IL VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI
Among the most important white grapes vines in Italy, Verdicchio stands out for its freshness, saltiness, minerality, olfactory and tasting aromatic persistence, versatility and ageing capability.With great structure and fragrance, Verdicchio offers white and yellow pulp fruit, citrus fruit, white flowers, almond, anice and aromatic herbs. Fresh and salty, Verdicchio gives a very long lasting typical bitter almond paste flavour and an intense mineral wake that can instantly be recongnised; the Great quality and complexity of wine which has been able to improve along with time.
Verdicchio can be elegantly paired with fish and fish fruit, white and wild meat, cheese, white truffle and thanks to its great versatility it can accompany the great cuisine from appetizer to dessert.
Verdicchio has been present on the Valle Esina hills since the ancient times and, even though it was known during the ancient Romans, the first witnesses of this wine date back to 410 d.C. when our peninsula was crossed by barbarian hordes. Before going to Rome to plunder it, Alirico the King of Visigoth passed by the Castelli di Jesi zone in order to stock some Verdicchio barrels as he said nothing, could have given his warriors so much “sanitade et bellico vigor”.
Only since the second half of ‘800, we have been able to talk about a real good quality cultivation and production.Special recognition must be given to Mr. Ubaldo Rosi,as in that period, he had exported Verdicchio abroad . After the phylloxera time, the real lauch took place in 1950 when a small group of Verdicchio entrepreneurs started to bottle Verdicchio with anphora shape designed by the Architect Antonio Maiocchi who gave great fame and popularity to Verdicchio. Today, the folkloristic anphora shape has spread out to more modern important bottles according to national and internationals markets demand.
More importantly, the recognition of the DOC on September the 26th 1968 sanctioned the uniqueness of this highly acclaimed white wine still in Italy. According to the Doc procedural guidelines, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi must be made with a minimum of 85% of Verdicchio grapes which belong to the 23 districts of Ancona Province. The “Classic” label has only allowed to wines to come from ancient and historical areas while the “Superior” type is obtained by vineyards with lower yield per hectar.
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is among the very few italian white wines to have the “Reserve” label thanks to its extraordinary ripening and ageing capability, reaching such a complexity of incredible aromas that in 2010 received the appellation Docg Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva. The “Sparkling” type is one of the oldest in Italy thanks to Mr. Ubaldo Rosi in the middle of 1800 and the “Passito” type closes the wind range of possible Verdicchio’s versions.
