2024 Fontaleoni - Vernaccia di San Gimignano (750ml)

Azienda Agricola Fontaleoni was founded in 1959 by the Troiani family in the hills around San Gimignano, the Tuscan hill town famous for its medieval stone towers. The estate underwent a major renovation in the 1990s, when the cellar was updated and new vineyards planted to sharpen the focus on quality, leading to its first Vernaccia bottling in 1994. Fontaleoni keeps yields low and relies mainly on sulfur and copper treatments in the vineyard, skipping insecticides and herbicides in favor of organic fertilizers and grass cover between the rows.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano has a documented history reaching back to at least 1276, and it became the first Italian wine to earn DOC status, in 1966, later rising to DOCG in 1993. Fontaleoni's vines grow at around 200 meters, an elevation well suited to the variety, with fruit gently soft-pressed, cold clarified, and fermented slowly at controlled temperatures without any oak contact.

The 2024 pours a pale straw yellow, with floral aromas and flavors of green apple, citrus, and a touch of almond. Light bodied and unoaked, it has brisk acidity and a clean, mineral-tinged finish. Serve it with grilled shrimp, roast chicken, or a light pasta dish.