Verdicchio

Verdicchio – the name comes from verde, green – and that's exactly what this wine is all about: a fresh, lively energy that needs no explanation. 100% Verdicchio from the historic Classico region around Serra de' Conti, vinified in stainless steel, clearly focussed on fruit and freshness. Straw yellow in colour with greenish reflections. Lemon, fresh apricot and hawthorn on the nose – light, inviting, with a hint of almond. Dry, juicy on the palate, with lively acidity and a fine salty minerality on the finish, which is typical of the hills between the Apennines and the Adriatic. The classic accompaniment to everything the sea has to offer – and the moment when you simply want to open a good white wine. SUPERIORE.DE

Macrina shines in the glass in a clear straw yellow colour with a subtle green hue. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white flowers and green apple, carried by an elegant, persistent freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly accompanies the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure varietal and origin presence. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a drinkable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

Pale straw yellow with a greenish tinge. Clear, varietal aromas on the nose: green almonds, white flowers, lemon and a hint of aniseed. Fresh, dry and balanced on the palate with fine fruit, lively acidity and subtle minerality. The organic ageing in stainless steel tanks preserves freshness and character of origin. Casal di Serra has stood for reliable quality in the appellation for years – a classic Verdicchio at a very attractive price with a Mediterranean profile and great everyday suitability. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1557, Mambrino Roseo da Fabriano described Verdicchio in words that still ring true today: "The finest of all white wines. It keeps well, is very clear, fragrant and pleasant." A botanist from the Marche region, almost five centuries before the advent of modern oenology. And he was right. Tenuta di Tavignano is situated in the hills west of Ancona, 20 kilometres from the Adriatic Sea, on east-facing slopes. Organically farmed. Six hectares of Verdicchio, planted in 1992, trained using the Guyot method, hand-harvested into small crates. Fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature, aged for at least six months in stainless steel, followed by two months in the bottle.

The Garofoli winery is a true gem amongst the winemakers of the Italian Marche region and is renowned for its terrificVerdicchio from the Castello di Jesi DOC. It is therefore no surprise that this family-run business is now also demonstrating its capabilities in the Matelica DOC. It is from here – mostly from the higher-altitude vineyards – that some of the finest examples of their kind come: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

Delicate straw yellow colour with a silvery sheen and lively perlage. The nose opens with fresh apricot, white flowers and a hint of lemon zest, accompanied by mild herbal notes and fine yeast spice. On the palate, the Spumante creates a fine interplay of animating freshness and delicate creaminess, carried by lively acidity and youthful fruit. The combination of the autochthonous Verdicchio and Passerina grape varieties lends minerality and balance, while the Charmat method ensures a certain directness and a lovely drinking flow. An aromatic spumante – perfect as a light aperitif or a stylish accompaniment to summer dishes. SUPERIORE.DE

Ribelle – rebel. At La Monacesca, where Verdicchio traditionally matures for a long time, this wine is a deliberate break with the rules: harvested in its youth, vinified for freshness, released before time takes the corners off it. Only stainless steel, no rush, but also no waiting for a certain patina. The result is crisp, lively, light-hearted – a Verdicchio for the moment. Green apple, citrus, a hint of almond on the finish. Not a wine for the cellar, but for the summer: aperitivo, crudo, seafood. The monks who settled here a thousand years ago probably didn't know such lightness. But they would certainly have liked it. SUPERIORE.DE

In his book *Native Wine Grapes of Italy*, Italy expert and wine critic Ian D'Agata writes about the grape variety: "Verdicchio is arguably Italy's greatest indigenous white grape variety. This statement may come as a surprise to those who have so far only tasted bland or watery Verdicchio wines, which have sometimes even been bottled in incredible, amphora-shaped bottles."

In Palaeolithic times, the Matelica valley was a salt lake. Today, enclosed between Apennine peaks and cut off from the Adriatic, a Verdicchio grows here that carries this mineral history in every fibre. La Monacesca, founded in 1966 by Casimiro Cifola and now run by his son Aldo, has made this origin its programme. Seventeen hectares on clayey soils, four hundred metres high, facing north-south. The grapes are harvested by hand, gently pressed, fermented in stainless steel and matured for a long time on the fine lees – only then does the wine go into the bottle. No wood, no distractions, just time.

