Been a while since I have had the time to post notes, so I have a lot of catching up to do

First a couple of notes on the verdicchio-grape which is IMO perhaps the most interesting white indegenious grape from Italy. It is clearly capable of making world class white wines and still maintain a typicity of the grape. The grape produces concentrated wines with high alcohol and good acidic structure even at very high yields. Verdicchio has a natural bitterness in the finish that comes from the skin of the grape which gives a medicinal anise-taste in the finish. This taste is off-putting to many, especially in a commercial perspective and some producers take actions in the cellars or in the winemaking to restrain this characteristic. Typical actions is very soft pressing, harvesting ripe grapes and producing wines with high alcohol. Personally I have to say that this bitterness in the finish is a characteristic of the verdicchio-grape and therefore should be wanted.

Here are some notes from a Verdicchio-tasting. Hosted by Fazi-Battaglia and Patrizio Chiacchiarini from Azianda agricola Sartarelli

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico Titulus 2001, Fazi-Battaglia

This is the verdicchio that everyone knows and that is produced in a quantity of 2,5 mill. bottles a year. The 2001-vintage is recently bottled and not yet released. It had a light straw colour. Fresh and neutral nose with flowers and lemon. Light, simple and refreshing in the mouth. Cleanly made and a bit short. For early consumption. Nothing special.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico superiore Le Moie 2000, Fazi-Battaglia

Made from a mix of grapes harvested on 4-5 different occations (with different ripenings of the grapes). A small portion (5-8%) of the grapes aged in barriques. This wine has slightly more colour than the Titulus. More intence nose with hints of earth, light oak and mint. Medium bodied wine with good acidity and good concentration. Less noticable oak in the mouth. Slightly bitterness in the finish. Good QPR.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico superiore Massaccio 1999, Fazi-Battaglia

This is the first vintage made ever of this wine and it is not yet released. The wine is made from selected overripe grapes from the San Sisto-vineyard. Then it is softly pressed, fermented and macerated for three months in stainless steel. This wine had a straw colour with typically "ripe" aromas of tropical fruits and honey. Full-bodied and fruity styled in the mouth and slightly complex wine with decent acidity and slight touch of anise. Some sweetness from the alcohol.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico Riserva San Sisto 1998, Fazi-Battaglia

This used to be a hopelessly overoaked single-vineyard-wine, but the barrique-oaking has now been reduced a lot. Both the time and there is far less new barriques used. The 98-version had a straw colour. Nose showed honey, flowers and oak. In the mouth it is a powerful white with good concentration of quit simple fruit. A bit too much oak and good acidity. No bitterness in the finish.

Arkezia (Marche bianco IGT) 1999, Fazi-Battaglia

Sweet wine from 100% verdicchio-grapes that are 50% affected by botrytis. Still soft pressing. There is a DOC for sweet Verdicchio, but that appalation does not allow botrytis, therefore it must be IGT. This wine had a golden colour. It showed a fruity, honeyed nose with hints of apricot and only light oak and botrytis. IT has a good body and is sweet in the mouth with a nicely balanced acidity. Fruity style. Good length. Clearly the most impressive wine from Fazi-Battaglia.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico 2000, Azianda Agricola Sartarelli

And now for something completely different. Already with the ”normale” it is clear that Sartarelli makes higher quality Verdicchios than Fazi-Battaglia. The wines are also made in a totally differnet way, using only stainless steel and with a clear and pronounced minerality. Also the wines are high in alcohol. The normale has a light straw colour. The nose is more elegant, reserved and mineral with a touch of flowers. In the mouth it has a good body with nice and a bit simple minerality, great acidity and a touch of medicinal anise in the finish. The 13,5% alcohol is noticable.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico Superiore Tralivio 2000, Azianda Agricola Sartarelli

The Tralivio is a single-vineyard verdicchio from old vines. The grapes are harvested somewhat later than for the classico. The color is straw. More intencity on the mose. More minerals, a hint of honey and anise. Powerful in the mouth. Concentrated. Mineral wine with some complexity. Hints of grass and anise in the finish. Great acidity and again high and noticable alcohol (14%). Good length. IMO the best of Sartarellis wines. Very good QPR.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico Balciana 1998, Azianda Agricola Sartarelli

Late-harvested verdicchio (between the first and second week of November). Some botrytis is welcomed. The wine has about 8 g/L. residual sugar. The colour is lightly golden. The nose is intence with a honeyed touch and hints of lanoline, slight minerals and botrytis. Powerful and huge concentration in the mouth- Honeyed fruit. Less mineral than the Tralivio. Some botrytis. Quite complex. Good acidic structure. Some sweetness in the finish with the high alcohol (14,5%) noticable. Good length. Very good wine.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva 1997, Villa Bucci

I had this wine for dinner a few days prior to the tasting and I have to say that no wine at the tasting could really live up to this outstanding wine. It is simply the finest bottle of italian white I have ever tasted. Those who said that Italy can not make great whites will be ashamed upon tasting this. The wine has a deep straw colour. Intence mineral and very complex nose with hints of dried roses, honey and light anise. Good body in the mouth. Concentrated and well balanced wine with a great acidic structure. Incredible depth in the minerals. Very complex. Still young. Long taste loaded with bitter anise (perhaps not for newbies). The wine is still available at incredible low prices for this quality and it is also supposed to age well for up to 15 years. I believe that the wine is made in a very traditional manner and aged in very old barriques.