Jason Millar, Sara Bachiorri and Abbie Bennington tasted 78 wines, with 4 Outstanding and 46 Highly recommended

Verdicchio: Panel tasting scores

78 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly recommended 46

Recommended 24

Commended 4

Fair 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their wines from any of the Marche region’s four Verdicchio designations Castelli de Jesi DOC/Riserva DOCG, or Matelica DOC/Riserva DOCG, and from any vintage

'Excellent, interesting and ageworthy’

If you ask an Italophile to name the country’s finest white grape, Verdicchio may more often than not top the list.

A speciality of the Marche region on the Adriatic coast, it remains curiously underappreciated, given its consistency, versatility and capacity to age.

This panel tasting confirmed Verdicchio’s character and quality across the board.

As Sara Bachiorri observed, the wines showed that this variety can be ‘excellent, interesting and ageworthy, as well as great value for money’.

The highest-scoring wines span a wide stylistic spectrum.

Fresher, more youthful examples offer green and red apple, pear and white pepper flavours, often with an appealing hint of chicory or radicchio, while the more mature wines show yellow plum, quince and resinous herbs, yet retain a striking sense of youthful energy.

Of the two principal production zones for Verdicchio in the Marche region, Castelli di Jesi DOC is far larger than its inland neighbour, Matelica DOC – but average quality across both was high.

See all notes and scores from the Verdicchio tasting

The class of classico

The strongest showing in Jesi comes from Classico-designated wines, drawn from the historic hillside vineyards around Cupramontana, which consistently deliver greater depth and definition.

The wines from Matelica, located further inland, in the foothills of the Apennines, stand out for their combination of concentration, vibrant acidity and a lightly grippy texture that make them especially food-friendly.

Abbie Bennington noted that, ‘the wines of Matelica really do live up to the hype’.

Both zones are also able to produce Riserva DOCG wines, which require extended ageing and show Verdicchio’s capacity to evolve over time.

This category in each case delivers some exceptional wines, including two of our highest scorers.

For those keen to explore Verdicchio, Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC and Matelica DOC remain the most reliable starting points.

While bargains exist, pricing is generally sensible with many of the best-performing wines clustered in the £15-£29.99 range.

Combined with consistently high quality and no rush to drink the wines, the feeling is that it’s hard to go wrong with Verdicchio.

The judges

Verdicchio panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

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Andy Howard MW, Sara Bachiorri and Michael Garner tasted 75 wines, with 1 Exceptional and 4 Outstanding.

Verdicchio panel tasting scores

75 wines tasted

Exceptional 1

Outstanding 4

Highly recommended 59

Recommended 11

Commended 0

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release vintages of still dry white wines from DOCs Verdicchio di Matelica or Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and DOCGs Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva or Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva

In a white wine world dominated by Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, extolling the virtues of Verdicchio – the Italian white grape made infamous by curvy, amphora-shaped bottles in the 1970s – might seem like hard work. Yet ask Italian wine experts for their opinion of this variety and you may be surprised.

In his book Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Ian d’Agata states: ‘Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest variety.’ The results of this panel tasting seemed to support the view that Verdicchio is a grape capable of producing high-quality, ageworthy wines.

Scroll down for the top-scoring Verdicchio wines

The results were certainly impressive, averaging 91 points across the range of 75 wines. This came as no surprise to Italian wine expert and panel judge Michael Garner, who commented that ‘this Verdicchio tasting more than lived up to my expectations – and they were already high’.

For this tasting, Verdicchio wines from a range of vintages were tasted, predominantly sourced from the larger Castelli di Jesi denomination, along with a number from the highly rated Verdicchio di Matelica area. Castelli di Jesi lies closer to the Adriatic sea with an area under vine of some 1,900ha. The much smaller di Matelica zone – found at the foot of the Apennines, between 300m-400m above sea level – experiences a continental, rather than maritime, climate.

In style, both share classic Verdicchio characters of a straw-coloured hue in the glass, often with a flash of green; apple and stone fruit flavours combined with almond notes, a touch of bitterness and powerful acidity which promotes long ageing. Castelli di Jesi wines tend to be somewhat softer and rounder, whereas those from di Matelica are often more structured and in need of a year or two’s extra ageing before they show their full potential.

Although Verdicchio also produces spumante and passito (sweet) styles, it is renowned for dry white wines, usually with minimal (or no) wood influence. Although maturation in wood may be found in the Riserva DOCG wines, it is perhaps the unwooded style of Verdicchio which shows the variety’s qualities off to its best – reflected in the use of steel and/or concrete in the production of the five top-scoring wines in this tasting. Garner noted: ‘I preferred the less complicated style, with ageing in stainless steel or concrete,’ concluding that, ‘this approach offers purity of fruit, aroma and flavour which highlights the excellent fruit/acid balance, giving Verdicchio structure and longevity.’

See all 75 wines from the Verdicchio panel tasting

Sara Bachiorri agreed, saying: ‘The overall quality was good and I find it exciting that there is so much going on with these appellations.’ She noted that ‘another thing to highlight is how well these wines can age’.

Considering the use of wood, Bachiorri observed: ‘Where oak was used, it was well integrated and in all the wines, whatever the vinification method, the layering of flavours took the wines to another level of complexity.’

Overall Verdicchio di Matelica scored slightly higher than Castelli di Jesi, leading Garner to exclaim: ‘Matelica – wow! These showcase the richness and structure of Verdicchio, but with the extra lift and vitality that vines grown at higher altitudes bring.’

Whichever DOC/DOCG you might choose, as a consumer you can expect high quality, characterful and long-lasting Verdicchio wines at attractive prices.

Verdicchio: the facts

• Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Since 1968 Minimum alcohol 11.5% Planted area* 1,806ha + 94ha Riserva
• Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC comes from vineyards on the north bank of the Misa river
• Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva was elevated to DOCG in 2010 (minimum alcohol 12.5%; minimum ageing of 18 months) Verdicchio di Matelica DOC Since 1967 Minimum alcohol 11.5% Planted area* 260ha + 25ha Riserva
• Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva was elevated to DOCG in 2010 (Minimum alcohol 12.5%; minimum ageing of 24 months) Grape varieties Minimum 85% Verdicchio (synonyms/ biotypes Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano di Lugana); wines can also contain up to 15% Malvasia or Trebbiano Toscana DOC and Riserva wines may be designated ‘Classico’
  *Source: ISMEA 2019

Top-scoring Verdicchio: 

The judges

Andy Howard MW is a Decanter contributing editor and DWWA 2022 Regional Chair for Central Italy (excluding Tuscany). A former retail wine buyer, he now runs his own consultancy Vinetrades.

Sara Bachiorri works in buying for merchant WoodWinters. First a DWWA judge in 2013, in the 2022 competition she judged in the Piedmont and Veneto categories. Born in Perugia, Umbria, she was formerly head sommelier at The Glasshouse in Kew, then at Chez Bruce in southwest London.

Michael Garner is co-owner of Italian specialist Tria Wines, author of Amarone and The Fine Wines of Verona (£35 Infinite Ideas), and DWWA Regional Chair for Northern Italy (excluding Piedmont & Verona).

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I’d like to say we took advantage of the lockdown and its related commotion to do a stock-take, explore new avenues, turn over intriguing stones, widen and deepen our drinking, taking careful notes as we went. Sadly, no. I won’t say we got stuck in a rut, but we did tend to stick with comfort wines – and “comfort”, in our case, means familiar.

Regular readers of this quarterly column can probably guess the labels on the resulting empties. We have a wider range of comfort foods, I’m afraid, than comfort wines. Happily, professional duties deflect me from total monotony. I’m delighted to be seduced by something from the Cape, or lured away to the deep south of Italy. I’ve learned (or been reminded) that Aglianico is one of the great red varieties, that Syrah can be succulent in Sicily, that Spain has a lot more to offer than Tempranillo – and they can grow Pinot Noir in Patagonia, too. I’ve formed a bond with Grillo and flirted with Verdicchio. I’ve had a good conversation with Zinfandel, and Trollinger has caught my eye.

Riesling, of course, has always been in my Comfort Corner, but it comes in so many guises, from prickly to a deep massage, that it can’t get boring. Sylvaner has sometimes stood in for Chablis, and the Marsanne/Roussanne ménage for Chardonnay. In fact, if one region has been making Bordeaux jealous it is the Rhône, in all its parts, and realms adjacent. From considering Châteauneuf- du-Pape a wine for rich dishes on cold days, I’ve been meeting bottles of lively refreshment. And it doesn’t stop in Provence; it goes right down to the Spanish border. If there is any region I still struggle with it’s California, and after many years I’m convinced it’s the taste of the local market that departs from mine, rather than the climate and terroir.

Which bottles, then, have we in this house been emptying at speed? You’ve already guessed claret, and you’re right about the Médoc; Margaux and the southern half for light-heated delight, Pauillac for deeper meaning. The Right Bank when the smell from the stove is richest. Much less in numbers from Burgundy (Chablis apart; we need a pipeline from the Yonne), but more and more from Roussillon and neighbourhood, for white wines as well as red. Bubbly and Sherry compete as appetisers, with as many bubbles coming from this side of the Channel as the other.

That, I have to admit, is about the only change.

Hugh Johnson OBE is a world-renowned wine writer. This column first appeared in Decanter magazine’s June 2022 issue.

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Since the idea of fine Italian white wine first took hold in the 1970s and ’80s, Verdicchio is a variety that has gone from strength to strength. In 1980, Burton Anderson claimed in his book Vino, ‘…the standard here may be as high as for any popular white wine in Italy at the moment’. Nearly four decades later, Ian D’Agata maintained in his Native Wine Grapes of Italy (University of California Press, 2014) that ‘Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest native white grape variety’.

It is highly versatile, making very creditable passito and sparkling wines thanks to naturally high levels of acidity, but it’s the still, dry versions that stand out. Two areas of the Marche region have DOC or DOCG status. The first comprises the rolling coastal hills of the Castelli di Jesi (with its Classico sub-zone), while the second is further inland: the higher, north- to south-facing valley of the Esino river by the town of Matelica.

