30 May 2022
Everyone knows Vermentino: the wine has notably grown in recent years, gaining the favor of consumers and encouraging numerous producers to enhance its quality. However, only a few people know that Lunae, a winery from Castelnuovo Magra, in Lunigiana, is one of the keepers and leading producers of this variety
Vermentino and Lunae has shared a mutual bond of listening and tradition since the 1960s, when Paolo Bosoni took over his parents' agricultural business and recognized the winemaking potential of Lunigiana. However, he decided to abandon high-yielding vines, which were then planted to produce large quantities of grapes, in favor of rare and indigenous varieties, in the pursuit of a much stronger bond with the territory.
From that moment onwards – like a true pioneer – he launched the production of outstanding Vermentino in Colli di Luni, one of the most suitable areas in Italy for this variety.
Colli di Luni, in Lunigiana, is a borderland that gets the best of what the surrounding regions have to offer. Located between Liguria, Tuscany and Emilia, the area enjoys the influence of the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea: the breeze endows the grapes with flavor and freshness, favoring the fruit’s slow and constant maturation. The Apuan Alps behind act as a barrier, guaranteeing a warm but not extreme climate, with excellent diurnal temperature variations. And the soil is a perfect mix of clays and sands that endow Vermentino with the ideal structure, fine and intense aromas, elegance and flavor.
VERMENTINO AND ITS MASTERS
The history of Vermentino is shrouded in mystery. Some say that it has Spanish origins, planted for the first time in Corsica in the 14th century and, from there, brought to the coasts of Liguria. According to some documents, the cultivation of Vermentino was particularly widespread in the Western Riviera in the 19th century, even reaching the Maremma. Although its origin remains a mystery, its vocation is a certainty: Vermentino is «the vine of the sea», a grape that expresses indisputable excellence on hills that enjoy the influence of the sea, which brings out its fruity, savory and persistent soul.
Lunae is unanimously recognized as one of the leading interpreters of Vermentino. The first harvest of Etichetta Grigia (Vermentino Colli di Luni Doc) dates back to over 40 years ago. While Etichetta Nera (Vermentino Colli di Luni Doc) is considered as one of the most important labels for this type: an outstanding wine that since 2009 – and for twelve years in a row – has garnered Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri award, chosen as the Best White Wine of Italy both in 2020 and 2021.
Lunae's commitment to bringing out Vermentino’s bond with the territory also shines through Cavagino Vermentino Colli di Luni Doc, one of the first Vermentino crus in the area. This single vineyard wine comes from a small plot situated on Colli di Luni, in the municipality of Castelnuovo Magra, the pride of the winery. The parcel is vinified separately and is characterized by soils rich in skeletal grains and large rocks The low yield per hectare and the particular vinification process (the must obtained following soft pressing ferments partly in wood and partly in stainless steel) lead Cavagino to express the maximum potential of Vermentino: a white wine with complex fruity notes, Mediterranean scents and a perfect balance between acidity, flavor and length.
ALL THE SHADES OF VERMENTINO
A dedicated tasting experience allows to discover the different expressions of Lunae’s Vermentino wines. Il Vermentino guides guests to discover the native grape of Western Liguria, along a journey that gradually unveils its complex nature. We begin with the simplest and most direct label, Labianca (Liguria di Levante Bianco Igt) a blend of Vermentino and Malvasia; we continue with Etichetta Grigia (100% Vermentino Colli di Luni Doc) and the majestic Etichetta Nera (100% Vermentino de Colli di Luni). The experience ends with the intriguing flavor of the territory: Cavagino Vermentino Colli di Luni Doc is a surprising drink revealing persistent notes of ripe fruit and the sea.
