"Aromas and flavors of fresh pineapple, flowers and mineral. Medium-bodied and silky, with good, clean fruit and a lingering finish. A blend of Vernaccia, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Vermentino. Drink now. 35,850 cases made." (WS)
"ADORED THIS $14.95 ITALIAN WHITE – THE BEST TERRE di TUFI I HAVE EVER HAD
2007 TERRE di TUFI, Estate Btld. Teruzzi & Puthod
I’ve been drinking various vintages of this wine since I was its Southern California distributor many decades ago. It was always a nice, decent wine worth the money but nothing exciting. Then last Saturday, with my lunch group, I served this dry white ’07 and it bowled me over with its charm and most appealing freshness. Certainly by far the best Terre di Tufi I have ever tasted and one of the best white wines currently around from anywhere in the world selling for under $15.00. I found in this dry charmer appealing flavors and aro¬mas of ripe pineapples, tart and delicious green apples, vanilla and ending with a crisp well-balanced flinty finish.
The wine comes from Teruzzi & Puthod vineyards near the colorful Tuscan town San Gimignano. A town noted for its white wines made entirely from the local Vernaccia grape. While Terre di Tufi does use a decent amount of Vernaccia, it also contains Chardonnay, Malvasia and Vermentino. It is because of this blend that the wine does not have an official D.O.C. rating, but instead carries the “wine typical of the area” (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), appellation designation.
The wine is now excelling drinking and will continue so for several more years. A regular price is around $18 to $20, with L.A. Wine Co., having it on special for under $15.00.
RATING: 90/91 PRICE $14.95 WHERE: Los Angeles Wine Co. "
(Martin's Guide to Wine Bargains
Winery Notes:
The towered medieval town of San Gimignano is a place of beauty and tranquility; ancient, ivory-white, stone buildings set in the gently rolling Tuscan countryside. One of Italy’s most historic winemaking sites, the fame of its white wines is as old as the city itself. In modern times it was husband and wife, Enrico Teruzzi and Carmen Puthod, who pioneered the area’s winemaking renaissance, leading a quality revolution with avant-garde methods of vinification, the art of aging wine and the blending of indigenous and international varietals.
For years, Teruzzi & Puthod has been part of “Global Quality,” an environmentally-friendly project that avoids the use of products which, while permitted, are not particularly beneficial for the environment.
Most recently, famed winemaker Carlo Ferrini has come on board as the consulting winemaker. Carlo has won “Winemaker of the Year” from both Gambero Rosso and the Italian Sommeliers Association.
The pinnacle of Teruzzi & Puthod’s wine production is this unique white Super Tuscan. |