While the Jesi wines are typically more approachable and show the grape’s rounder, fleshier and more sensual side, those from Matelica tend to be leaner and crisper, with even greater evidence of its notable mineral tones. Delicate, youthful fruit characters are common to both, as are floral notes. With age (anything from five to 20 years, depending on the individual winery) the wines can develop an impressive depth of aroma and flavour yet still maintain a remarkable freshness and vitality. Modern winemaking methods and a more enlightened approach to viticulture (particularly lower vineyard yields) have done much to confirm Verdicchio’s current status as one of the country’s top whites.

Two recent trends have accelerated that progress. A proliferation of small producers has emerged in the 40 years since Anderson’s book. They have tended to favour single-vineyard or ‘cru’ wines made in small lots, and some are really pushing back the boundaries. Caveat emptor, however. The DOCG Riserva category in particular, which calls for extra ageing and a higher alcohol content, can be something of a minefield, and quality is not always consistent. Some producers are simply trying too hard: in aiming for a wine which is all about richness, power and noteworthy ageing potential, they can compromise the elegance, freshness and energy that is one of the variety’s truly outstanding features. Over-extraction brings a heaviness, bitterness and viscosity that does Verdicchio few favours.

The other positive development is the rise to stardom of the Matelica area. Though still overshadowed by the Castelli di Jesi in terms of numbers (2.5 million bottles from Matelica against some 17m bottles from Jesi per annum), quality is usually extremely reliable, and those classic high-altitude characteristics of zingy freshness and minerality are sought after by consumers. Castelli di Jesi, it seems, has a worthy rival these days, which can only be of benefit to Verdicchio’s reputation and future success. Wine lovers everywhere are the real winners.

Michael Garner’s top Verdicchio wines

Every year, 18 million bottles of Verdicchio from Le Marche are sold – a global commercial success that’s possibly both blessing and curse. For many, this is the only touch-point with the most easterly region in Italy’s central bulge. Never mind that Verdicchio’s popularity obscures a substantial proportion of the region’s output; it also leads to some wrong assumptions. Does Marche only produce white wine? Is it dominated by large cooperatives producing simple quaffers?

Scroll down to see Simon Woolf’s top eight wines from Le Marche

The answer to both questions is an emphatic no – you’ll find some of the Adriatic coastline’s only red grapes here, as well as Montepulciano in its most northerly excursion, and increasing numbers of ambitious producers.

With one of the highest allowed yields of any DOC wine in Italy, quality has been an issue over past decades. The ubiquitous amphora-shaped bottle for Verdicchio also did its perception few favours. Thankfully, this image is fast disappearing, but Le Marche took its time to undergo the drive to higher quality, dragging its heels when compared with westerly neighbours Umbria and Tuscany.

That the region is a relative newcomer to the modern wine world is very apparent when you visit. you’ll find sfuso (bulk wine refills) offered at even the most prestigious estates. Federico Pignati from Aurora winery pointed out that ‘Sharecropping survived here until the 1970s – and the average size of estates is very small.’

Indeed, the average holding across the region’s 15,000 wineries is a mere 1.24ha, giving a clue that most operations are centred around domestic production and little more.

Decanter contributor Walter Speller reasons in The Oxford Companion to Wine that ‘the region is off Italy’s main commercial axis of Milan–Bologna–Florence–Rome–Naples’, also citing ‘the lack of any urban centre more important than Ancona’. Le Marche certainly feels slightly off the beaten track, but that has probably helped retain a sense of tradition. American Dwight Stanford, a former surgeon who now co-owns and runs the Paolini & Stanford winery in Offida, jokes: ‘Everyone here still has a pig, two geese, four rows of vines, a house and a garden.’

That sense of tradition has created a powerful ‘back to the roots’ ethic among many of the younger wineries and producers. Organic viticulture has taken off in a big way, thanks to incentives by Le Marche’s local government in the 1990s, with many estates now partially or wholly certified. A specialist consortium, Terroir Marche, includes 11 of the most dynamic organic producers from across the region.

Verdicchio’s starring role

Verdicchio’s high quality is not up for debate; with a firm structure, generous fruit, lemony acidity and a nutty, appealingly bitter note on the finish, the appeal is clear. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is the dominant sub-zone, with a bewildering number of permutations for the wines: two classico areas, a superiore designation, and rarely seen passito and spumante options.

Le Marche’s only north-south valley contains a hidden gem: Verdicchio di Matelica produces only a tenth of the volume of its better known neighbour, but results can be spectacular. A more mineral-rich soil and better hillside elevations bring greater lift and precision. Top Verdicchio di Matelica riserva wines are the longest lived of the region, ageing gracefully for up to 20 years.

Although the once-dominant large co-ops and négociants remain, wine lovers should look to a clutch of more recently established smaller producers for more excitement.

Take Riccardo Baldi, who scaled up his father’s 2ha of vines into a business when he was only 19 years old. Baldi’s La Staffa estate has established itself after only five vintages, due to the exceptional quality of the wines.

Baldi cites Verdicchio’s tendency to clonal variation as important: ‘I find a very particular character in some of my older clones.’ The estate (now 10ha) is farmed biodynamically. Baldi feels this is crucial to achieve higher quality, noting that it increases the amount of calcium carbonate in the soil, which in turn gives the wines a salty, mineral edge.

Biodynamics may still be quite outré in Marche, but Baldi is bang on trend with his use of concrete tanks in lieu of stainless steel. Producers are rediscovering concrete as a more sympathetic vessel for ageing Verdicchio. ‘In my opinion,’ Baldi says, ‘wines age too quickly in stainless steel. In concrete, we can mature them more slowly.’ He’s critical of many modern production methods: ‘A lot of wines from this area smell like Sauvignon Blanc. People get a lot of aromatics out of the grapes by using oxygen-free presses and selected yeasts, but for me these are not the aromas of Verdicchio.’

Pievalta, another biodynamic estate in the Castelli di Jesi area, is also achieving excellent results. Others such as Cantina di Tavignano and Fattoria Coroncino are hitting high notes using more conventional farming methods.

The other white

Heading south from Ancona brings you to Offida, a rocky spur that’s home to a very on-trend white wine. Although fashion feels like a strange term to use when talking about a grape variety, Pecorino is undoubtedly hip. Confusingly sharing a name with one of the region’s best-known cheeses, the rediscovered Marche variety likely originated in the wild.

The romantic notion of Offida’s many sheep eating gnarled wild vines has probably boosted Pecorino’s popularity, but Stanford is also enthusiastic about its potential: ‘Pecorino is our most important white. If it’s done well, it can be really complex, like a “red” white wine. I call it the Chardonnay of our area. It’s trendy because there just aren’t that many producers and the volumes available are limited.’

Like Verdicchio, Pecorino is broad and capable of plenty of texture, but it adds a racy acidity and more assertive fruit character that is compelling when vinified well. The grape also seems tolerant of a range of production standards – it’s rare to find an example that’s less than enjoyable. Stand-out Pecorinos, such as those from Aurora, Fiorano or Pantaleone need a year or two in bottle to show their best.

Offida’s other local white variety, Passerina, holds little interest apart from decent acidity and bountiful yields. Italy’s appellation system has many anomalies, and the inclusion of this decidedly inferior variety in the Offida DOCG has to be one of them.

A tale of two rossos

Le Marche’s red wines aren’t yet well known outside Italy, even though they form about 40% of the region’s total output. Sangiovese and Montepulciano are the main varieties, though it’s increasingly felt that the latter ought to be prioritised in Marche’s climate. Antonio Terni, of Conero estate Fattoria Le Terrazze, explains: ‘Our Montepulciano isn’t as powerful or concentrated as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, but it’s more elegant. Sangiovese, on the other hand, just doesn’t seem to do well here.’ Examples I tried tended to support Terni’s view, with dry, dusty tannins and a lack of charm. Recent DOC regulations have sensibly lowered the maximum amount of Sangiovese allowed in Conero blends to 15%.

The Conero DOC and DOCG area hugs the coast around Ancona, and can produce wines of considerable finesse and ageing potential. Wines cover a lot of stylistic bases, from light, easy-drinking fare to oak-dominated bruisers that age in the style of a Barolo – and at about the same glacial speed.

Rosso Piceno DOC is Offida’s answer to Conero, but currently of more variable quality, due to higher permitted yields and more Sangiovese. That said, producers such as P&S Winery, Vigneti Vallorani and Ciù Ciù are leading the charge for generous, fruit-endowed Montepulciano that retains elegance.

As demonstrated by the changing flux of regulations, Le Marche’s producers are still fine-tuning, to get the best out of their terroir. Red wine production has nonetheless evolved a great deal over the past 20 years, moving away from non-native varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Too few of these wines are yet on our shelves, yet it’s clear that Marche is far from a one-trick Verdicchio pony.

See Simon Woolf’s top eight wines from Le Marche

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Le Marche wineries to visit

Italy’s Marche region? Where’s that? A question one might ask, as the province itself must rank as one of the most secret and under-visited parts of Italy compared, say, to Tuscany, Umbria or the Veneto.

Lying eiqudistant from Rome and Florence, washed by the Adriatic to the east and extending westwards by way of twisting river valleys towards the foothills of the Appenines and the Gran Sasso beyond, it is a region of beautiful contrasts. Ideal wine-growing territory too.

Visiting a winery here is not about the glamour of five star hotels on estates, it’s a rustic, Italian experience.

Even at today’s two million hectolitre wine production level Le Marche’s overall reputation for upfront quality may have lain somewhat in the shadows compared to its Brit-beloved neighbour Tuscany. However, a recent trip hosted by ‘Marchet’, the Marche Chamber of Commerce, proved to its participants that a substantial revolution is taking place and a rethink about the region in terms of its wines is well overdue.

A score of Le Marche’s hundreds of significant wine producers, many working in the organic and bio-dynamic spectrum, were on hand across four fully-packed days of winery visits and tastings to prove not only that youth, energy and dedication is to the fore across the board of Marche wine production but also that the region has gained a new confidence to equal the best Italy can offer to the consumer.

The region’s lengthy Adriatic seaboard, a paradise for sea-food lovers, dictates mostly white wines although wine produced westwards from the sea and regional coastal plain towards and into the foothills of the Appenines and the Gran Sasso beyond offer an astonishingly satisfying range of colour and style apt to service the countryside’s rustic larder; the river valleys providing a perfect terroir for exploitation by Marche wine growers across the centuries.