In 1895, Federico Martinotti from Villanova Monferrato in Piedmont developed the method that now bears his name – an Italian alternative to traditional bottle fermentation, in which the second fermentation takes place in a pressure tank instead. Bisci, the benchmark producer of Verdicchio di Matelica since 1972, applies this method in its extended form: ten months instead of the usual few weeks. The grapes are grown on 17.80 hectares in Matelica, on calcareous-clay soil with a south-south-west aspect; they are organically farmed and harvested by hand. The wine is made exclusively from Verdicchio, the grape variety that gives this area its name and character. The extended ageing on the lees in a pressure tank lends the spumante complexity and finesse before it is bottled with a low dosage.

The name says it all: the vineyard is located on an elongated, plateau-like ridge in the historic Classico region of the Castelli di Jesi – a ridge reminiscent of a podium. It is therefore no coincidence that Garofoli harvests its best Verdicchio cuvée right here. 100% Verdicchio from the vineyard that the estate has cultivated as its flagship for decades – and with which Carlo Garofoli was one of the first to prove that Verdicchio can and should age. The vinification remains true to the wine: steel, precision, long ageing on the lees, which gives the podium the fullness and texture that clearly distinguishes it from the fresh entry-level wine. No wood, no distractions – just Verdicchio in its most concentrated form.

In November 2025, Vigna Misco received official recognition as a designated single vineyard – as "Vigna", a designation which may henceforth appear on the label of this classic wine. Ondine de la Feld Aymerich, owner and winemaker of the Tenuta, commented: "This vineyard has always embodied our vision of white wines from the Castelli di Jesi – a place where Verdicchio reaches its finest expression." The 2024 vintage is the last to be produced without this designation. However, this does not make it any less significant, quite the contrary.

This rare Riserva comes from the Garofoli family's historic vineyards in Montecarotto – a selection of the purest Verdicchio grapes from the classic hills of the Castelli di Jesi. For five generations, the family has been cultivating the noble Verdicchio grape on these medium-textured loamy soils with sandy and calcareous inclusions. The lowest yields per hectare and the latest possible hand-harvesting guarantee the highest concentration for this top-quality wine.

An expression of old vineyard depth and finesse: Vecchie Vigne comes from vines over 40 years old on clayey soils at altitudes of 250-300 metres above sea level. The result is a white wine that makes balance, structure and terroir tangible. Pale straw yellow in colour with crystalline purity. The bouquet is intense but nuanced, with aromas of almond blossom, white flowers, meadow herbs, lemon and peach, supported by lively minerality and a delicate hint of aniseed. On the palate, the wine impresses with elegant acidity, animating and firm at the same time. The mineral tension ends in a long, salty-fresh final – with structure, depth and plenty of substance. Vecchie Vigne is more than just a pleasure to drink: it is a kind of reference for the ageing potential of Verdicchio. A white wine that carries origin, history and personality in every sip. SUPERIORE.DE

The quality of Italian white wines has improved significantly over the last 20 years, and this also applies to Verdicchio. There are still quite a few poor, old-fashioned wines out there, but the good ones can be a real revelation. The region around Matelica in particular has made Verdicchio famous, as it is here – and mostly from the higher-altitude vineyards – that the finest examples of this wine are produced: complex, mineral, fresh and long-lasting.

Mirum (the miracle) is a statement of limestone, altitude and time. It is no ordinary Verdicchio, but one of the most charismatic Riserva bottlings in central Italy. Vinified since 1990, it comes from a particularly barren, limestone-rich south-western slope above Matelica, where the vines grow at over 400 metres. The wine is matured exclusively in stainless steel, but with long lees ageing – a decision that combines clarity, texture and ageing potential.

