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2018 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Azienda Santa BarbaraHoused in an old monastery just a few miles from the Adriatic Sea, Azienda Santa Barbara is one of only two estates we recently began to import from the Marche region. Grown on the outer limits of the fortified village of Jesi, this traditional Verdicchio—as green and crisp as it sounds—is vinified in cool, stainless-steel tanks and bottled with the gentlest spritz of naturally occurring carbon dioxide to minimize sulfur use. If bitter lime notes from more familiar grapes like Grüner Veltliner and coastal Vermentino appeal to you, this low-alcohol, youthful bianco will readily rinse your palate clean and complement delicate fare like crudo and Meyer lemon risotto. I’d be remiss not to mention its subtle, chalky texture that reminds me of much pricier French Chablis.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Verdicchio |
Appellation: | Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Le Marche |
Producer: | Azienda Santa Barbara |
Vineyard: | 30 year old vines, 25 ha |
Soil: | Sandy tuffo |
Aging: | Wine ages in stainless steel for 3 months |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Italy | Le Marche
This low-alcohol, youthful bianco has a subtle, chalky texture you might find in much pricier French Chablis.
2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
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This generous, but chiseled Verdicchio will be one of your favorite white-wine discoveries of the year.
2023 Rosso Piceno
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May Bianco ~ Sparkling Verdicchio like you've never tried before!
2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
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A luscious Verdicchio with layered textures that white Burgundy lovers chase after.
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Lucky for us, vignerons in the 1980s salvaged this gem of a variety; one sip feels like stepping into technicolor.
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
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2020 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
Italy | Le Marche
This red, made from the local Montepulciano grape, is aged in tank and bottle to refine its pleasantly rustic personality.
2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
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A luscious Verdicchio with layered textures that white Burgundy lovers chase after.
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
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It’s both inviting––it makes for a lovely apéritif––and angular, prime to accompany lemony pasta dishes, clams, or flavorful and rich vegetarian lasagnas.
About The Producer
Azienda Santa Barbara
About The Region
Le Marche
Le Marche’s reputation as a producer of fine wine is relatively recent, as the region is very much off the beaten path for tourists and tasters alike. And yet, early Etrsucan and Roman civilizations grew grapes here, a tradition that persists and continues to gain momentum in this undulating land where the Apennines descend to the Adriatic.
In between the warm coastline and the cool, rugged mountainous border with Umbria lies a landscape of calcareous rolling hills that provide ideal conditions for viticulture. The zingy, green-tinged, citrus- and pine-scented Verdicchio is king here, producing delightfully crisp whites that perfectly complement the fresh fish and seafood stews of the Adriatic, in addition to the pork-based dishes that are staples inland. Around the towns of Jesi and Matelica, the grape takes on an additional dimension and is even capable of significant aging under the right conditions.
While our involvement in the region is recent, the two producers we represent demonstrate that Le Marche is capable of producing whites of serious interest, which often come at great value.
More from Le Marche or Italy
2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
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2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
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2020 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
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2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
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2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2022 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Spumante Dosaggio Zero Col Fondo “Numerocinque”
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2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
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2023 Rosso Piceno
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2016 Pinot Nero “Ronco Pitotti”
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2021 Südtirol Eisacktaler Müller Thurgau “Sass Rigais”
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2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2020 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2022 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2021 Marche Rosso “Bastian Contrario”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2022 Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
Spumante Dosaggio Zero Col Fondo “Numerocinque”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva “Passolento”
La Marca di San Michele Italy | Le Marche
2023 Rosso Piceno
Colleleva Italy | Le Marche
2016 Pinot Nero “Ronco Pitotti”
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli
2021 Südtirol Eisacktaler Müller Thurgau “Sass Rigais”
Manni Nössing Italy | Alto Adige
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171