Pievalta San Paolo Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Classico 2020
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Straw yellow with golden reflections. The nose has typical almond notes and vivid varietal hints ranging from hay to anise to white fruit. The palate composed with a marked sapidity.
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San Paolo Riserva is well known for its restraint. In 2020, a generous vintage, it persists on a lime peel character, with sage, spring flower freshness and assertive youthfulness. Bone-dry on the attack, with firm acidity as expected from a great Verdicchio, it's then tightly woven with fruit in a chalky, mineral finish. This is a wine you have to wait for, which I like! From sandstone and limestone soil at 400m, this Verdicchio is fermented with indigenous yeast in concrete then aged in big oak vessels.
Other Vintages
2016-
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Robert
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Robert
Parker
Verdicchio’s long tradition as the Marche’s banner grape and its reputation as one of Italy’s greatest Italian white varieties is highly respected by the stewards of viniculture at Pievalta. Verdicchio production is centered in two place-name appellations of the Marche region: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. Pievalta terroir is located in the former, and the wines of Jesi tell the story of their microclimate and particular subzone. Pievalta’s young history was made possible by the vision of Silvano Brescianini (winemaker and Managing Partner of Barone Pizzini) who tapped enologist Alessandro Fenino to manage this ambitious project in 2002.
Pievalta refrains from conventional winemaking production, and has, since the outset, been farmed organically. In 2005, Alessandro also began conversion to biodynamic farming (Demeter certified since 2008) using legume cover crops between the rows and biodynamic preparations. In philosophy and practice, Pievalta aims to resurrect the spirit of their soils. Since 2009, all wines have been produced free of any animal additives.
One of central Italy’s classic white grapes, Verdicchio thrives in two distinct zones of the Marche. The best vineyards of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi adorn hillsides a mere 20 miles from the Adriatic Sea. The vineyards of the smaller, more inland Verdicchio di Matelica, are at higher elevation. Somm Secret—Recent genetic discoveries have proven that the Verdicchio grape is identical to Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano di Lugana and Trebbiano Veltenesi.
Stretching along Italy’s eastern coast with neighbors, Umbria to its west and Abruzzo to its south, Marche is a region with a varying climate from north to south. Its coastal plains roll into hills that become the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of the country. The Marche's best red wines come from the grapes, Montepulciano and Sangiovese; the local Verdicchio makes refreshing, crisp and light whites.