Looking Forward
La Marca Di San Michele
by Dixon Brooke
The region of Le Marche, on Italy’s Adriatic coast directly east of Tuscany, is an interesting case study for this month’s installment of “Looking Forward.” While wine history is abundant here and Verdicchio is no stranger to wine drinkers worldwide, a small estate intent on organic farming and bottling its own production with exacting quality standards is still an exception to the rule in this part of Italia.
Le Marche is a less-traveled area simply due to its geographic location, even though its terroir is world class, particularly in this historical subzone near the fortified hilltop town of Jesi. Grape has been matched to soil perfectly and persuasively, and the combination is uniquely suited to making exceptional white wines. La Marca proudly represents the new generation to follow in Le Marche.
The Bonci family’s quest for improvement every single year has been inspiring to follow. A great example of this is their incredible col fondo Verdicchio that we’ve brought in over the past few years—the exceptional product is one of the best sparkling wines I have ever tasted from Italy. The star of their show is the Passolento bottling, a full-bodied dry white that redefined the potential of Verdicchio for me. Le Marche is now one of my top go-to regions in Italy for reliably high-quality white wine, thanks in large part to this domaine.
2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
Italy | Le Marche
2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
Italy | Le Marche
2019 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
Italy | Le Marche
Spumante Dosaggio Zero Col Fondo “NumerOtre”
Italy | Le Marche