These wineries I feel are ones to watch….and they all warmly welcome visitors, perfect for your next trip. John Ducker 

Malacari

An estate farm based around Offagna and owned by the Malacari family since the 16th century. There’s textbook Rosso Conero DOC, and riserva DOCG from 100% Montepulciano, produced organically from old vines with minimum intervention, i.e. virtually no sprays in the vineyard and the use of only natural yeasts, with ageing in an assortment of old barricas. An estate making wine since the 17th century. Rich, dry, dense and sapid wines….with considerable ageing potential. Recommended by John Ducker.

Hours and visits: Tuesday – Saturday 15:30 to 19:30

There are several casual tasting options for those visiting without reservations but it is advised to email ahead on info@malacari.it

Directions: Only a 20 minute drive South East of Ancona

Bruscia

A family run business where a slew of indigenous Marche grapes are grown across a 50Ha. estate in the gentle hillsides around Constanzo , led principally by the white Bianchello, with Sangiovese as the leading red contender. Lesser known varieties include the white Incrocio Bruni and the ironically named ‘Famoso’. Small quantities of Lachryma too, the thin-skinned ‘weeping’ grape (when over-ripe). A hi-tech winery, with a wide range of wines and very clean-cut production. Recommended by John Ducker.

Hours and visits: Open Monday – Friday, email ahead on info@brusciavini.it to let them know your plans

Directions: A 40 minute north from Ancona up the stunning coast

Cantina Di Sante

Here’s outreach indeed. The historic Di Sante organic farm at Carignano with 30Ha. of vineyards set in the Colli Pesaresi around Fano is now a leading educational base for food and wine both nationally and internationally. A ‘must visit’ should you happen to be in the region complete with tastings and winery tours. The tufa soils of the estate support a number of varietals including Bianchello, Sangiovese and Montepulciano – but the full range, including olive oil and grappas can be found in their wine shop in Fano itself. Recommended by John Ducker.

Hours and visits: Open Monday – Sunday, email ahead on info@disantevini.it for a tour of the winery and olive groves. Oil and wines can be bought at the winery or at their shop in Fano.

Directions: A further 10 minutes up the coast from Bruscia

Società Agricola Ciù Ciù

Vegetarians and Vegans rejoice! Ciù Ciù is for you!

This certified organic family winery, founded in 1970 , lies ‘down south’ in the Ascoli Piceno area of Marche around the hill town of Offida, producing a full range of local white varietals including Verdicchio, Pecorino and Passerina, and premium reds including Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Barbera, Merlot and Cabernet. No animal products are used during the fining process…hence the headline. Their shop and tasting room is in Offida itself. Recommended by John Ducker.

Hours and visits: Advised to fill out the form online here. with at least a week’s notice.

Directions: An hour and ten minute drive South of Ancona along the coast to San Benedetto del Tronto

Villa Bucci

Looking for textbook Verdicchio with real complexity and depth? There’ll be few places better to find it than in the Castelli di Jesi at Ostra Vetere. Ampelio Bucci’s Verdicchio Riserva from his 31 Ha. property must rank as one of Italy’s top white wines, from the lowest yields and strictest possible grape selection across different vineyard plots and with a finish in large Slavonian oak. Production also includes fine Sangiovese/Montepulciano reds in the Piceno DOC. Michaela Morris also says ‘No tour of Castelli di Jesi is complete without a visit to Villa Bucci.’

Hours and visits: Fill out form online to arrange visit or email bucciwines@villabucci.com

Pievalta

For a lesson in the nuances of terroir, head to Pievalta. Here you can compare Verdicchio from the clay and limestone soil of Maiolati Spontini commune with those of the granitic sandstone of San Paolo di Jesi. Winemaker Alessandro Fenino takes willing guests into the vineyards for a crash-course in biodynamic viticulture. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Wine shop open: Monday to Friday 9.00 – 12.00, 15.00 – 18.00. Tours available but book first. +39 0731 705199

Sartarelli

The tasting room at Sartarelli doubles as a museum, giving a useful primer of the Jesi area while offering five styles of Verdicchio, from a charmat-method bubbly to a sweet passito. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Wine shop open: Monday – Friday 08.00 – 12.30 / 14.00 – 19.00, Saturday 08.00 – 13.00. Tours available, contact in advance. +39 0731 89732

La Staffa

Another proponent of organics and biodynamics is rising star Riccardo Baldi at La Staffa. His vineyard is near the town of Staffolo, where the calcium carbonate-rich soil gives structured wines with pronounced minerality. For something completely different, ask to try his Verdicchio ‘pét-nat’ lightly sparkling wine. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Marotti Campi

At Marotti Campi, the comparison is of a different nature. The estate crafts three Verdicchios, each picked at progressively later ripening times and aged longer on the lees. Salmariano incorporates a small percentage of new barrique and is a testament to Verdicchio’s affinity with oak. Marotti Campi also makes one of the region’s best examples of the intensely perfumed, exotically aromatic red Lacrima variety. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Contact in advance, wine@marotticampi.net+39 0731 618027

ColleStefano

In Matelica, the co-existence of small and large wineries that defines Le Marche is illustrated by ColleStefano and Belisario. At one extreme, ColleStefano is a tiny family-owned estate that has been farming organically for over 20 years. Most of the production goes into a single bottling, but a visit here will give you a taste of its racy sparkling Verdicchio made in tiny quantities. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Contact here.

Belisario

At the other end of the spectrum, Belisario is a 100-member cooperative with a dizzying array of labels, including other native whites grapes such as Passerina and Pecorino. Verdicchio, however, is still very much the focus. Cambrugiano is its top wine and was one of the very first Verdicchio to be aged in barrique. Recommended by Michaela Morris.

Contact here.

Marche food to look out for

I was never in much doubt that at table in Italy the food is the star of the show, local wines having been crafted across the centuries to help show it off – a dynamic reversal of the way wine is treated, say, in France where the wine is on a pedestal and French regional cuisine has anciently been created to provide an ideal context for it. Be that as it may, my recent visit to Italy’s Marche region certainly helped reinforce my view.

No prizes for guessing that with its Aegean seaboard the key cuisine of the Le Marche shoreline – and extending way inland- is based on fish and seafood in multitudinous variety and where from ancient times the very culture of cooking ‘Alla Marchigiana’ absorbed recipes introduced from sea-borne visitors from North Africa and especially from Greece.

Elsewhere, further down Italy’s ‘foot’ in the mezzogiorno witness even further evidence of beneficial Greek introductions: wine-grape varieties with Greek names: Greco, Grechetto, Aglianico (‘Hellenico’) etc. In Le Marche itself one finds a rich, distinctive and hugely varied culinary heritage, one deriving as much from the diverse cultures of the ancient tribes once living in the region as the divisions created by natural geography. Wide river valleys between the mountains divide the landmass into four distinct sectors providing thereby a degree of separateness from the rest of Italy. No wonder perhaps that as a province Le Marche isn’t so well known by outsiders.

Blessed as an agricultural region with an abundance both of farmland and grassland Le Marche is well able to provide a wealth of varied foodstuffs, meat, poultry, plentiful fruits, wild boar, hares, game birds in the mountains, not to mention those buried prizes of the region’s extensive woodland – truffles, widely incorporated into local dishes as if by right.

Few Italian cookbooks in general do more than nod briefly in the direction of Marche gastronomic culture, but to get the real flavour of the region out of your own kitchen may I suggest a single book – ‘Cucina of Le Marche’ – a debut publication from professional Marche-born chef Fabio Trabocchi, published by Harper Collins. It’s the business – and then some.

John Ducker 

No one has a better grasp of Italy’s current wine scene than the professional winemakers who work the length and breadth of the country. For an insider’s view, Carla Capalbo spoke to three of the best...

Stefano Ferrante

Stefano Ferrante was just 38 in 2011 when he was promoted by Gianni Zonin, president of Italy’s largest private wine group, to technical director of the company, overseeing an annual output of nearly 60 million bottles.

A remarkable achievement for one so young, yet Ferrante still considers himself an ‘accidental’ winemaker. ‘I’m from Milan – a city boy with no links to wine or the countryside,’ he says. ‘The only person in my family who even drank was my grandfather.’ He studied classics and went to agricultural college with an idea of getting into fruit production. ‘In those days agronomy was considered an ‘alternative’ subject and attracted kids with hippy tendencies. We’d eat rustic salami with Lambrusco. That’s how I fell in love with wine.’

A chance encounter brought him into a circle of wine tasters and he was hooked. For his university thesis he spent three years in Tuscany with Professor Attilio Scienza, conducting zoning research at Bolgheri. Then he lucked into helping to harvest at Ornellaia.

‘The Maremma was jumping in those years, and I stayed on at Ornellaia as winemaker Andrea Giovannini’s assistant. I was beginning to be drawn to the oenological side of wine.’ He befriended Daniel Schuster, the then consultant at Ornellaia, and followed him to New Zealand for six months.

Back in Italy, Ferrante worked in Basilicata with Aglianico and in Chianti Classico for American Kendall Jackson with French winemaker, Pierre Seillan. ‘Seillan is very creative and taught me a lot about paying careful attention to detail in the vineyards and cellar,’ he says.

But Ferrante wanted something rooted more in Italian culture. When Gianni Zonin proposed he become the director of a start-up estate in the Maremma in 2003, Ferrante didn’t hesitate. ‘There was nothing there, no cellar, and 30 hectares of just-planted vines without trellises.’ Over eight years, Ferrante oversaw the creation of Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi, one of 10 independent estates in the Zonin portfolio.

Does Zonin always pick young people for high-level jobs? ‘The Zonin family love the energy and exuberance the young bring to a project, but it’s a highly structured group and I was supported by their technical team,’ Ferrante says.

Now at the helm of that team, Ferrante has a lot on his plate. The Zonin group is run by the family (Domenico Zonin recently replaced his father as CEO) and divided into two distinct parts: Casa Vinicola Zonin, at Gambellara in the Veneto, which makes around 45 million bottles; and the nine farm estates, from Friuli to Sicily, with one in the US.

