Verdicchio: Multifaceted wines laden with soul

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.

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

Jason Millar

Jason Millar is a freelance writer and consultant specialising in the wines of Italy and South Africa. He has worked in various roles in the UK wine trade since 2011, most recently as company director at London merchant Theatre of Wine from 2018 to 2023. In 2016 he won three scholarships on his way to attaining the WSET Level 4 Diploma, including The Vintners' Scholarship for the top mark of all graduates worldwide.

Sara Bachiorri

Sara Bachiorri is the head of London sales and part of the buying team at merchant WoodWinters. For several years a DWWA judge for Italy, she was formerly head sommelier at Michelin one-star restaurant Chez Bruce in southwest London

Abbie Bennington

Abbie Bennington is a wine educator, writer, consultant and judge. She runs her own tasting and wine business ABVTastings, offering private and corporate events, and is currently chair of the Association of Wine Educators

Verdicchio panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

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