2015 Castello ColleMassari Vermentino Melacce 750 ml

Gambero Rosso’s Winery of the Year Does It Again

This is a phenomenal value mineral white from a Tuscan winery named Gambero Rosso’s winery of the year in 2014. It was crafted by Luca Marrone — also the winemaker at Poggio di Sotto, a winery Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate hailed as “making the most brilliant wines in Montalcino.” Castello ColleMassari’s 2015 Vermentino expresses the structured fruit, citrus and stony qualities ideal for a summertime quencher. This brilliance translates to the foothills of Mount Amiata in Montecucco. At $17.99, this warm-weather beauty from the owner of Bolgheri’s famed Grattamacco estate, is right for a classic case-buy.

Rolling over 3,000 acres at roughly 1,000 feet in elevation, the ColleMassari farm is lush with vineyards, woodlands and olive groves, a quintessential Tuscan setting. Certified organic, Castello ColleMassari was founded in 1998 by Claudio Tipa, owner of Bolgheri’s famed Grattamacco estate, and has a growing collection of major awards like Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso. ColleMassari’s vines — Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, and a few native white varieties — get excellent drainage on steep slopes and ventilation as well as rich minerality from the clay and calcareous marl soils. The state-of-the-art winery employs vinification in stainless-steel vats and ages wines in vats, barrels, and bottle.  

Before they were harvested in early/mid-September 2015, the Vermentino grapes experienced some extreme temperature fluctuations and evenly distributed rainfalls, resulting in an aromatic beauty enhanced by sunny September days. Once again, ColleMassari reflects the terroir of Tuscany’s Montecucco region while upstaging its Tuscan neighbors — especially on the quality-to-price ratio.