From Sea to Table: Tenuta Loacker’s Valdifalco 2016 Vermentino
Vermentino Valdifalco 2016 Tenuta Loacker is a savory and rich white wine, quite clean but characterized by mature tones; let’s say that it is not the usual Vermentino, all acidity and citrus fruits, indeed!
All thanks to the production philosophy of the Loacker winery, originally from South Tyrol, but which has also expanded into Maremma by purchasing a splendid estate where they produce classic Tuscan wines.
But if you are familiar with the Loacker philosophy, you will know that they practice biodynamic viticulture, where any synthetic product or treatment is banned, and that the wines are intense, perhaps they have had longer macerations and focus heavily on consistency and structure.
And even in this case they did not deny themselves, proposing a Vermentino that has a certain gustatory depth, offering a large aromatic volume, but without exaggerating, it is not a fat wine, it always remains faithful to freshness and great drinkability.
Let’s say it has a little more courage.
How Tenuta Loacker Vermentino Valdifalco 2016 is produced
The ripening of the grapes is long and slow to allow for good polyphenolic ripening. But above all, it is affected by the influence of the sea, which helps not a little to give it flavor and depth. The vinification takes place in steel, is spontaneous, and is then refined in steel, not in wood.
After a few months of rest in the bottle, it is ready.
The bouquet of Vermentino Valdifalco 2016 Tenuta Loacker
The nose is frank; it is a Vermentino pounding with references, but the tone is mature and fuller, and there are soft references of marzipan and honey, candied citrus fruits, and light spices.
So don’t expect a razor-sharp Vermentino all citrus fruits and flowers; this one explores the aromatic depths of Vermentino with a little more courage, without venturing into dead ends, oxidations, or imperfections. The profile is clean and precisely marked. Classic finish of rocks, sea, and aromatic herbs.
The taste of Vermentino Valdifalco 2016 Tenuta Loacker
In the mouth, it is very salty and broad; with ripe traits, the fruit is enveloping and offers clear flavors of candied yellow fruit. The acidity is obviously there, but it is not so sharp; it helps to dictate the pace and push the wine in a compact progression without ever becoming the protagonist.
Already a good balance, now you can also find the 2018, but honestly, these two years have helped him find more harmony. It’s not a white wine for aging, so drink it now.
Certainly, if you compare it to the usual Vermentino as a seafood appetizer, it is a wine that leaves you displaced; it turns on an already evolved register with dried flowers and that reference to such intriguing fleshy flavors.
Attention: it is not an orange wine, a macerated one; it has no tannins or who knows what consistency: it is just a hint, but in reality it is a very pleasant drink that never gives up the juice, the pulp.
Price
14 euros: an acceptable price.
Pairings
Structure, salt, and lots of pulp make this white wine perfect for pairing with grilled fish dishes, tuna tataki, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara, Pad Thai.