‘At Gambellara we act primarily like négociants, selecting and buying wines throughout Italy before blending and bottling them under Zonin’s labels – including 16 million bottles of Prosecco. Ten years ago we sold 80% in Italy; now it’s 80% abroad. The single estates use only home-grown grapes to express the diversities of their areas.’ These include Piedmont’s Asti, Chianti Classico and Puglia.

‘Currently we work with 58 varieties on 2,000 Zonin-owned hectares throughout Italy,’ he says. ‘We follow company guidelines but each estate’s resident oenologist also has some freedom. Zonin’s external consultant is Denis Dubourdieu from Bordeaux. It’s an honour to collaborate with him. He’s helped Zonin find its style and raised the bar.’

‘For the high-volume wines, we’re after a drinkable, affordable, reliable style to accompany our daily lives, whereas the individual estates sit at the pyramid’s pinnacle, producing more personal wines that reflect their origins. We’re interested in showcasing their grape varieties and terroir, not in making overly forceful or opulent wines.’

Looking south

Which region does Ferrante feel is the most up-and-coming? ‘Puglia has the most potential at the moment. Several big wine companies like ours have been investing heavily in its unique varieties – Negroamaro, Primitivo and Malvasia – and giving them the attention that had been lacking before,’ he says. ‘They’re perfect for today’s consumers: wines that are fruit-driven, richly coloured and naturally somewhat sweet, but without heavy tannins. That’s what the northern markets are after because they’re perfect to drink outside of meal times.

‘Beyond Puglia, I think Sicily has much more to give through its native grapes. It’s moving away from being Italy’s Australia, where it was being used to produce heavy wines from international varieties, to reclaiming its nobility. After all, this was one of the mythical areas of ancient Rome and Magna Grecia. Now, with a modern take on Grillo, Inzolia, Nero d’Avola and the other local varieties, we’re seeing wines being made with elegance and finesse, which is a new way of looking at them.

‘The other grape variety I think still has a lot to give is Sangiovese, in Tuscany and beyond. Sangiovese is a symbol of Italianità (Italianness), but I feel that we’ve not yet seen its best.

‘I believe in constantly experimenting with new techniques, and so each year we dedicate 10% of our production to different vinification methods,’ Ferrante explains. ‘It keeps things interesting and stops us getting stuck. For a wine tourist like me, to make so many diverse wines in so many parts of Italy is a unique and exciting opportunity – even if it does mean spending my life in my car.’

Written by Carla Capalbo

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No one has a better grasp of Italy’s current wine scene than the professional winemakers who work the length and breadth of the country. For an insider’s view, Carla Capalbo spoke to three of the best...

Three wise men: Emiliano Falsini

Since 2000 Emiliano Falsini has belonged to one of Italy’s most influential oenology groups, Gruppo Matura, which was founded in 1997 by fellow Tuscans, Attilio Pagli and Alberto Antonini.

‘In Matura, we all work independently with our own clients but share information and sales opportunities. We’re committed to making wine from lesser-known grape varieties whenever possible to help maintain Italy’s extraordinary wealth of viticultural biodiversity,’ he says. Falsini studied oenology in Florence and did a stint in California before setting up on his own. ‘I worked for La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi at Oakville, where they grow several Italian varieties including Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo,’ he says.

Now 41, he’s made his name among Italian wine appassionati (wine lovers) for championing what the Italians call vignaioli (vignerons in French): independent producers whose wines reflect the personalities of their grapes and terroirs.

Whether from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, the hills of Montefalco in Umbria, or Barolo in Piedmont, Falsini’s wines express the depth and character of unique grapes made in unique places.

‘I’m crazy about Italy: it’s never boring,’ he says enthusiastically. ‘It’s a mosaic of situations and has still got so much to say and give, especially from its indigenous varieties which have been grown on landscapes that range from plateaus to volcanoes, seasides to high mountains.

Relishing the challenge

‘I work with over 20 different grape types and, if I had to explain the link between them, it would be that these native varieties are much trickier to grow than Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah,’ Falsini says. ‘Why do you think people gave up on them 20 years ago?

‘You can’t get away with planting Sangiovese in the bottom of a valley – it will never ripen. These grapes have a symbiotic relationship with their traditional growing areas. That may be due to selections made over time, but it means they remain place-specific.’

How does he see the international market for Italian wines? ‘I think the world wants Italy, in every way. It’s a country with so much food, culture and beauty – and we haven’t managed to ruin it all, yet,’ he laughs. ‘In the international market, our native varieties are appreciated by critics and specialised consumers, but we need to educate the wider market about them. The British, Americans and Chinese know mainly about Merlot, Cabernet and perhaps Malbec, so if you talk to them about Sangiovese it’s already a stretch, not to mention other, less well-known varieties, like Sagrantino, Zibbibo, or Nocera.’

Falsini is fascinated by the different ways in which the same grape can be interpreted in an area. ‘If one producer wants opulence and concentration in a wine that will need time to achieve its elegance, and his neighbour looks instead for something that will be ready to drink sooner, I’ll help them both to make clean, drinkable wines. But I defy anyone to recognise my “handwriting” in either wine. I don’t impose a style; I’m merely a tool to help them reach their goals.’

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No one has a better grasp of Italy’s current wine scene than the professional winemakers who work the length and breadth of the country. For an insider’s view, Carla Capalbo spoke to three of the best...

Three wise men: Lorenzo Landi

Having worked for some of the country’s most enterprising estates, Lorenzo Landi is a well-known figure in the Italian wine world.

‘Studying agronomy came naturally in my family: it was the subject of choice for both my father and brother,’ says Landi with his soft, Tuscan lilt. ‘Wine came naturally for us too. There weren’t many job opportunities for agronomists so I also studied viticulture and oenology.’

Landi, 50, grew up in Pescia, in northern Tuscany. After his masters he worked in a cellar in Burgundy. ‘I learned how they vinify but also to respect – and protect – the grapes. In the end, there’s not so much complication behind great wine.’

His first job was in Vinci, at the Cantine Leonardo da Vinci cooperative. After five years he moved to Saiagricola, the group of farms belonging to one of Italy’s largest insurance companies. (Under Italian law, these companies must invest in property assets.) There he met Denis Dubourdieu, its consultant since 1995, and with whom he later also collaborated at Lungarotti in Umbria. ‘Working with Denis has been a rare, formative experience that’s covered every aspect of winemaking, from managing the vines and tasting, to handling climate change,’ he says.

‘For me, the direction an estate takes should come from its owners. I’m there to help them achieve the kind of wine they want to produce. But, at the same time, you can’t go against the uniqueness of a place. So you could say that mine is an absence of style: each area has its own wine, which will come out naturally if we let it and don’t impose a personal style that’s the same wherever the wine is made.’

Nurturing potential

Landi consults for estates across Italy. ‘I’m particularly interested in varieties that produce original, long-living wines, and that’s true of many – but not all – of the indigenous types. I think Aglianico at Taurasi or in Basilicata, Etna’s Nerello Mascalese, and even Puglia’s Nero di Troia all have huge potential. As does Sardinian Cannonau. When I began to work with that, I thought its sweet, rosy tones were due to over-ripeness, but I now see that they’re an integral, attractive, part of its character.’

Landi makes mineral whites from Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc in Friuli. ‘I’m particularly excited by Verdicchio in Le Marche, and Pecorino inAbruzzo,’ he says. He works with Sangiovese all over Tuscany but also near Rimini, in Romagna, in an area that’s just as hot.

How does he feel about the future of Italian wine? ‘We’re in full growth now. After all, most quality Italian wines have only been made for 20 years. So we’re like children, still developing. I worry that we’ve tended to follow market fashions, which is not great in wine: first with huge, overconcentrated wines, and now with subtler, more fruit-driven wines that also risk being too similar. In the top areas we need to focus more on wines that are pure and long-living, more territorial and distinctive. We should slow down and give them the time to develop. We’ve got amazing raw materials and soils, we just need to grow up a bit more.

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No one has a better grasp of Italy’s current wine scene than the professional winemakers who work the length and breadth of the country. For an insider’s view, Carla Capalbo spoke to three of the best...

Three wise men: Winemakers’ choice wines

Ferrante’s choice

Il Solatio, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, from Castello d’Albola, Tuscany 2010

‘Made from a single vineyard of Sangiovese at 600m in one of Chianti Classico’s coolest areas, on a steeply sloped, rocky terrain surrounded by woods. It shows the grape’s elegant side with lively acidity and depth, and will come of age after years of cellaring.’

Price: £38-£40 Zonin UK

Falsini’s choice

San Lorenzo, Passopisciaro, Etna Rosso, Sicily, produced by Girolamo Russo

‘This, for me, is the essence of a wine: it expresses the depth, balance and minerality of 90-year-old Nerello Mascalese vines growing at 700m, on the northern side of Mt Etna. I’ve worked with its producer, Giuseppe Russo, from the start. This was his first single-vineyard wine. Naturally grown, the grapes are picked very late, when they’re perfectly mature. It has helped Passopisciaro become known internationally as the foremost Etna production area.’

Price: N/A UK girolamorusso.it

Landi’s choice

Pecorino, Abruzzo, produced by Cataldi Madonna

‘This white grape is an ancient variety from areas between Abruzzo and Le Marche; it almost died out. It grows high in cool slopes of limestone in the Apennine Mountains where sheep also graze (pecorino means ‘of sheep’), and balances power, richness and aromatic intensity. Luigi Cataldi Madonna was the first to believe in it again. This ages well, with notes of flowers, passion fruit and grapefruit, plus good acidity and minerality.’

Price: £28.50 Astrum Wine Cellars

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This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for White Regional Italy over £15 went to Casal Thaulero, Thalè, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2007 (14.2%)

Tasted against:

• Anselmet, Petite Arvine, Valle d’Aosta 2012
• Borgo Paglianetto, Jera, Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2010

Profile:

Trebbiano is a grape often tarnished with a shoddy reputation, but in the hands of Abruzzo’s most skilful producers, and with the right clone, it is capable of producing wines of rare character.

The Thauleros family were nobles who rose to prominence in the 1800s, and Thalè was the first wine it produced from its 2,000 hectares of vineyards. Over the centuries this winery forged a reputation as one of Abruzzo’s finest; indeed it was the first producer in the region to export its wines. In the 20th century the family ran out of heirs and the winery was under threat of closure, but fortunately it was rescued by a group of local producers in 1961.

