Fifty Shades of Green
There are few feelings better than enjoying a glass of under-the-radar Italian wine with a refreshing blast of acidity on a hot summer evening. And if you’re able to do so with friends, the pleasure is amplified.
Verdicchio is regarded as one of Italy’s greatest white wine grapes. It is capable of aging for ten or more years to develop a wide range of complexity, and it's known to ‘put on shoulders,' becoming broader and more structured on the palate. It can also take on a mouth-coating character, and the tropical fruit becomes more exotic and honeyed. The best Verdicchio Riservas can age 20 years or more!
The vineyards of Filodivino are 30 km west of the Adriatic coast and seaport, Ancona, which provides a moderating influence, keeping temperatures down and allowing the grapes to over brim with energy and stay remarkably pure. There are also a series of valleys and rivers running east from the Apennine hills to the Adriatic sea to help keep the grapes cool and fresh.
The underground winery is the beating heart of Filodivino. Spectacularly designed by the architect Cristiana Dell’Acqua, this cutting-edge technological tool in the hands of Matteo Chiucconi winemaker gives ideal temperatures for fermentation. The facility is pread over two floors with the tasting area suspended over the aging area, where barriques, tonneaux, amphorae and concrete eggs, preserve and refine the precious nectar. The architectural choice to leave the tasting area suspended above the aging room is intended to represent the end of the journey of each bottle, the tasting.
TRADITION AND INNOVATION
Tradition is first and foremost. This is the knowledge passed down over the centuries by winemakers, the local Marche people have always made wine and have learned from their own successes and failures, improving from one generation to the next. Innovation takes what science has discovered over the years and uses it to produce clean, meticulous, healthy and exciting wine. Different each year, but always delicious; Filodivino genuinely believes in the uniqueness of nature, and doesn’t want to make the same wine time after time. Each year they let nature convey its flair, indulging its whims. Like a patient, loving teacher, they give it the freedom to create and express itself, aiming to intervene as little as possible.
Filodivino Verdicchio 'Matto' 2018 $35.99 per bottle
Organic Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC 100% Verdicchio
The name Verdicchio derives from “verde” and refers to the spectrum of green colours that wines made from the grape can have. Matto is the nickname of Matteo Chiucconi’s, the enologist at Filodivino.
NOSE
A beautiful bouquet of almond, sea spray, pineapple, peach and pear.
TASTE
Rich, long and dry with layers of pineapple, apple, slate and citrus.
PAIRING
Mixed seafood salad or roasted chicken with an olive gremolata.