Wines from Marche

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

The MONSTER WINES from Tenuta di Tagignano are more than just a crazy experiment. They stand for pop, punk and freak. It is an exciting project of vinophile free spirits who combine serious and traditional winemaking with something new. The wines are produced according to the Metodo Ancestrale: Here, the residual sugar is completely fermented in the bottle, resulting in a fine mousseux. They are unfiltered and cloudy, but extremely fresh. They are incredibly enjoyable and extremely versatile.

The MONSTER WINES from Tenuta di Tagignano are more than just a crazy experiment. They stand for pop, punk and freak. It is an exciting project of vinophile free spirits who combine serious and traditional winemaking with something new. The wines are produced according to the Metodo Ancestrale: Here, the residual sugar is completely fermented in the bottle, resulting in a fine mousseux. They are unfiltered and cloudy, but extremely fresh. They are incredibly enjoyable and extremely versatile.

Bisci not only produces excellent Verdicchio, but also very appealing Rosso, which is now made from 100% Merlot. With the best value wine in the Marche winery's range, it has achieved a great success: Fascinating aromas of red berries, precious wood and herbs, with a subtle, smoky component in the background. Precise and taut on the palate, with a wonderful primary fruity core, framed by liquorice and a dried bouquet of Mediterranean herbs. A warm red for the unusual days of the week. 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.

The single vineyard Monteprandone is the centrepiece of the winery – a south-west facing, organically cultivated plot on calcareous clay soil, which produces the most structured grapes on the estate year after year. Montepulciano and Sangiovese are selected here with great care and matured classically in large wooden barrels and barriques. The result is a Rosso Piceno Superiore with depth, nobility and a clear signature of origin.

In 2001, Michele and Massimo Bernetti of Umani Ronchi stood on Centovie Hill near Roseto degli Abruzzi. Before them lay the estate, behind it the Gran Sasso, and below it the Adriatic Sea. They bought the 35 hectares and immediately began farming organically – not as a certified commitment, but because the terroir demanded it: sunny and windy, with self-regulating soil requiring no intervention. They produced the estate"s first wine as a Pecorino. From the best plots of the vineyard, hand-harvested in early September with particular attention to acidity, on deep, clay-sandy limestone soil with alluvial skeleton. Fermented in steel, then 12 months in concrete tanks, followed by 5 months in bottle.

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.

In the hills between Macerata and Ancona, Bisci's red wines are made from the modest 1.5 hectares of Sangiovese and Merlot that have complemented the portfolio of the legendary Verdicchio specialists since the very beginning. The Villa Castiglioni 2019 combines 80% Sangiovese with 20% Merlot in a sophisticated cuvée that expresses the warm terroir of the Marche region. After manual harvesting, the wine is macerated for 15 days in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature with daily pumping over, followed by twelve months of ageing partly in oak barrels and partly in steel.

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.

The name comes from the Middle Ages: the "grosso agontano" was one of the most important silver coins in Italy, minted by the Maritime Republic of Ancona in the 13th century. A coin for trade routes, for trust, for value. Garofoli did not choose this name by chance – it sets the standard for their most important red wine. It only appears in the best years. Then, when the harvest in the Piancarda vineyard – within the Monte Conero nature reserve, on calcareous clay soil – the quality that justifies the DOCG classification. 100% Montepulciano, hand-picked, 10 to 15 days of maceration for maximum depth of colour and tannin structure, followed by malolactic fermentation. Maturation: 18 months in barriques, then more than 12 months in the bottle.

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

A wine with history, personality and depth of character: Centovie is the centrepiece of a long-term project at the organically farmed Tenuta Centovie near Roseto degli Abruzzi. The 35 hectares of vineyards on the southern slope near Montipagano, with a view of the Gran Sasso, produce elegant Montepulciano, among other things – equipped with traditional training systems (pergola in long tendone and short cordon training) and an optimal microclimate.

Centovie is coming together. After the Pecorino kicked things off, the Rosato followed – and finally, in 2015, the Montepulciano. The Bernetti family describes it as "a wine that did not exist before and which seeks no imitation". A personal, bespoke interpretation of a grape variety and a landscape. The estate lies 200 metres above Roseto degli Abruzzi, facing south-east, between the Gran Sasso and the Adriatic Sea. Clay-sandy limestone soil with an alluvial skeleton, organically farmed from day one. The Montepulciano is grown using two training systems: "Tendone" with long pruning and "Filare" with short spurs, at a density of 1,600 to 5,000 vines per hectare.

Steep cliffs, gentle slopes of calcareous clay soil, the rough blue of the Adriatic Sea just above the vines ... welcome to the Conero, one of the most renowned terroirs in the Marche region! From the heart of this landscape comes Cùmaro, a passionately cultivated, richly structured Montepulciano that Umani Ronchi has been vinifying as a Riserva since the mid-1980s. In the glass, it presents a dark ruby colour with a purple hue. The bouquet is intense and multi-layered: ripe plum, blackcurrant and cassis intertwine with notes of black pepper, vanilla and fine tobacco – all in a powerful, spicy frame. The palate is characterised by dense concentration while remaining warm and enveloping. Smooth, integrated tannins carry the broodingfruit flavour, which glides into a long, elegant finish – with hints of chocolate and spicy dryness.

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.