Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Tenute Pieralisi 2020 is no longer available

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Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Tenute Pieralisi 2020

3.166666700 star rating 6 Reviews
Verdicchio is one of Italy's finest white grape varieties, and this example has great precision and tension with grapefruit-peel and flint notes that hold well on the refreshing dry finish.
is no longer available
Code: IT32921

Wine characteristics

  • White Wine
  • 1 - Bone dry
  • Verdicchio
  • Drinking now
  • 13.5% Alcohol
  • no oak influence
  • Cork, natural

Central Italy

The large Central Italy region embraces Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise and Lazio. Geographically Central Italy is split by the imposing Apennine mountain range that runs the length of the centre of Italy like a slightly curved spine dividing, for example, Tuscany and Umbria from Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. While there is the usual diversity of grape varieties when you drill down in to the vineyards of these regions, one grape variety dominates – sangiovese, whether it stands alone or is blended.

At the heart of Tuscany is Chianti, spreading from north of Florence to south of Siena. Rolling green forested hills of captivating beauty characterise much of the Chianti area with vineyards sometimes planted at over 500 metres. The wines are dominated by the sangiovese grape supported by canaiolo, colorino, mammolo and ciliegiolo of the traditional varieties of the region but with the additional weight and structure of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot...
The large Central Italy region embraces Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise and Lazio. Geographically Central Italy is split by the imposing Apennine mountain range that runs the length of the centre of Italy like a slightly curved spine dividing, for example, Tuscany and Umbria from Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. While there is the usual diversity of grape varieties when you drill down in to the vineyards of these regions, one grape variety dominates – sangiovese, whether it stands alone or is blended.

At the heart of Tuscany is Chianti, spreading from north of Florence to south of Siena. Rolling green forested hills of captivating beauty characterise much of the Chianti area with vineyards sometimes planted at over 500 metres. The wines are dominated by the sangiovese grape supported by canaiolo, colorino, mammolo and ciliegiolo of the traditional varieties of the region but with the additional weight and structure of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot which are now permitted.

Other great wines from Tuscany are Brunello di Montalcino (‘brunello’ being a very localised clone of sangiovese, and the only permitted grape), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (from the town of Montepulciano and nothing to do with the montepulciano grape; Vino Nobile is again made from sangiovese) and the so-called Supertuscan blends of several grape varieties, some of which are not permitted under DOC rules in areas such as Brunello. The most famous of these Supertuscans are Sassicaia and Ornellaia, both of which are essentially Bordeaux -style blends from Bolgheri close to the Tuscan coast in the west. The region, partly with the impetus of these regulation bucking blends, has been a driving force in improving quality in the region and consequently across Italy.

Umbria to the south of Tuscany has developed an impressive reputation for its wines, such as the aromatic, tannic but delicious sagrantino from vineyards around Montefalco. Here too sangiovese is widely grown, making impressive Torgiano and blends together with varieties like merlot and cabernet. Higher ground in the north is cooler than the southern zone. Orvieto lies almost between the two in the west of Umbria. The wines of Orvieto are beginning to find their feet once more after decades of underperformance now that many growers are focussing on the grechetto grape that had once been ubiquitous but which had been pushed aside by the higher cropping but far less interesting procanico (aka trebbiano Toscano).

Lazio is the region around Rome which is struggling to creep out from the shadow of the dull wines that historically fed the thirst of a ready market in the Eternal City. Basically, there was too little incentive to change. Now there are a number of producers working hard to make Frascati of real character by improving their clones and their methods and by lowering yields.

Across the Apennines from Umbria is Le Marche with its mountainous national parks and sunny Adriatic coast. The best white wines are the two verdicchios, dei Castelli di Jesi and di Matelica, with the latter making the more characterful examples from its higher altitudes. Pecorino grapes from zones to the south produce fruity, interesting white wines with real potential to rival the best verdicchio. Reds are improving all the time, including Rosso Piceno (sangiovese with montepulciano) and Rosso Conero (montepulciano).

North of Le Marche is the region around foodie Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. Home to Parmesan cheese, Parma ham and balsamic vinegar, the region has not developed a similarly impressive canon of wines to rival its reputation for fine foods. Much is unimpressive but the best sangiovese di Romagna from south-east of Bologna can be excellent, and as with elsewhere in Italy there are a growing number of growers and winemakers intent on improvement. The wine best known to British consumers is Lambrusco. Sadly the association many will have is with sweetened characterless froth from the 1970s and 1980s but the Lambrusco drunk by the Bolognese is very different and we are starting to see its appetising acidity and bracing bite, designed to accompany the salty hams, tangy cheeses and rich meat sauces of its home region, reach the UK.

