Capichera - Vigna'ngena Vermentino di Gallura, 2017
In the mid-1970s the Ragnedda family founded the Capichera winery in Arzachena, the heart of Gallura (the northern part of Sardinia). This is the homeland of vermentino, whose fame and relevance the Ragnedda family has greatly contributed.
The estate’s philosophy towards winemaking is focused on the vineyards rather than the winery. They limit human intervention and the plants’ health takes precedence over commercial needs.
This wine “Vign’Angena” is probably the best expression of the vermentino grape by Capichera. In the local dialect “Vign’Angena” means “foreign vineyards”. This is because the wine was originally made from grapes sourced from vineyards that Capichera managed but did not own. These plots were then purchased by Capichera over the years.
The wine has a lemon-straw brilliant hue that is pale in intensity. On the nose, it opens up with an intense and juicy fruitiness. Notes of grapefruit and lemon are laced with nectarine and yellow plums, followed by notes of yellow flowers – iris, hawthorn and orange blossom. Hints of pineapple and dried herbs provide added complexity. But, above all, what strikes the drinker is the intense saline minerality of the wine and this is affirmed by the swirling scents of seaweed, salty rocks and seashells.
On the palate, the intense iodine minerality is confirmed. The body is medium to full, and the flavours are both intense and fresh (thanks to a lively high acidity). After a lemony attack, some riper fruit notes emerge: grapefruit, nectarines and pineapple. In the mid-palate, the marked iodine minerality takes over as if chewing raw seafood still imbibed with the salty water of the Mediterranean. Overall, this wine has good concentration and balance on the palate. Aromatic, fresh, it is very mineral and intense. The finish is not very long but it’s still remarkable thanks to its distinctive seaweed minerality.