In the glass, Macrina glows with a clear straw-yellow colour and a subtle green sheen. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white blossoms and green apple, underpinned by an elegant, lingering freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly complements the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure expression of the grape variety and its terroir. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a balance that makes it a pleasure to drink. SUPERIORE.DE

Macrina shines in the glass in a clear straw yellow colour with a subtle green hue. The bouquet exudes enchanting notes of fresh white flowers and green apple, carried by an elegant, persistent freshness. On the palate, the wine displays lively acidity, a juicy fruit structure and a distinctive mineral note that stylishly accompanies the floral and fruity accents. The transparent, clear ageing in stainless steel emphasises the pure varietal and origin presence. A juicy Verdicchio with elegant finesse and a drinkable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

The name Plenio (derived from the Latin plenus) stands for fullness and expression, and this is precisely what characterises every facet of this Riserva. The grapes come from higher-lying plots near Cupramontana, in the historic centre of the appellation. Calcareous clay soils, cool nights and selective hand-picking create the basis for a Verdicchio with depth and Storage potential. Fermentation is followed by partly reductive, partly oxidative ageing in stainless steel and large wood, followed by extended storage on fine lees and final maturation in the bottle.

This exceptional creation is in the highest spheres of the art of sparkling wine: a Pas Dosé made from 100% Verdicchio – a rarity that only sees the light of day in the best vintages and in limited editions. Originating from the classic hills of the Castelli di Jesi, the noble Verdicchio grape undergoes one of the longest ageing processes in Italian sparkling wine production: it rests on its lees for no less than 60 months. Without liqueur d'expédition after disgorgement, the Spumante presents itself in its uncompromising authenticity – a bold act of purity that brings out the elegant clarity and natural saltiness of Verdicchio unfiltered.

Since 1871, the name Garofoli has embodied the spirit of the Marche's wine culture – a history spanning five generations, with roots in the holy city of Loreto, where Antonio Garofoli once refreshed weary pilgrims with local wine. What began as a modest tavern developed under his son Gioacchino into one of Italy's most venerable wine houses, which is now being steered into the future by the brothers Carlo and Gianfranco, together with their children Gianluca, Caterina and Beatrice. Podium originates from the classic hills of the Castelli di Jesi, that historic heartland of Verdicchio, where medium-textured loamy soils, interspersed with sandy and calcareous deposits, form a mosaic that lends the Verdicchio grape its unmistakable minerality. The wine undergoes a long ageing process without any use of wood.

It was in December 1998 when a customer knocked on Giuseppe Bisci's door and asked for "vino d'annata" – a young wine, ready to drink straight away. Yet Bisci, as a matter of principle, only sold his Verdicchio after at least two years' ageing. Giuseppe turned the customer away, but the encounter stayed with him. The high-altitude calcareous clay soils of Matelica, where the Apennines rise majestically into the sky, did not produce simple everyday wines – they were capable of so much more! The continental climate, with sun-drenched days and freezing mountain nights, gave the Verdicchio an intensity, minerality and a backbone of acidity that allowed for decades of ageing – something almost unheard of in Italian white wine. That very same day, Giuseppe turned to his cellar master, Aroldo Bellelli: "Let's make a wine for the next person who asks for a young wine – so that we can tell him: "We make Riserva, and that won't be released for another seven years!""

It was in December 1998 when a customer knocked on Giuseppe Bisci's door and asked for "vino d'annata" – young wine, ready to drink straight away. Yet Bisci, as a rule, only sold his Verdicchio after at least two years' ageing. Giuseppe turned the customer away, but the encounter stayed with him. The high-altitude calcareous clay soils of Matelica, where the Apennines rise majestically into the sky, did not produce simple, everyday wines – they were capable of so much more! The continental climate, with sun-drenched days and freezing mountain nights, gave the Verdicchio an intensity, minerality and backbone of acidity that allowed for decades of ageing – something almost unheard of in Italian white wine. That very same day, Giuseppe turned to his cellar master, Aroldo Bellelli: "Let's make a wine for the next person who asks for a young wine – so that we can tell them: we make Riserva, and it's only released after seven years!"