Today Casal Thaulero has 800ha of vineyards in three locations: one plot near the Adriatic Sea; a second in the heart of Abruzzo and a third at the bottom of the Gran Sasso mountain, at 850m altitude. Total production from the three sites is 1.8 million bottles a year, although Thalè – made from the best fruit from all three vineyards – represents only 12,000 bottles; it is only made in the best vintages.

While a good deal of Trebbiano is drunk almost immediately on release, Casal Thaulero believes that the finest examples need at least three years in bottle before they start to fully realise their potential, as this Trophy proves.

Written by Decanter

On Saturday 10 May, at London's Lancaster hotel, wine lovers and Decanter readers will have the opportunity to taste some of Italy's greatest wines and meet the men and women who make them. Read Ian D'Agata's preview of the main highlights in what he says is the most impressive Italian Fine Wine Encounter yet.

The Fine Wine Encounters are unusual in bringing onto the same tasting floor both very large and very small estates, some quite famous and others destined to become tomorrow’s stars, and Decanter’s upcoming Italian event is no different.

For example, Prosecco lovers need to look no further than Bisol and Col Vetoraz, benchmark producers for this very typical Italian sparkler. Though unfortunately a lot of uninteresting, somewhat insipid Prosecco is still being made, you simply can’t do much better than Bisol’s Crede bottling, arguably Italy’s best Brut Prosecco. And there’s no argument at all with the Cartizze from Col Vetoraz, recognized as the country’s best by every wine expert worth the ink in his or her pen. Both wines will give you an appreciation of why Prosecco, with its pristine white flower and white peach aromas and flavours, can be one of the world’s greatest, and not just simply fun, sparkling wines anywhere.

Should your tastes veer to the more complex, weightier aroma and flavour profiles typical of Champagne, you can’t beat Ca’ del Bosco or Bellavista, universally considered the quality leaders in Franciacorta. If you don’t know Franciacorta, these very serious wines will impress.

Should you prefer big, full bodied reds, Barolo, Brunello and Amarone are all well represented. Barolos by Elvio Cogno will allow a glimpse in to the wines made around the hamlet of Novello, altogether different from those made by Rocche dei Manzoni, an estate located in Monforte d’Alba, where bigger wines are usually the norm. Ceretto, which owns vineyards in many other townships, offers still different takes on this great wine; once again, the Fine Wine Encounter allows wine lovers to meet three of Barolo’s very best producers and to learn more about this iconic production area by tasting their wines.

Book grand tasting tickets here

Similarly, all those who love Brunello will be thrilled to taste the steely, flinty wines from Il Marroneto in Montalcino’s cooler northern microclimate and compare them to Col d’Orcia’s Brunello, a much bigger, fleshier wine made in Montalcino’s southern reaches. Valpolicella and Amarone enthusiasts will have a field day with the likes of Masi and Tommasi, and there are no better Chianti Classico producers in Italy than Isole e Olena and Felsina, or better Chianti Rufina efforts than those by Frescobaldi.

Unmissable masterclasses:

This years’ masterclasses are an especially impressive trio. Wine lovers will rarely get a chance to enjoy a better series of Barolos from different vintages than those of Ceretto (11am masterclass), made from wildly different sites such as Brunate and Prapo’.

The Tuscan masterclass (1.30pm) is quite simply a standout collection of Italy’s finest producers with benchmark wines for each appellation chosen: for example, of Suvereto (Tua Rita), Carmignano (Capezzana) and Vino Nobile (Boscarelli). This is where you’ll taste world-class Merlots such as Redigaffi (a super expensive cult wine) or the original Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon mix, Carmignano,

Last but not least, the Italy’s Vintage Masterpiece masterclass (4pm) is a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste old, rare and very expensive wines: for example, the 1990 Rancia Riserva by Felsina, considered one of the 30 greatest Chianti Classicos ever made, or the 1990 Poggio al Vento Riserva Brunello by Col d’Orcia, also justly believed to be one of the 30 or so all-time great Brunellos. On a more academic note, the Vigna Elena Barolo by Cogno will allow a taste of the rare Nebbiolo Rose’ variety, which gives a similar but yet very different wine from the Barolo wine lovers are most familiar with. Last but not least, the Verdicchio Balciana, a single-vineyard wine reminiscent of late harvest Alsatian whites, and the oak aged La Rocca Soave by Pieropan will show just how accomplished Italian white wines can be, and with a little age on them, a further treat.

Book masterclass tickets here

Great Discovery Theatre seminars:

For those looking to discover an array of new Italian wine stars on the scene, look no further than the Discovery Theatre, hosted by award-winning Italian retail specialists Vini Italiani. Three fascinating tastings will take place, including a Sangiovese comparison and a tasting of volcanic wines produced around Mount Etna.

Book discovery theatre seminar tickets here

Though Fine Wine Encounters always provide a wonderful moment in wine tasting, it’s safe to say there has never been a more impressive Italian Fine Wine Encounter yet. Book your tickets today at decanter.com/events

Written by Ian D’Agata

The styles, regions and vintages every wine lover should know about

Native whites

Yes, whites. Compared to their red counterparts, Italy’s most representative white varieties tend to be restrained and understated, with delicate floral aromas and nervy acidity.

They are also subject to periodical identity crises, prompted by the ambition to compete in the global arena with the Chardonnays and Sauvignons of this world.

All the native white varieties, from Ribolla in Friuli to Cortese in Gavi, Garganega in Soave, Procanico in Orvieto, Marche’s Verdicchio and the Tuscan Vernaccia have, at one time or another and to a greater or lesser degree, suffered efforts to crank them up through blending with international varieties, late harvesting, new oak treatment or arcane vinification methods.

But a major re-think is underway. The current trend is towards a much more essentialist approach to white winemaking which, rather than forcing native varieties into moulds that do not fit, seeks to bring out their intrinsic character.

The models are the classic wines of the traditional DOCs. The buzz words, from Nosiola in Trentino down to the Fianos of Campania, are ‘terroir’, ‘minerality’ and ‘vineyard’.

The results are unoaked, 100% varietals with unique, unequivocal Italian-ness.

Three to try:

Il Palazzone, Campo Guardiano, Orvieto Classico Superiore 2008

POA Justerini and Brooks

Intense, herby nose, with notes of bay and sage and a distinctive salty note. Bone-dry palate, intense and minerally with a return of fresh herbs, huge length and concentration on the finish. Drink: 2011–2018. Alc: 13%

Suavia, Monte Carbonare,

Soave Classico 2008

£13.30–£17.50 Bibendum, Everywine, Flying Corkscrew

Citrus nose with hints of sweet almond and a touch of smokiness. Fresh, agile and tasty with white currants and amazing length and purity. Drink 2011-2018. Alc: 13%

La Monacesca, Mirum,

Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva 2008

£18.50 Winetraders

Nose opens slowly with honey then mint and rosemary and a vague hint of inkiness. The palate has concentrated candied peel, apricot and nectarine and huge length. Drink: 2011–2018. Alc: 14%

Brunello di Montalcino 2006

The much-awaited 2006 vintage at Montalcino is not one for the faint-hearted. There is none of the immediate fruit of the 2005s, nor the elegance of the 2004s.

The baking hot summer gave enormously powerful Brunellos which show the austere, savoury side of Sangiovese.

Do they live up to their official 5-star rating? The answer is a qualified “yes”.

The least successful wines have cooked fruit and a Porty, alcoholic quality which takes away from their appeal, but the best are vibrant terroir wines, bursting with energy.

The 2006s are phenolic on the nose, sometimes with wild herbs, sometimes inky, sometimes with notes of iodine.

On the palate they are concentrated and very dry with an intense minerally tang. Big as they are, they have two features which save them from simple blockbuster dumbness: quality tannins and an acidity which carries the abundant alcohol.

Raw and raunchy now, they need time to come together, but they should provide some memorable bottles, worthy of Brunello’s reputation for longevity.

The single-vineyard and special-selection wines look particularly good. Estates to seek out, besides those below, include Livio Sassetti, Sesti, Siro Pacenti, Villa I Cipressi, Tenuta di Sesta, Tenuta Le Potazzine, Tenuta Oliveto, Casanuova delle Cerbaie, Corte Pavone, Lisini, Franco Pacenti, Podere Canalino, Silvio Nardi, Tiezzi, Piccolomini d’Aragona and the best-ever Prime Donne from Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

Three to try:

Castello di Romitorio, XXV Vendemmia

N/A UK www.castelloromitorio.com

Spectacular nose, with wild berries, iodine and black tea. Great energy, breadth and depth on the palate, with very fine tannins and intriguing complexity in the finish. Still very raw, but will be great. Drink: 2014–2030. Alc: 14%

Salvioni

£69.50 Bordeaux Index

Leafy, herby nose with delicate floral underlay and a lovely vein of fresh cherry fruit. Very tight and concentrated on the palate with exceptional finesse for the vintage. Deceptively understated; will be great.

Drink: 2012–2030. Alc: 14.5%

Gaja, Pieve Santa Restituta, Rennina

£51.34 Everywine

Earthy nose, with notes of moss, peat and violets in the background. Massive palate but also great freshness. Long and punchy on the finish with notes of cherry brandy and minerals. Drink: 2012–2030. Alc: 15%

Barolo 2004

There is no question about the longevity of the 2004 Barolos, but the good news is that these marvellous wines are also starting to drink beautifully now.

This might seem early – in the past, to suggest opening a Barolo from a great vintage before its 10th birthday was viewed in the Langhe as subversive in the extreme.

Today it is permissible. In the specific case of the 2004s, the justification lies in the quality of the vintage, with its near-perfect tannins, balance and aroma.

More generally, it’s the consequence of a winemaking style that brings drinking significantly forward. This is not a new development. Pioneers such as Elio Altare launched the manifesto in favour of a more accessible, earlier drinking Barolo more than 20 years ago.

What the 2004s perhaps confirm is a definitive change in the mindset in the Langhe which has made the term ‘modernist’, much bandied about in the past, redundant.

These days, it is the ‘traditionalist’ who gets flagged as the odd man out. (NB: If you are lucky enough to have 2004s from the great Bruno Giacosa, Beppe Rinaldi, Mascarello, Giovanni Conterno or Cavalotto in your cellar, then disregard everything I have just written – the 10-year rule holds for these greats).

