Blair Fox Vermentino

Blair Fox Cellars Fox Family Vineyard Vermentino 2012: When a restaurateur like Mitchell Sjerven of bouchon and the Wine Cask raves about a wine, one should listen, which is how this pale yellow, vividly refreshing vermentino from Blair Fox’s organically hand-farmed family property in the Santa Ynez Valley wound up in our glass.

Often, this white Italian varietal can be so subtle that it’s almost tasteless, but that’s far from the case here, from the light lime spritzer aroma and slight salinity on the tongue to the surprisingly long finish. No wonder Mitchell serves it as a pairing to scallops, but it’d be mighty fine to toast the end of summer with this on a hot front porch as well.

Take this review to their tasting room in Los Olivos for a free sample of this soon-to-be-gone wine. See blairfoxcellars.com.