“Senex” Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva DOCG 2019 (BIO)

Bisci | Marche
Soc. Agr. Bisci s.s. | Via Fogliano, 120 | IT 62024 Matelica

11090319 · 0,75 l · 72,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately
Limitation of 6 articles per customer

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!""

And so Senex was born – latin for "the old one" – an act of defiance that was to become legendary. Produced only in the finest vintages from the oldest Verdicchio vines in the Fogliano vineyard, planted in 1978, this rarity matures for 48 months sur lie in glass-lined concrete tanks, followed by a further nine months in the bottle. Only 3,600 bottles leave the estate each year – each one a testament to patience and terroir. Robert Parker himself described Bisi's Verdicchio as "one of the finest I have ever tasted". The 2019 Senex, certified organic, unfolds a multi-layered mosaic of aromas featuring aniseed, liquorice, dried peaches, honey and a splash of lime – dense, mineral and salty, with a finish that seems almost endless. A white wine that defies time. SUPERIORE.DE

"A bright, luminous straw-yellow colour with sparkling highlights. Initially very closed on the nose; needs a little time to open up. Subtle notes of green tea, stinging nettles and smoke. On the palate, it is razor-sharp, with racy, vertical acidity and subtle fruit; very well-balanced, it glides across the palate with a salty undertone, long-lasting and crystal-clear. A great wine!" Falstaff

"This lively white wine is initially compact, creamy and dense, revealing notes of baked peach, lemon quark, smoked hazelnut and vanilla waffle in the glass and on the palate. A hint of lemon thyme, oyster shells and white pepper comes through in the lingering, racy finish." Wine Spectator

"Notes of citrus, sea spray and green olives greet the nose, lemon balm and smoky spices add a touch of intrigue. A creamy, youthful texture and lively acidity. A long, hearty finish with a hint of oak." Decanter

"The Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Senex 2019 does not disappoint. It offers a rich bouquet of apricot, yellow peach and melon with a hint of candied lime. The Senex washes over the palate with real body and reveals a lovely inner sweetness, which is quickly contrasted by a zesty acidity. It is long and stimulating to the senses, finishing with a wealth of herb-tinged citrus fruits that cleanse the palate for another opulent sip. The 2019 is wonderful to drink now, but it has great potential for cellaring." Vinous