Three to try:

Sandrone, Cannubi Boschis

£80–£100 Berry Bros & Rudd, Slurp, Winetraders

Elegant, fresh and complex nose of violets, redcurrants, bay and cinnamon. Great purity and focus on the palate, which starts dry and intense and opens broad and long with powdery tannins and infinite length. Sublime. Drink: 2011–2020. Alc: 14.5%

Elio Altare, Vigneto Arborina

£90–£146 Fine & Rare, Nichols & Perks

Intense, fresh Nebbiolo nose, with a vast spectrum of aromas from billberry, black cherry and violets through fresh mushroom to sweet fennel. Fluid palate, with super-fine tannins and a very long, vigorous finish. Drink: 2011–2020. Alc: 14.5%

Paolo Scavino, Bric del Fiasc

£55–£62 Albany Vintners, Berry Bros & Rudd, Christopher Keiler, Everywine, Fine & Rare, Nichols & Perks

Ripe, sweet, mature nose with notes of new leather, tar, liquorice and nutmeg. Big, smooth, soft palate with very fine, dense tannins and an austere, dry, savoury finish with weighty concentration. Drink: 2011–2015. Alc: 14.5%

Malvasia Istriana

As the name suggests, this particular member of the Malvasia family (left) originated in Istria, from where it spread up the coast to what is now Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the 14th century.

Friuli is the only Italian region which grows the variety today. Traditionally it has been considered a minor grape, used mainly in blends rather than alone, but it is starting to find its own voice.

Left to its own devices, Malvasia tends to make rather simple, dilute wines, but if yields are kept in check it is capable of whites with a personal, floral character, peachy fruit and great sensitivity to terroir.

On the limestone plateau above the bay of Trieste, Carso Malvasia is all tangy intensity. In the Collio and the upper Isonzo on the other hand, the wines are rich and round with impressive depth of fruit and often a distinctive spicy nuance.

‘Feminine’, says Nicòla Manferrari, who is one of the variety’s greatest supporters. ‘Mediterranean’, says Gianfranco Gallo, who has recently started bottling a special selection.

More elegant than Friulano (ex-Tocai) and more complete than Ribolla, and yet mysteriously less planted than either, Malvasia is – hopefully – heading for a revival.

Three to try:

Borgo del Tiglio, Collio 2008

£27–£42 Astrum, Bordeaux Index, Ten Acre Wine

Elegant, complex, scented with aromas of pressed flowers, honeydew melon and a hint of walnut oil. Glossy, concentrated ripe fruit palate with white pepper on the finish. Very personal. Drink: 2011–2016. Alc: 14%

Skerk, Carso 2008

£25 Bat & Bottle

Intense citrus and white blossoms on the nose, mouthwatering freshness on the palate filled out by masterfully handled lees ageing. Subtle fruit and a long, minerally finish. Drink: 2011–2015. Alc: 12.5%

Vie de Romans, Isonzo, Dis Cumieris 2008

N/A UK www.viediromans.it

Sweet, floral nose, with hints of tropical fruit and cinnamon in the background. Soft, round and full-bodied palate with suave complexity and length on the finish. Drink: 2011–2018. Alc: 14%

Pink fizz

Over the past five years, Italy has witnessed a demonstration of one of the basic laws of commerce that, if demand exceeds offer, then production must expand to meet it.

Demand in this case is for pink sparkling wine. The response has come from all quarters. The quick fix is to put bubbles into existing rosés, as in the case of the pleasantly undemanding Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante (look for the excellent Monte Saline’s Metodo Classico).

This idea is also catching on in Puglia, where noted wine consultant Riccardo Cotarella has been involved in a new Metodo Classico for the historic Five Roses producer Leone de Castris.

Other examples look slightly more improvised, such as a Frappato-based fizz from Sicily or another made from Aglianico in Basilicata.

The more serious stuff comes from the DOC or DOCG zones with a spumante tradition and their own Pinot Noir grapes.

The producers’ consorzio in the Oltrepò, which has more than 3,000ha of Pinot, has just launched a new brand of Metodo Classico Rosé called Cruasé – watch this space.

The top wines come from Trentino and in Franciacorta, where Cà del Bosco has made a big splash with the first vintage of a luxury cuvée made from 100% Pinot Noir, aged for seven years on the lees.

Three to try:

Cà del Bosco, Cuvée Anna Maria Clementi,

Extra Brut Rosé, Franciacorta 2003

£65 (2002) Christopher Keiler

Great freshness on the nose with suggestions of cherry pie, rose hip jelly and delicate floral nuances, great intensity on the palate, minuscule perlage, long,

savoury finish with underlying notes of cherry liqueur. Drink: 2011–2025. Alc: 12.5%

Cavalleri, Rosé Collezione,

Franciacorta 2005

£37.25 (2004) Everywine

Fresh, crusty nose. Palate of substance and energy, with firm acid structure and a long, salty finish with a very good return of pinot noir fruit.

Drink: 2011–2015. Alc: 12.5%

Ferrari, Perlé Rosé Metodo Classico, Trentino 2005

£22–£52 Bat & Bottle, Vinum

Delicate red fruit nose with a touch of floral-spicy nuances. Palate firm and dry with good body, fine perlage and a return of red currant fruit at the end. Drink: 2011–2015.

Alc: 12.5%

Taurasi 2007

Taurasi is a hilltop village in Campania’s Irpinia region, high in the Apennine mountains. The red wine that grows here is made from Aglianico, and belongs to that category of full-bodied, austerely tannic reds at the most serious end of the Italian wine spectrum.

Despite its ‘Barolo of the south’ tag, Taurasi is not one of the country’s better known wines. Its reputation among specialists has long been assured by Mastroberardino’s spectacularly long-lived reserves, but for decades this historic winery was a flagship without a fleet.

Wider recognition of Taurasi’s potential has only come more recently, with the increase in the number of producers and the upgrading of what used to be very uneven quality standards.

The 2007s, which are coming out this year, are evidence of the new credibility of the denomination. They have ripe but not overextracted tannins, good freshness and oak which leaves lots of space for the expression of the Aglianco grape.

The DOCG has a good co-op and an increasing nucleus of high quality grower-producers which includes, besides the three below, Colle San Domenico, Contrade di Taurasi, Di Prisco, Molettieri, Tecce, Perillo and Tenuta Cavallier Pepe.

Three to try:

Feudi di San Gregorio 2007

£28.50 Slurp

Fresh and complex with wild berries and liquorice on the nose and delicate spicy notes in the background. Very firm, dry palate with refined tannins and elegant length. Drink: 2012–2017. Alc: 13%

Mastroberardino, Radici 2007

£29.50–£32 (2005) Amordivino, Wine Circle

Nicely defined floral-herby nose with sweet ripe fruit at the back. Quite soft on the palate with classy tannic weave and good freshness on the finish. Needs time to absorb the oak. Drink: 2013–2017. Alc: 13.5%

Villa Raiano, Raiano 2007

N/A UK www.villaraiano.com

Ripe, concentrated oaky fruit on the nose with suggestions of wild herbs. Juicy berry fruit on the palate with lots of smoothed out tannin and a big, round, velvety finish. Drink: 2012–2017. Alc: 14%

Bardolino

Bardolino, from Lake Garda in the Veneto, has been one of the victims of the opinion that held sway in Italy over the past 20 years that ‘light’ and ‘red’ were contradictions in terms.

The unpopularity of its traditional character prompted attempts at restyling, which went from the Beaujolais Nouveau-model Novello through the oaked-up Bardolino Superiore, to the sparkling pink Chiaretto.

Now, after the string of mutations, which did more to cover up the real issues (chronic over-cropping and casual winemaking) than resolve them, Bardolino is returning to the pale, juicy reds with the cherry and almond aromas that it does best. Except that today, it is making them much, much better.

Lake Garda looks set to play a strategic role in the reds of the Veneto in the future. With production of the fresh style of Valpolicella rapidly declining, it is Bardolino that has picked up the standard of the dry, tangy Corvina-based wines which used to be the stock in trade of the hills of Verona.

Unoaked and not more than 12.5% alcohol, these delicious reds prove that personality depends on varietal integrity and sense of place, rather than huge concentration, and that ‘light’ and ‘red’ can after all be complementary.

Three to try:

Le Fraghe 2009

£8.95 The Wine Society

Natural grapey nose, with red cherry fruit and sweet almond aromas. Fresh, juicy palate, fine dry tannins at the back and a long finish with hints of mint and fennel. Drink: 2011–2012. Alc: 12%

Giovanna Tantini 2009

£12.50–£13.50 Bat & Bottle, Wine Library, Winetraders

Delicate, very personal nose with aromas of pressed flowers, cherry and liquorice. Ripe fruit, smooth tannins and a bone dry, savoury finish with lots of length.

Drink: 2011–2013. Alc: 12%

Raval, Classico 2010

N/A UK +39 (0)4 57 23 65 69

Lovely, fresh maraschino and almonds on the nose with floral notes at the side. Zippy palate with crisp acidity, good tannic presence and tight-packed fruit concentration in the finish. Drink: 2011–2012. Alc: 12.5%

Marsala

Until a very short time ago, Marsala had been given up for dead. Today, in the wake of the general interest created by the Sicilian wine boom, it is slowly making a comeback.

This timid revival needs to be put in perspective. Sadly, if you Google the word ‘Marsala’, you still get pages and pages of cookery sites. It will be a long time before Sicily’s historic fortified wine liberates itself from its image as a cheap ingredient for sauces.

But today it is possible to drink Marsalas of quality and character, either in the searingly intense salty-dry style or the more accommodating grapey semi-secco.

The interest starts at the Superiore Riserva level, which must be at least four years old, and increases with the age of the wine through the categories of vergine (or soleras) to vergine/soleras stravecchio and riserva.

For the ultimate experience, get your hands on one of the rare, very old vintage riservas from Florio, Rallo or Pellegrino – wines of extraordinary intensity for enthralled sipping.

