Vermentino is perhaps the best-known of Ligurian grape varieties, planted as it is throughout the Mediterranean and into Tuscany as well.
Ligurian examples of Vermentino tend to be less muscular than those of Sardinia, more viscerally salty and sea-marked than Tuscan versions, and possessing greater finesse than those from Corsica. At their best, as with Bisson’s formidably complex offerings, they combine graceful floral elements, a texture both ample and racy, and that deep core of salinity that establishes them as such full-throated orators of terroir.
“Vignaerta” comes from a parcel on the steep slopes of the “Campegli” vineyard in the commune of Castiglione Chiavarese, and, like all of Pierluigi’s white wines, it spends several days in contact with its skins and is both fermented and aged on its fine lees in stainless steel. It has a bright and green-tinged personality, notes of yellow plum, fresh herbs, and kiwi, and tastes salty, lifted, with an ultra-clean finish.
