Reviews

Advantages of Marche
«Enoteka» №11 2007

A region of sea and mountains, castles and theatres, wine and olive oil, Marche is a surprisingly undiscovered area even for the Italians.

Its neighbours — Tuscany, Umbria, Romagna and Abruzzo — are much more popular for tourist and eno-gastronomic routes. There is also a positive side in it, though. Unspoilt by mass tourism, Marche wins the heart by an authentic character of its lands, and commercial approach is exploited there much less than in other regions of Italy.

Wines also reflect this reality. Although Marche is little associated with cult producers and super-premium wines, the region doesn’t lack in unique autochthonous varieties, charismatic winemakers and high quality wines. The latter are much more approachable in prices than similar offers in the neighbouring areas.

By logic, Marche, which covers the eastern part of the Central Italy, in terms of wine production should resemble Tuscany, Romagna or Abruzzo. Indeed, the majority of vineyards are given to traditional for the area red Sangiovese and Montepulciano and a number of local varieties. On the other hand, Marche has prepared own surprise as by volume in the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) category the advantage lies with white wines. Thanks to Verdicchio which is successfully sold also on key export markets the share of quality white wines takes nearly 60 percent.

In general, Marche’s vineyards occupy around 20 000 hectares, of which about a third meets the requirements of DOC and DOCG production. A large number of the denominated areas and, accordingly, production rules, creates confusion. There are 12 DOCs and 2 DOCGs, several of which are sub-divided further. The situation is far from ideal, especially if one takes into account that only two-three zones can boast real commercial success and acknowledgement of the international markets. That’s why export-oriented producers often choose an easier-to-understand wide Marche IGT category rather than little known local DOCs.

White Verdicchio is, undoubtedly, a flagship variety. Its origin cannot be traced with precision, but there is evidence that Benedictine monks grew Verdicchio near Cupramontana in the 8th and 9th centuries. The commune is one of the leading in cultivating the grape today. In the meantime, recent DNA research found a link between Verdicchio and the Northern Italian Trebbiano which grows in Soave and near Lake Garda. One of the versions is that the grape was brought to the Adriatic coast from Venice.

Verdicchio owes its modern popularity to an ingenious move of Fazi Battaglia producer who started selling wine in specially designed bottles known as amphorae back in 1950s. The unusual shape that was copied by other producers was well received at the international markets. The sales soared, and 30 years ago Verdicchio was the best selling wine among all Italian whites. Commercial success led to a decreasing quality but the trend was reversed in the mid-nineties when leading producers lowered generously set limits for yields and made wine with good varietal and terroir features. Amphorae didn’t become obsolete, but are now mostly used for entry level wines. Winemakers note that amphorae lost popularity in certain markets such as the US as they are associated with a cheap drink there, while some European markets, especially Sweden, are more tolerant to an unconventional bottle design. Producers listen carefully to what their importers say and offer a traditional amphora shape or a classic Bordeaux shape depending on market demands.

Verdicchio vineyards are mainly cultivated in two areas, with centres in Jesi and Matelica. The production zones are named, accordingly, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica. The name of a charming provincial town Jesi is not connected with Biblical stories, but comes from the ancient Roman name of the settlement — Aesis. Numerous castles are indeed perched on the hilltops and serve as historic centres of small characterful villages which are scattered along the narrow roads.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is Verdicchio’s largest production zone. It occupies 2 800 hectares and is located right next to the Adriatic coast. Temperate marine climate certainly influences the character of wines by adding more concentration and weight. Chalky soils which in autumn and winter turn the landscape to typical pastel colours are rich in clay which makes wines fatter. Geographic names have numerous references to mountains — like in Cupramontana, Monte Roberto, Monte Torto and others. In reality these are high hills where vineyards can climb up to 500 metres. Before winemakers divided the area in two parts lying on both sides of the Esino River — the higher Right bank and the lower Left bank. Today, with improved cultivation and more uniform vinification techniques, the difference between the wines is less marked. Some winemakers believe that the lands around Montecarotto seem to have the best potential for producing complex Verdicchio wines.

A multilevel classification of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wines is based on yields, historic aspects of production and wines’ aging period. All these details complicate both the work of wine producers and the consumer choices. Yields for basic wines are limited by about 100 hectoliters per hectare. If vineyards are located in the historic production zone, Classico can be attached to the name. Classico Superiore wines limit yields to approximately 75 hectolitres per hectare. For Riserva and Classico Riserva the yield stays the same, but the aging period is increased to two years and the alcohol content — minimum to 13%.

Verdicchio di Matelica is nearly ten times smaller in size than the neighbouring zone, but it deserves to have a separate DOC. A narrow rectangular zone stretches parallel to the coastal line. It stays far from the sea and is protected by hills on all sides, in fact being hidden from the direct marine influence. A sharper difference between day and night temperatures and soils with dominating chalk and sea sediment form more refined, fresh and minerally wines in comparison to those in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. The hierarchy of Matelica wines is simpler and includes only two categories — a basic, with maximum yields at 90 hectolitres, and aged Riserva with allowed 70 hectolitres.