But do not disdain the more readily available wines from these producers’ wide ranges. There are intentionally no drink dates here: Marsala lasts indefinitely

Three to try:

De Bartoli, Oro Vigna La Miccia, Superiore

N/A UK www.marcodebartoli.com

Sweet hazelnut and date aromas, with sultana and a hint of saltiness. Lovely round, sweet fruit palate, with great freshness and zippy mineral finish. Alc: 18%Florio, Ambra Donna Franca, Semisecco 15 Years,

Superiore Riserva

N/A UK www.cantineflorio.it

Rich nose of sultana, walnuts and figs with a distinctive salty nuance. Well-knit palate with bright acidity to contrast the spirit and an elegant sweetness to underline the fruit and green walnut finish. Alc: 19%

Pellegrino, Vergine Riserva 1981

N/A UK www.carlopellegrino.it

Mature, austere nose with great mineral intensity and subtle dried fruit and nut aromas. Bone-dry palate, with mouthwatering acidity and an intense, slightly spirity finish. Alc: 19%

Sub-14% alcohol wines

Perhaps it is the implosion of the market for hyper-concentrated show wines, perhaps a response to society’s slightly edgy awareness of the health issues associated with alcohol, or just the basic realisation that the opportunities for drinking blockbuster wines, however theoretically well-balanced, are limited in everyday life.

Whatever the reason, there is growing consensus in Italy that it is time to throttle back on the alcohol. This does not mean stripping down Barolo, Brunello or Amarone, but simply not pumping up the alcohol where it does not belong – in wines made for pleasurable, everyday drinking with a meal.

This implies a greater focus on what used to be Italy’s core business before the advent of the attention-grabbing ‘SuperTuscans’: food-friendly, medium-bodied wines from native grapes.

The country has a whole raft of varietal wines which deliver their best at under 14% and even better between 12% and 13%: Schiava from Alto Adige, Dolcetto, Lambrusco, young Chianti from theColli Fiorentini, Frappato from Sicily, Cerasuolo from Abruzzo, Lake Garda reds, Vermentino from Tuscany. All this without chasing after rarities like Blanc de Morgex from Val d’Aosta, Pigato from Liguria or Ribolla from Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

They might not all be in your supermarket yet, but keep a look out, because a lot of people believe this is where the future of wine Italian exports lie.

Three to try:

Cavicchioli, Vigna del Cristo,

Lambrusco di Sorbara 2009

N/A UK www.cavicchioli.it

Light mousse, delicate rose petal and red cherry nose. Savoury, bone-dry, mouthwatering palate with a long floral-almond finish. Drink: 2011. Alc: 11%

Glögglhof, Santa Maddalena,

Alto Adige 2009

N/A UK www.gojer.it

Irresistible cherry and spice nose. Soft, smooth, medium-weight palate with a return of red fruit and then a touch of sweet almonds on the finish. Drink: 2011. Alc: 12.5%

Malenchini, Chianti Colli Fiorentini 2009

£6.75–£9.99 The Wine Society, Valvona & Crolla

Dark berry fruit and violets on the nose. Fresh, dry and juicy palate, good firm finish with earthy fruit and a hint of almonds. Classic Chianti. Drink: 2011-2014. Alc: 13%

Recioto della Valpolicella

Sadly, this is a case of a reverse trend. As Amarone production continues to bulge (the 2010 grape harvest will yield more than 13 million bottles – an increase of about 4.5 million bottles on the average for the previous four years) its alter ego, the sweet Recioto, shrinks in proportion.

The percentage of the grape harvest which producers are allowed to use for dried grape wines is fixed by law, which means they have to decide whether to allot their quota to Amarone or Recioto.

With exports of the former up 40% on last year, there is no contest. Most producers continue to make at least token quantities of Recioto, but the commercial pressures are such that there is a serious risk of Verona’s sumptuous sweet red disappearing off the radar altogether in the future.

If you are one of those wine drinkers who associate rich, raisiny flavours with Christmas pudding rather than beef stew, and therefore with Recioto as opposed to Amarone, this would be a great shame.

It would also be a terrible irony, since the dried grape wines of Valpolicella were, from their Byzantine origins to the modern advent of Amarone, exclusively, lusciously sweet.

Three to try:

Monte dell’Ora, Sant’ Ulderico 2006

N/A UK www.montedallora.com

Rich and complex on the nose, with black cherry, plum and wisteria, newsprint and nutmeg. Pure dense fruit on the palate, with a distinctive raisiny follow through, bursting with flavour. Drink: 2011–2020. Alc: 14.5%

Tommaso, Bussola 2008

£31/500ml (2004) Ballantynes

Intense crushed berry nose with notes of hibiscus and nutmeg. Lovely pure blackberry on the palate, with

juicy acidity and fruity sugars in perfect balance.

Drink: 2011–2015. Alc: 12.5%

Allegrini, Giovanni Allegrini 2007

£22.50–£35/500ml Corks Out, Christopher Piper, Harvey Nichols, Imbibros, Liberty, Philglas & Swiggot, Secret Cellar, Slurp, Valvona & Crolla, Wine Direct, WoodWinters

Black cherry, plum and almond nose, with a hint of vanilla. Smooth, round palate with mellow fruit and lovely freshness to balance a substantial finish. Drink: 2011–2015. Alc: 14

Written by Richard Baudains

When we named Italy’s first and second growths earlier this year, the biggest surprise was that over half were primarily producers of Italy's native white wines. Still think Italy is all about reds? From stunning Soave to voluptuous Verdicchio, RICHARD BAUDAINS celebrates Italy’s native white varieties.

There was a time when Italy seemed to be defined by its red wines. Pinot Grigio has changed that. The user friendly varietal outsold Chardonnay in the US last year and has become Italy’s biggest selling wine in Britain. But is there more to Italy’s native white wines? Or, to update Nick Belfrage’s epoch-making book title, Life Beyond Lambrusco, is there Life Beyond Pinot Grigio? Thankfully, there certainly is.

Exciting things are happening in Italy today with Italy’s native white wine production. In the bad old days when Italy was struggling to promote an image of quality abroad, producers used to believe that only international varieties would open the doors to international markets. What they have since realised is that the key lies in making better wines from native grapes. ‘Where is the sense,’ says Trentino producer Mario Pojer, ‘in importing varieties which you have to pick in the first week of August, with 60 days of ripening, all sugars and no character, when you have native grapes which ripen naturally in 120 days and are bursting with aroma?’ Or, in the words of UK Italian specialist Enotria, ‘Fiano is the new Pinot Grigio.’ The corollary to this highly persuasive argument is that soils and climate really matter – that Italy’s native white wines are at least as sensitive to terroir as reds.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/enotria-acquired-in-management-buyout-28384/

The following is a rundown of some of the most dynamic DOCs where the combination of a single native variety and a specific terroir produce quintessentially Italian whites.

The major playersof Soave Classico Garganega is the historic white grape of Soave. On the stony terraced hillsides of the Classico area, it is traditionally trained on high, angled pergolas. On the deep fertile soils of the plain, outside the Classico zone, the same system almost inevitably produces high yields. This is the terroir issue in Soave. Around 75% of the staggering 70 million bottles produced every year is generic DOC, which is to Soave Classico what Petit Chablis is to premier and grand cru: technically well made but ultimately rather plain. Italy’s native white Soave Classico is something else. New norms have created, on paper at least, a quality pyramid which goes from the top level of the individual cru to basic entry level, incorporating a new DOCG Soave Superiore category for wines from defined areas, grown according to particular specifications. Whether producers will adopt these new norms and whether the rest of us will eventually grasp their technical intricacies remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, the leading producers set standards for themselves which have radically changed the perception of Soave over the past decade. Soave’s appeal is its ability to combine drinkability with intensity and aromas which go far beyond textbook lemon and almond notes.

Trebbiano di Soave, the traditional complementary grape currently returning to favour, adds a touch of firmness, body and acidity. The use of oak takes concentration up a notch but rarely compromises the delicacy of Soave’s cool climate, floral elegance. Overall quality has never been so high.

Avellino whites have been one of the revelations of the winemaking revival. The stars, both promoted to DOCG, are Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. Fiano is thought to be native to the area around the village of Lapio and it was fairly certainly known to the ancient Romans. Greco, on the other hand, was introduced by the Greeks. It is more complicated to grow and vinify than Fiano, mainly because of its propensity for abundant yields. Like Italy’s native white Fiano, it is a late ripening grape and retains excellent levels of acidity. Both are grown widely in the southern peninsula, but nowhere do they find such affinity with the soils and climate as in the high, pre-Apeninne slopes of Irpinia. Fiano grows over the whole of the province, particularly in loose calcareousclay soils. Greco, by comparison, comes from a smaller area around the town of Tufo with sandy tufaceous terrain. Nervy and intense, with sweet floral aromas and a juicy fruit palate, it ages well, but is best enjoyed in vibrant youth. Fiano, in contrast, needs time to show its worth. The palate is firm, structured, bone dry and minerally. Young wines suggest hazelnuts and perhaps ripe pear; older ones acquire a Riesling-like petrol character.

Recommended producers: FIANO Colli di Lapio (HBa), Macchialupa (J&B), Mastroberardino (BWC, Cib, Pag, TRS) GRECO Benito Ferrara (FMV), Pietracupa (Ast), Terredora (Ann, IWD, Mon, Wtd) Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi/Verdicchio di Matelica.

The white grape of the Marche region is, according to recent studies, none other than the variety also known as Trebbiano (in Soave and neighbouring Lugana). The central Adriatic wine shares the defining characteristic of longevity with Trebbiano from the north, but in other respects they are very different.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/italy/le-marche-wineries-to-visit-387435/

The mild maritime climate offers many more harvesting options and this is reflected in the range of winemaking styles which is one of the features of Verdicchio. Picked very early, it can make for an appetising sparkling wine. A standard harvest produces wines with notes of acacia, a touch of crisp apple on the palate and a long broad finish, with the grape’s characteristic hint of grassiness. Picked late – an increasingly popular trend – Italy’s native white Verdicchio makes a unique style of dry, fleshy, complex and concentrated wine. Throw in the variants of oak versus vat, special selection Riservas for long bottle ageing, lees ageing and malolactic yes or no (or partial), and you begin to get an idea of the range of wines the highly versatile Verdicchio is capable of. The vast majority produced comes from the Castelli di Jesi DOC which lies in calcareous clay hills, near the Adriatic coast.

