in stainless steel tanks. I like this approach, which lets the grape variety speak while giving the wine a distinctive structure, without trying to mask its origin.

Maremma, the hillsides and the work of the Mazzei family

This white is produced by the Mazzei family, whose winemaking history in Tuscany goes back several centuries. In the 1990s, the family settled in Maremma, drawn by conditions favorable to the vine: the proximity of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the cooler temperatures of the hills. Belguardo Codice V belongs to the Maremma Toscana DOC and is from the 2024 vintage.

The grape variety is Vermentino, here selected from clones of Corsican origin, obtained after research into its characteristics. The vines take root in sandy soil, at about 250 meters above sea level. The main operations are carried out by hand, from vineyard management to harvest, carried out at the moment judged to be optimal ripeness. This care gives the tasting a precise context: a Mediterranean grape variety, worked in a landscape where maritime influence and a cooler relief meet.

The available information does not provide a detailed description of the color nor precise notes of nose or palate; I therefore prefer not to attribute imagined aromas to it. Its production, however, is well documented: 80% of the grapes ferment in stainless steel tanks at low temperature for 30 days. The remaining 20% ferment in amphorae and macerate on the skins for four months. The wine then rests for a few months on its lees, in the tanks and the amphorae. This maceration share makes it a skin-contact white, rather than a Vermentino vinified solely as a classic white. The indicated style places it in its youth, with a medium body and an equally medium aromatic intensity. This is a useful lead for waiting for it: a certain presence on the palate, without attributing to it a power or an aromatic profile that the available notes do not specify.

At the table, a bottle for good pairings

I would serve it with a white fish, whose delicacy can accompany the structured character given by maceration, or with a risotto. White meats are also among the suggested pairings and offer a fine opportunity to discover this Vermentino differently. Serve it during a meal where you can take the time to savor its texture and its aging, rather than looking for predefined aromas. Belguardo Codice V 2024 thus invites you to explore another facet of Maremma, with curiosity and without haste.