What makes Verdicchio wines attractive? Firstly, aromas. When a wine is made from good, concentrated grapes at lower yields, it opens up an appealing, fairly expressive range of aromas. Young wines normally show nuances reminiscent of herbs and alpine meadows, citruses and white stone fruit, often with a light salty tang. Wines with good body, they benefit from having enough acidity which makes them fresh, but still mellow. There are easily identifiable almondy flavours and spicy notes. In general, Verdicchio wines are quite friendly. They are especially marked by minerality that originates from chalky soils — without it Verdicchio cannot be called authentic.

The winemakers are proud that quality Verdicchio wines can evolve well. Riservas give the first idea about what the wines can be like after two years of aging in the winemakers’ cellars. When Riservas hit the markets, they often have aromas of Duchesse pears of various levels of sweetness and intensity. Those soften with time and are gradually replaced by notes of sunflower oil, white fruit, almonds and finally earth, still retaining freshness. Each estate keeps a stock of old vintages in order to show at least 7 to 10 years of wines’ evolution. While some excellent vintages, especially 1999, 2001 and 2004 have obvious advantages over others, I am not quite sure that additional years make Verdicchio more exciting or complex and would recommend to open bottles within 5 years from the harvest date.

Another debatable issue concerns wood aging. Producers consider Verdicchio that was partially or fully aged in new barriques an important part of the range. However, many independent critics say that small barrels, even the used ones, erase typicity and make wines oxidative in character. It is hard to make a general verdict as everything depends, as usual, on the skill of individual producers. There are practically no heavily oaked, cream-vanilla international examples which were popular in the middle and end of the nineties. It is true that barrel aging softens aromas of citruses and alpine meadows, but when wood is handled carefully, Verdicchio assumes additional structure and depth which — I believe — help wines to evolve slower and more gracefully.

Dry wines take the majority of production, but sparkling and desert Verdicchios are also made. Although they will hardly find wide distribution channels outside Europe, sparkling wines, especially made by traditional method with secondary fermentation in bottle, and passitos give an original reading of the variety and have a reasonable quality level.

As for leading producers, both private estates and cooperatives should be mentioned. Excellent value is a common link for all. Good wines with nice varietal expressions can be found in cooperatives. More individual interpretations, including single vineyard wines, are best done by such private estates as Accadia, Bisci, Bonci, Casalfarneto, Del Carmine, Garofoli, Monteschiavo, San Lorenzo, Santa Barbara, Tenuta di Tavignano, Umani Ronchi.

While Verdicchio is an undisputed signature grape for white Marche wines, the situation with red winemaking is not as straightforward. The region has several autochthonous varieties, but their limited cultivation and — what is more important — little potential for producing great wines do not allow them to perform an ambassadorial mission on the domestic and international markets. Montepulciano and Sangiovese are most widely spread of all red varieties. Because the former is usually associated with Abruzzo and the latter — with Tuscany, winemakers face a real challenge to promote their wines under the banner of Marche. The largest by vineyard size Rosso Piceno DOC leads by volume; Rosso Conero DOC and recently created Conero DOCG offer most potential in terms of quality.

Rosso Conero is one of the first Italian denominated zones. It was named after Monte Conero peak that prominently stands over the shoreline to the south of Ancona, the capital of the region. Vineyards are located on the slanting slopes of this high hill, and soils contain chalk, clay, minerals and sea sediment. It is worth noting that the area’s development followed evolutionary, rather than revolutionary path. First Sangiovese dominated on the vineyards and in the wines, but with a changing focus towards quality production wineries were getting in favour of Montepulciano. Today it is considered to be a more important grape in this area than Sangiovese, and DOC production norms were renewed to reflect this situation. According to the new rules, wines contain minimum 85% of Montepulciano, and the share of Sangiovese and other non-aromatic red varieties cannot exceed 15%. Starting from 2004 harvest, winemakers can use a more prestigious Conero DOCG labeling if wines contain Montepulciano (85-100%) with a possible addition of Sangiovese (up to 15%) and are aged for two years. The territory’s potential is confirmed by such producers as Fattoria Le Terrazze, Marchetti, Silvano Strologo, Umani Ronchi.

Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is Marche’s curious specialty. Notwithstanding the word ‘Alba’ the grape has no links with Piedmont and is cultivated on a limited area around Morro d’Alba commune to the north of Ancona. The variety was under threat of extinction 20 years ago when the plantings covered only 7 hectares. To stimulate winemakers, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba DOC was created in 1985 which raised prices for grapes. Gradually the variety returned from oblivion and today it is cultivated by 70 estates on approximately 250 hectares. Lacrima has an original floral perfume reminding of sweet aromas of Bulgarian rose essence. This often creates directly opposite reactions from tasters who either find it attractive or dismiss it. Various estates offer their versions of wine — from light, young and easy-to-drink to concentrated and structured. The most appealing interpretation of the grape should perhaps be sought in rose wines where usual red fruit are combined with lovely floral nuances. Antica Cantina Sant’Amico, Marotti Campi, San Lorenzo, Stefano Mancinelli — these are some producers who make good Lacrima di Morro d’Alba.

Like many Italian regions, Marche’s strength lies in diversity of winemaking and original wines. One can easily find good quality wines there. Reasonable pricing is an additional advantage that should especially appeal to adventurous wine lovers eager to open new territories and grape varieties.