Soon Replacing the Lagler: 2015 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

2015 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica DOC $11/$44

Where: Matelica, province of Macerate, Marche, Italy

Who: Giuseppe Bisci, owner of Azienda Agricola Bisci

What: 100% Verdicchio

Tastes like:  (From the importer) An intense nose with typical aromas of Verdicchio and notes of white flowers and green apple. On the palate this wine is intense, warm, tasty, fresh and quite balanced.

What to pair with: Great for fresh cheeses, seafood dishes, green vegetables and salads, and patio days.

History

The brothers Giuseppe and Pierino Bisci bought the property, located between the provinces of Macerata and Ancona, in 1972 and turned it into one of the reference wineries of the area. When they bought the property the farmers of the area recommended it as particularly suited for the Verdicchio grape. Mauro, Giuseppe’s son, is now co-owner and manager of the estate with the support of the agronomist-oenologist Aroldo Bellelli.

The vineyard extension is of 20 hectares of which 17 are grown with Verdicchio, 0.8 hectares with Sauvignon Blanc, 0.5 with Merlot and 1.7 with Sangiovese.

The vineyards stand on the hills at an altitude of 300-350 meters above sea level, at the foot of Mount San Vicino (1,570 meters high) which protects this area from hail and from frosts. The thermals attract paragliding enthusiasts, but also make this area particularly ventilated. Another characteristic is that Matelica is in a closed valley which is parallel to the sea and not influenced by the sea breezes, so that the climate is continental with hot summers and cold winters and with a particularly wide day/night temperature range. The soil is clayey-calcareous rich in micro-elements as the area is an ancient marine basin. The exposure of the vineyards is mainly a full south. A part of the vineyards have a south-east and south-west exposure. The estate is certified organic.

Vinification takes place in the cellar among the vineyards  that was built in 1980 adapting an old country house, while the wines mature in an underground cellar that was built in 2000.

Verdicchio di Matelica DOC

The Verdicchio di Matelica wine from The Marche region is a dry white wine with a light straw color with greenish reflections. The wine is most commonly 100% Verdicchio grapes but, by law, can be blended with up to 15% of Malvasia Toscana and/or Trebbiano Toscano grapes.  

Verdicchio di Matelica is often compared to the better known and more widely available Verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi wine which is produced further the east in the Marche, near the Adriatic Sea. The biggest differences between these two wines are the size and location of the production area. The area around Matelica is much smaller and also further from the sea. Jesi lies closely to the Adriatic Sea which creates a milder climate.