Jack's Article: La Monacesca: Marche Character
Do you buy a lot wine from Marche? I expect the answer is a straightforward “no”. And yet, many more times than you might realize it, you have likely sampled the very same grape variety that defines this overlooked, Adriatic winemaking region.
Verdicchio has been cultivated just a few hundred kilometers west of the vastly more popular appellations of say Brunello di Montalcino or Chianti Classico since at least the 14th century. But it was only in 2001 that a study carried out at the University of Milan proved the grape is genetically identical to the trebbiano di Soave used as a component in Veneto’s famous white wine.
Similarly to wines from Soave, Marche verdicchios are lemony, high in acidity and often suggest underlying nutty notes. Yet whereas in the case of Soave the garganega variety provides much of the bulk, and oak ageing is the prescription for the top designations, verdicchios rarely undergo barrel ageing and are more precise, more steely and often show a greener hue.
That doesn’t go to say that verdicchios from Marche are more simple or don’t age well. Get your hands on an old bottle, and you could be forgiven for confusing it for aged top Chablis.
This is especially true when it comes to the two verdicchio DOCGs in Marche: Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva and Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva. The former comprises a costal area surrounding the turreted (Castelli means “castles”) town of Jesi, producing richer and more immediately approachable wines. The second appellation is much smaller, however, situated at a higher altitude further inland with more diurnal temperature variations. The wines display more tension and are better equipped for longer cellaring.
No winery in the area better epitomizes this than La Monacesca. Established in 1966 by the Cifola family, the estate is located right next to the town of Matelica and guarantees excellent precedent for ageing in their Mirum Riserva. James only just got through a tasting of some of their recent releases, but the below tasting notes also refer to vintages as old as 1994, and they showed splendidly.
Check out what should be counted among Italy’s prized whites, and remember that these mostly sell anywhere in the region of $30 to $50 a bottle. To celebrate the 20th bottling of the Mirum, a special edition was released in 2008, with 85 percent of the fruit from that year and rest from 2000, 2002 and 2004. There’s also a chardonnay included below as well as a couple notes on their Camerte, a sangiovese and merlot blend.
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 1994
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 1998
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 2002
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 2004
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 2010
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 2011
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum Riserva 2012
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2006
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2011
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2012
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica Mirum 20 Anniversario Riserva
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica 2013
La Monacesca Chardonnay Marche Ecclesia 2012
La Monacesca Marche Camerte 2009
La Monacesca Marche Camerte 2010
– Jack Suckling, executive editor