The other area of Verdicchio production, the Matelica DOC zone, nestles at the foot of the Appenines, 30km inland. Here the climate, with its marked temperature excursions, makes for a longer ripening period which in turn results in wines which are firmer and drier, often more closed on the nose but very tangy on the palate.

Recommended producers: Castelli di Jesi Bucci (Ali), Fattoria Coroncino (MiG), Fazi Battaglia (Cib), Garofoli. Matelica La Monacesca (Jas, Wtd), Santa Barbara (GaF, Vin), Belisario (Lib).

Small but beautiful Colli di Luni Vermentino Vermentino thrives on the hot, dry Tyrrhenian coast. The variety arrived in Liguria from Spain in the 1300s. Traditionally believed to be related to Malvasia, recent DNA studies have instead revealed traits in common with the Hungarian Furmint. The longest established DOC for the variety is the Colli di Luni, which extends south of La Spezia into northern Tuscany. Production, growing in both quantity and quality, is concentrated in the Val di Magra, with vines around 250-300m above sea level. The light, sandy, calcareous soils tend to favour aroma over structure, producing soft, fragrant wines with peach and melon fruit on the palate and a touch of spice on the finish.

Recommended producers: Ottaviano Lambruschi (N/A UK; +39 0187 674 261), Il Torchio (N/A UK; +39 01 87 67 40 75), La Pietra del Focolare (+39 018 766 2129) Colli Tortonesi Timorasso.

Of all the native varieties rescued from oblivion, Timorasso is perhaps the most exciting. Widely planted in the past but virtually wiped out by phylloxera, it now grows only in isolated pockets of southeast Piemonte, and most notably in the Colli Tortonesi, where it has recently gained DOC status. Vigorous but low yielding, Timorasso bears no resemblance to any other commercial grape in Italy. A very distinctive wine with pronounced acidity and exceptionally high extract, it is slow to evolve but assures great longevity. The wines blossom with two to three years’ bottle age, releasing floral aromas, fruit on the palate and an intense minerally finish. Current production is based on around 40ha of specialised vineyard but new plantings will bring a significant increase in output.

Recommended producers: Vigneti Massa (N/A UK; +39 01 31 18 03 02), Claudio Mariotto (N/A UK; +39 01 31 86 85 00), Franco Martinetti (WSq) Etna Bianco Superiore.

Only wines from around Milo village on the east face of Mt Etna can be labelled Superiore. Its wines have moderate alcohol and notable structure, but above all, levels of acidity which make them unapproachable in the first two years, but guarantee an evolution culminating in exceptional complexity and depth. Etna has the coolest summer temperatures in Sicily and daynight temperature ranges which can reach an extraordinary 30˚C. Here, Carricante grows on sandy black volcanic soil, planted at around 10,000 vines per hectare, and at altitudes between 600–1000m. The potential of the area is often underrepresented by primitive winemaking, but the best wines are very good indeed and new investment bodes well for the future.

Recommended producers:Vinicola Benanti (Nov), Barone di Villagrande (N/A UK; +39 095 708 2175).

Lugana Superiore Trebbiano is a component of over 80 DOC wines. Differences between the members of the family can be slight or extremely significant. If Trebbiano di Lugana is not identical to Trebbiano di Soave, it is as similar as makes no odds, but it makes very different wines to the light and vegetal Trebbiano of central Italy. The Lugana DOC hugs the south bank of Garda whose mild climate and compact clay soils curb the natural productivity of the variety, favouring wines of tangy intensity, a bone-dry palate and a touch of aniseed on the finish. Superiore wines – often lightly oaked these days – come out in the second year after the vintage and have a prodigious capacity of ageing.

Recommended producers: Cà dei Frati (FMT), Zenato (Euw), Provenza (CWF, Div, Wsm, WTr), Tenuta Roveglia (Jas)

The Marche is intent on turning Verdicchio into a contender once more. Michael Palij MW assesses its chances .

Sandwiched between Abruzzo and Emilia Romagna, two of Italy’s best-known bulk wine regions, it is no surprise that the Marche is often overlooked by importers heading for the more accessible vineyards of the deep south. The Marche’s isolation is also reflected in the region’s topography – 70% is officially classed as ‘hilly’ and the remaining 30% is graded ‘mountainous’. In fact, the gently rolling hills that lead from the sandy beaches of Numana and Cupra Marittima to the lofty peaks of the Monte Sibillini are ideally suited to viticulture. Historically, the combination of age-old technology and legislation that sanctioned yields in excess of 120 hl/ha (hectolitres per hectare) led to the usual Italian paradox – huge potential quality squandered through over-cropping and outmoded technology – but times are changing and the Marchigiani are beginning to appreciate the strengthening demand for quality renderings of their vini tipici. With an annual production of DOC wine now approaching 4.5 million cases, the Marche deserves a second look.

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The majority of the region’s quality wine production is white (76% in 1998) and this is almost entirely Verdicchio, produced in the provinces of Ancona and Macerata, bordering Emilia Romagna. (A small amount of DOC white is also produced near Ascoli Piceno under the Falerio DOC, but this accounts for less than 13% of total white production.) The Romans are credited with the first cultivation of Verdicchio in the Marche, but today it is seldom seen outside the region. Like Garganega and Malvasia, Verdicchio is a Cinderella grape variety and producers have done their best to disguise the appeal of their most valuable viticultural asset. Ignorance, greed and ill-advised marketing led them to both fatten yields, and subject Verdicchio to the humiliation of the amphora-shaped bottle. For decades the curves of the ‘Lollobrigida’ packaging sat uncomfortably next to a neutral liquid that had been robbed of its natural, seductive charm.

Verdicchio and other wines

There are two DOCs for Verdicchio. The first is Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (VCJ), which covers a large area just inland of the industrial port of Ancona. Following the Esino river valley, the Ancona road winds along to the town of Jesi, which is 20km from the coast and marks the eastern boundary of both the DOC and the Classico zone. From Jesi, the vineyards extend in all directions but most are north of the Esino. The best sites are south-facing at altitudes of 200-500m around the towns of Montecarotto, Cupramontana and Móie. The second DOC is Verdicchio di Matelica (VDM). Matelica lies another 40km up the Esino from Jesi on the other side of the mountains that once formed the eastern shore of a saltwater lake. Production of VDM is miniscule (10%) compared with that of VCJ. Quality and quantity are frequently at odds, however, and Verdicchio from Matelica is much prized for its greater aromatic intensity and its firmer acidity. These differences in flavour and structure arise from differences in the terroir. The soil around Jesi is heavy, predominantly clay mixed with sand and limestone. This contrasts with the marine soil in Matelica, which has a wealth of trace minerals and chalk that encourage the formation of aromatic precursors in the grapes. The climate in Matelica experiences significantly less maritime influence and the cooler nights help to preserve acidity.

https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews-tastings/13-top-verdicchio-wines-from-marche-48638/

Of course, there are both good and bad wines made in each DOC and there is as much to be said for the power and intensity of wines from Jesi as there is for the finesse and longevity of wines from Matelica. The talent and ambitions of the winemaker are just as important as the potential of the site and a few family-owned estates, such as Bucci, La Monacesca and Garofoli, have quietly flown the flag for Verdicchio for years. What is creating a stir at the moment, however, is the current wave of cooperatives, whose winemakers are showing a real commitment to restoring Verdicchio’s reputation. It would have been unthinkable even five years ago for a cooperative to have scooped Italy’s top wine award, the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri (literally ‘three glasses’), yet this is just what Moncaro has done with its late-harvest Passito Tordiruta. Last year four Verdicchios were awarded the award, putting it in the same league as Amarone, Barolo and Barbaresco, and showing that Verdicchio is starting to be held in high regard in Italy.

An explanation…

The sudden leap in quality can be attributed to lower yields and modern technology. In practice, this translates to yields of between 50 and 80hl/ha and temperature-controlled, stainless steel fermentation tanks. If none of this sounds like rocket science, that’s because it isn’t. Verdicchio needs nothing more than moderate skill to reward the grower with a grape of real personality. Nor is it a variety which relies on barrel maturation to fill out the palate. Although some estates and cooperatives are now experimenting with oak, they are also experimenting with single vineyard wines and late harvesting. It would, therefore, be misleading to suggest that there is a great oak debate in the Marche.

Some producers prefer to use stainless steel only (including La Monacesca, Colonnara and Sartarelli), while others advocate large old botte. Many use some new oak for single-vineyard or late-harvest wines (Garofoli Serra Fiorese, Coroncino Gaiospino, Umani Ronchi Plenio), but no one is using exclusively new oak, partly due to a deep-seated respect for a tradition and partly due to the recognition that one of Verdicchio’s biggest strengths is its affinity with fish, especially fish from the waters of the nearby Adriatic. Verdicchio has been likened to everything from Muscadet, through Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, to Chenin and Riesling. Young Verdicchio combines an initial aroma of citrus fruit (lemon sorbet) with a pronounced spicy (cinnamon) and herbal (camomile, thyme, fennel) note on the finish that is often referred to as ‘bitter’.

In general, when Verdicchio is young it is more impressive in the mouth than it is on the nose. With age, however, it develops a secondary complexity more reminiscent of mature Chablis or Pinot Gris. There is a honeyed, creamy richness that mingles beautifully with the primary fruit. Good Verdicchio needs at least a year in bottle to show at its best and will improve for up to a decade. In fact, mid-1980s vintages of top wines such as Garofoli’s Podium and La Monacesca’s Mirum are still drinking beautifully and show no signs of tiring. Even such a humble wine as the Colonnara cooperative’s 1988 Cuprese demonstrates complexity and concentration well beyond its very modest price. It is disheartening for anyone who has tasted top quality Verdicchio to think that generations have grown up associating it with a neutral white wine in a curious bottle. Of course, the popularity of many of Italy’s best wines, including Soave and Frascati as well as Verdicchio, was originally due to their quality, but they then became victims of their own success and, as standards in winemaking slipped, so did the wines’ reputations. Verdicchio producers are now facing a real battle to restore the public’s confidence in their wines, but the majority of them are indisputably working tirelessly towards this end.

Michael Palij MW is managing director of UK merchant, Winetraders, and is an expert on Italian wines.

Written by MICHAEL PALIJ