From the heart of the winery, the Santa Margherita cru in San Gimignano, the north side of the DOCG of the greatest white wine in Tuscany, the Panizzi family has come a long way. Today they are among the few most representative wineries for Vernaccia and, since 1979, the year Giovanni Panizzi founded it, the winery has grown considerably in size and production style. The hectares have become 40, still in the upper part of San Gimignano, up to almost 500 metres above sea level.
The Panizzi style is marked by the immediacy and dynamism of its wines, but this approach should not be generalised in a commercial sense. Evoè is exactly the demonstration of how, with Panizzi, cross-cutting and research converge in a single project. Evoè takes its name from the ancient Dionysian chorus of Bacchic rites, in the Tuscan version immortalised by great poets and writers such as Poliziano and Francesco Redi. And it is, in fact, a Vernaccia that wants to follow ancient productive philosophies, but above all ancient atmospheres, ancient flavours and perfumes.
A wine that "kisses, licks, bites, picks and stings" according to a historical definition by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, the San Gimignano Vernaccia for the Evoè is harvested late, towards the end of September, and crushed by hand in wooden vats. Here fermentation begins in contact with the skins for a good five months. An orange wine? Not really: we would say, a "historic" Vernaccia. Then, ten months in tonneau cover, to clean itself, and finally over two years in the bottle. Giovanni Panizzi's oenological testament goes beyond the pattern of Vernaccia DOCG and gives fans a testimony to the history of this wine.
The colour is reminiscent of bright gold softened by light amber outlines. The scents are intense, bewitching and unusual; the fragrant notes of elder flowers and aromatic herbs are pleasantly balanced by the sensations of candied citrus, ginger, incense and passion fruit, together with an elegant touch of vanilla.
Excellent taste persistence, gritty and reactive, satisfying and with balsamic and mineral flavours. The great structure and aromatic complexity harmonise well with its easy-to-drink nature. Affable at the table, Evoè goes perfectly with cod, tasty meats, mature cheeses. As for longevity, ten years is the minimum starting point for this white wine with a very long evolutionary potential.
