Winemakers often put a lot of themselves into a wine through pruning, blending, choosing wood for barrels and all the other time-honored methods of tweaking flavors. Every once in awhile, a bottle talks back, revealing the very character of the winemaker — biography in a glass.
Rosa d’Oro’s 2013 Vermentino is one such wine.
Each sip — even the varietal itself — is an expression of Nick Buttitta’s philosophy. He insists, for instance, that winemakers by nature enjoy experimenting. One with a knack for Cabernet Sauvignon can’t wait to get his or her hands on Roussanne. Another known for award winning whites will jump at the opportunity to work with reds.
So when Buttitta learned of a plot of Vermentino growing at a Phil Lovett’s hidden vineyard in the Rivieras, he took a chance.
For the Kelseyville winery it was a first. The white grape is relatively popular in Sardinia and a few other regions in Italy. Few in California bother with Vermentino, however. The USDA Crop Report for 2014 estimated less than 30 acres of bearing vines statewide.
Rosa d’Oro produced just 44 cases. There could have been more, but another tenet of Buttitta’s philosophy is a preference for single varietal wines.
“I tend to stay away from blending,” he explained. “I hope the varietal stands by itself.”
So Rosa d’Oro’s version is 100 percent Vermentino, crushed with daily punchdowns for eight days, fermented on the skin, and aged in stainless steel.
“We took that approach to get a little more body in it, a richer texture,” Buttitta said. Again, it’s a mark of his winemaking. With the Italian varietals, Rosa d’Oro remains as true as possible to old world tradition.
The result is a rich, dry wine of an inviting deep lemon hue. Aromas of citrus zest flow from the glass, with an overlay of meadow flowers and an underscore of hearty minerals. Somewhere buried on the nose are flecks of white pepper.
We’ve been conditioned to expect certain flavors from a white wine, depending upon the varietal. You’re mind might prepare you for buttery oak, bracing citrus or sweet white fruits. But this is something different — enough that it sends thoughts racing for anything familiar.
The dominant first impression is of pith, an essence that might be pear without residual sugar or the inner lining of citrus peel. There’s a dry grassy note and spice dashed on with a delicate touch. Again a mineral layer forms the foundation.
It’s an almost cerebral combination — fruit as a phantom, floral notes as if dusted from memory — yet also a very compelling one.
If the flavors are elusive, the enjoyment is easy.
“I was more than pleased with the way it turned out,” Buttitta noted.
The Rosa d’Oro winemaker credits his son, Pietro, for the vision (“I was just the punchdown guy”), yet the result seems to confirm another one of Buttitta’s deeply held theories.
“The first year you make a wine you’re paying extra attention,” he said. “You baby it.”
He of course hopes to produce another vintage. After all, it says a lot about him.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
