Tenuta Meraviglia Vermentino Bolgheri Botro dei Fichi 2024

Tenuta Meraviglia Botro dei Fichi, a maritime Vermentino

I recommend this 2024 Vermentino for its distinctive sense of place: vines in Bolgheri exposed to the Tyrrhenian sea breezes, a soil blending marine clay and volcanic rock, then aging on fine lees in concrete tanks. Here, the grape variety and the place are front and center, with no barrel aging mentioned.

A Bolgheri Vermentino between sea and volcano

Botro dei Fichi is produced by Tenuta Meraviglia, in the Bolgheri DOC on the Tuscan coast. The estate's vineyards are among the closest to the sea in the appellation. They sit on a terrace facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, at about 150 meters above sea level, in a west-facing area regularly swept by sea winds. The estate belongs to the Italian group Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards; the source presents it as its most recent location in Italy.

The Vermentino grows on mainly silty and clay soils of marine origin, mixed with volcanic rocks called Vulcanite di San Vincenzo, which are compared to granite. The estate's description links this composition to a mineral expression in its wines. For the 2024 vintage, the grapes are hand-harvested and farmed organically and in an environmentally respectful way. Fermentation takes place in raw concrete tanks, with indigenous yeasts, at a controlled temperature of 18 °C, for about thirty days. The wine then rests for three months on fine lees, still in concrete.

The available information does not detail the color, aromas or specific flavors, so I prefer not to attribute tasting notes that are not documented. The stated profile remains that of a young white, rather light to medium-bodied and moderately aromatic; the indications place it at 3 out of 9 for style, from young to oaked, at 4 out of 9 for body and at 4 out of 9 for aromatic intensity. Concrete aging and time on lees describe its winemaking, but they are not enough to invent a texture or a bouquet. It is a useful reference if you are looking for a Bolgheri Vermentino whose identity rests on the grape, the coastal terroir and a maturation without wood as stated.

At the table, from the sea to rice dishes

I would serve it with seafood pasta, a white fish, a risotto or a rice dish, pairings suggested for this wine. It can also accompany richer fish or white meats. For a simple Tuscan meal, imagine it at the center of a table where pasta and seafood are shared: then let the Vermentino converse with the dish rather than assigning it uncertain aromas. A bottle to open when you want a young white from Bolgheri, tied to a landscape where the sea and volcanic soils meet.