2023 Terenzuola Vermentino Nero Toscana IGT Tuscany 6pk 6x750ml

Cinque Terre sits on the Ligurian coast where terraced vineyards cling to cliffs above the sea — some of Italy's most dramatic and difficult-to-work wine country. Terenzuola farms sandy terraces in Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five villages, where decomposed mica schist and sandstone give the whites their signature salinity and tension.

The 2023 Bianco blends Bosco, Vermentino, Albarola, and Ruzzese — the indigenous quartet that defines the appellation. Maceration on the skins, fermentation by lifting the cap, then six months on the lees in steel: the approach is traditional, hands-off, built to let the site speak.

The wine is inviting and aromatic, with fresh stone fruit and citrus cutting through a rich, fleshy texture. Savory pine, rosemary, honey, and malt layer over the fruit, finishing with a bitter citrus snap and pretty mineral notes. It's energetic, complex, and deeply place-driven — the kind of coastal white that tastes like the rocks and herbs growing next to the vines.

Cinque Terre whites are rare stateside — the production is tiny, the land is impossible, and most of what's made stays in Italy. This is $34 for a textured, savory coastal white that drinks like bottles at twice the price. Pull the cork tonight.