2019 Andrea Felici Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore Italy (Other)

2019 Andrea Felici Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi Classico Superiore

92 DEC

Featured Review

Leopoldo Felici has been in charge at this small Marche estate since 2008. Altitude helps Felici marry the richer structure of Jesi with the aromatics of Matelica. There is lovely purity of fruit here, and since good Verdicchio has great capacity to age, there is no hurry to drink this. The slight bitterness, along with citrus and almond hints, make it a fine match for fish and chicken dishes. Drinking Window 2021 - 2025. Decanter

Decanter | 92 DEC

Type of Wine	Italy (Other) : There are dozens of grape varietals grown in Italy so no wonder they produce such a broad range of most exquisite wines. Some of the most cultivated red varieties are Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Barbera, while Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Among whites, you're likely to find Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, or Vernaccia varietals.
Varietal	Verdicchio : On the central eastern coast of Italy lies a hidden gem; one that may not be well known to the larger public, but is renowned and revered in the region. The white grape, Verdicchio, has been cultivated in the Marche winegrowing region for 600 years, playing an important role in the region’s winemaking industry as well as its economy. Verdicchio has been the key ingredient to the region’s quality white winemaking reputation and success. Though Verdicchio has been grown in Marche since the 14th Century, there is speculation that the variety could have originated in Veneto, where it is locally known as Trebbiano di Soave. DNA fingerprint testing has concluded the two varietals to be an exact match, making Verdicchio one of the most widely planted white grape varieties in Italy. Historians believe a majority of Venetians migrated to the Marche area after the plague, bringing with them crops and livestock. The variety adapted well to the climate and terroir of Marche. Nestled between the Apennine Mountains in the west and the Adriatic Sea in the east, Marche is home to myriad of diverse terroirs and micro-climates making it extremely ideal for winegrowing. The region’s terroir ranges from various calcareous soils to limestone, mineral-heavy clay and sand. The region enjoys a coastal, marine and windy climate which benefits from the ocean air blowing inland from the Adriatic Sea, cooling areas which may experience warmer summers. It is also influenced by its two rivers, the Cesano and Esino. The hilly terrain allows for cooler growing areas in higher elevations and warmer temperatures near the foothills. Marche’s terroir and climate is perfectly attuned to the cultivation of Verdicchio. The Verdicchio Berries have a greenish hue, spherical, medium-sized with greenish-yellow thin, and robust skin. It never loses the greenish hue, even when ripe. When skin-contacted fermentation is performed, it gives the wine a greenish tinge. The grape is mid to late ripening and is susceptible to powdery and downy mildew as well as botrytis and sour rot and great care in the vineyard is necessary since the berries grow in tight clusters. The grape is quite versatile and can be used both for light, easy-drinking table wines or more complex, age worthy wines. The greatest examples hail from the region’s two DOCs (Designation of Origin) devoted to the growing of Verdicchio: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. The wines are dry, light-bodied, with little to no tannins, medium to high acidity. Sweet, peachy aromatics backed by flavors of almond, peach, lemon curd and hints of salinity (compliments of the Adriatic) with an oily, rich mouthfeel or texture. High acidity is in fact, one of Verdicchio’s most useful viticultural characteristics. As well as making fresh, well-structured still wines with citrus flavors like lemon and grapefruit, Verdicchio is often used as the base for sparkling wines. Some producers have experimented with sweet wines, but the variety is not particularly aromatic which allows these wines to be overlooked. There are approximately 20,000 hectares of Verdicchio spanning the region of Marche and is presumed to cover 65,000 in all of Italy. An impressive feat for a grape variety that has rarely been heard of outside the country. Despite is less popular and “flying under the radar” status, it is commonly lauded by critics as being one of Italy’s best white wine grape varieties and is found in the vineyards across the country.
Country	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Region	Marches