It is not very often that a new winery just drops in for an impromptu visit to introduce their wines and you fall completely in love with the entire range. Well that’s what happened when I first tasted Hugh and Anna’s wines from their Maremma winery Podere Val di Toro, situated between Grosseto and Scansano near the Tuscan coast.
Fast forward 7 or 8 years and the range has grown to include one of the most delicious up and coming cult Rose wines made in the mould of Whispering Angel but utilising Sangiovese grapes, as well as one of the very finest Vermentino whites in the Maremma where conditions are perfect for this aromatic variety.
With the close proximity to the sea, a soil rich in minerals and ample sunshine, the Auramaris Vermentino has garnered awards thick and fast including several 90-plus ratings and a 5 star award from Decanter Magazine.
Anna Maria Cruciata and husband Hugh Maxwell
Podere Val di Toro Auramaris Vermentino 2017, DOC Maremma Toscana, 13.5 Abv.
Primary, taut, vibrant and fresh, this young Vermentino positively bristles with new vintage energy. The aromatics are correspondingly fresh, pure and primary packed full of waxy green apples, creme soda, lemon grass, dried straw, honeydew melon and dusty crushed gravel minerality. The palate entry is also ultra mineral, reminiscent of sucking on wet river pebbles, classically dry and restrained showing a seamlessly balanced mouthfeel. The addition of 15% Grechetto increases the harmony and complexity of this wine and there is no shortage of green apple pastille and crunchy white peach fruit laced with subtle rock candy bon bon length. Sleek, classical and quite grown up, the Auramaris is one of the finest Vermentino examples in Tuscany. Drink now to 2024+.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Certified Organic through BioAgriCert.
Greg Sherwood MW 