As with Le Marche the vineyards of Abruzzo are squeezed between the great mass of the Apennines and the Adriatic, and the mountains have influenced the character of the Abruzzese and their food. To match their hearty dishes they drink montepulciano d’Abruzzo, invariably gutsy and full of lively red fruits and a Society wine of many years standing. Rosés such as Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo are also becoming increasingly well known for their value and constantly improving quality when growers lower yields and winemakers take them seriously. Further south is the little known Molise region where montepulciano, aglianico and trebbiano grapes make characterful, rustic reds and whites. The Biferno DOC was created in the 1980s and there are producers here who are making some very promising examples.
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La Vite Monte Schiavo

The Monte Schiavo cantina sits on a large hill just outside the town of Jesi on Italy’s Adriatic coast. It is owned by the Pieralisi Group, which is a world leader in producing machinery for olive-oil production along with many other interests – it owns Ancona airport and a large hotel and supports the national basketball team!

The family has been cultivating vines since the 1960s (it now has over 100ha under vine), but it only bought La Vite Monte Schiavo outright in 1994 – prior to that, it had been a co-operative, of which the family owned the largest part. This year marked a big change for the company, as the Pieralisi family worked tirelessly to improve quality and invest in state-of-the-art equipment in the winery.

Monte Schiavo has an enviable reputation, in particular for verdicchio, the most famous DOC of the Marche region, and one of the most distinctive and characterful of Italian whites. Monte Schiavo produces verdicchio in all forms, including the remarkable, ageworthy La Giuncare, as well as a spumante sparkling wine, and a sweet passito wine. The winemaker is now Simone Schiaffino and they have had viticultural advice since 2015 from the experienced Carlo Ferrini, who advises Brolio and Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico too. For the last three years Monteschiavo has been preparing for organic cultivation and will be certified from the 2019 vintage.

It is an impeccable source of The Society’s Verdicchio, which comes from the fruit of a single vineyard, Coste del ...
The Monte Schiavo cantina sits on a large hill just outside the town of Jesi on Italy’s Adriatic coast. It is owned by the Pieralisi Group, which is a world leader in producing machinery for olive-oil production along with many other interests – it owns Ancona airport and a large hotel and supports the national basketball team!

The family has been cultivating vines since the 1960s (it now has over 100ha under vine), but it only bought La Vite Monte Schiavo outright in 1994 – prior to that, it had been a co-operative, of which the family owned the largest part. This year marked a big change for the company, as the Pieralisi family worked tirelessly to improve quality and invest in state-of-the-art equipment in the winery.

Monte Schiavo has an enviable reputation, in particular for verdicchio, the most famous DOC of the Marche region, and one of the most distinctive and characterful of Italian whites. Monte Schiavo produces verdicchio in all forms, including the remarkable, ageworthy La Giuncare, as well as a spumante sparkling wine, and a sweet passito wine. The winemaker is now Simone Schiaffino and they have had viticultural advice since 2015 from the experienced Carlo Ferrini, who advises Brolio and Fonterutoli in Chianti Classico too. For the last three years Monteschiavo has been preparing for organic cultivation and will be certified from the 2019 vintage.

It is an impeccable source of The Society’s Verdicchio, which comes from the fruit of a single vineyard, Coste del Molino. As with all verdicchio, the name of the wine is also the name of the grape variety from which it is made, a derivative of the word ‘verde’ (green) which aptly describes the glints visible in the glass. Grapes are hand picked before undergoing temperature-controlled fermentation to retain their natural aromas and flavours.

In a break with tradition, The Society’s bottling comes not in the curvaceous amphora which helped verdicchio makes its mark in trattorie throughout Britain, but in a simple, lower-key Burgundy bottle.
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Italy Vintage 2020

2020 will always be the year that winemakers, and owners spent the year in the vineyards. As lockdowns around the world prevented travel many of our Italian suppliers talked of the silver lining of suddenly being able to get fully hands on again focusing time in their vineyards, tending to vines and reflecting on the year. The vintage will be special for this, with a level of scrutiny that can’t often be afforded to each vine, and an ability to manage vineyard processes with micro precision. The generally warm, dry season has led to good levels of concentration, albeit on slightly lower than average yields, promising good reds and securing Italy as a good choice for members looking for character and interest delivered at all price points.

Looking at Tuscany in a little more detail, winemakers have spoken very positively about the 2020 sangiovese harvest which showed wonderfully intense aromatics from early on.

In Piedmont, winemakers were very positive about how 2020 played out with ...
2020 will always be the year that winemakers, and owners spent the year in the vineyards. As lockdowns around the world prevented travel many of our Italian suppliers talked of the silver lining of suddenly being able to get fully hands on again focusing time in their vineyards, tending to vines and reflecting on the year. The vintage will be special for this, with a level of scrutiny that can’t often be afforded to each vine, and an ability to manage vineyard processes with micro precision. The generally warm, dry season has led to good levels of concentration, albeit on slightly lower than average yields, promising good reds and securing Italy as a good choice for members looking for character and interest delivered at all price points.

Looking at Tuscany in a little more detail, winemakers have spoken very positively about the 2020 sangiovese harvest which showed wonderfully intense aromatics from early on.

In Piedmont, winemakers were very positive about how 2020 played out with warm but not too hot weather through August and September, allowing for a low pressure October harvest. The diurnal temperature fluctuations on the warmer days is also being credited for the highly aromatic nature of wines that will need time to develop. Expectation were and remain high.
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2019 vintage reviews
2018 vintage reviews

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