2007 Fontezoppa Vardo Colli Maceratesi Rosso Marche Italy

Azienda Agroforestale Fontezoppa Civitanova Marche Italy

Nestled in the central eastern coastal region of Italy known as “Le Marche”, Azienda Agroforestale FONTEZOPPA is located in the outskirt of Civitanova, a commune facing the Adriatic Sea, about 46 kilometers southwest of Ancona and about 52 kilometers east of Serrapetrona.

The owner/winemaker Giovanni Basso, benefiting from 20 years of experience as a grower, continues to produce harmonious, earthy wines of traditional character with the upmost respect for the environment.

The vineyards are located in the hilly province of Macerata, some on the hills’ slopes surrounding the town of Serrapetrona, a stone throw from San Severino, and some close to Civitanova, both areas considered to be some of the best spots to grow grapes in the Marche region.

The 25-year-old vines grow between 500-600 meters above sea level, benefiting from the cool sea breeze of the nearby Adriatic Sea, resulting in great balance and freshness, even for the reds. Fontezoppa vineyards are planted with classic grapes like Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also more indigenous grapes like Lacrima, Maceratino, Incrocio Bruni (a rare crossing of Verdicchio and Sauvignon) and Pecorino.

Fontezoppa produces about 15 different wines and a grappa. The 4 wines available in New York (through SoilAir Selection) are crafted mainly with Verdicchio for the white and predominantly with Sangiovese complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for the reds.

• Verdicchio di Matelica: a clean, refreshing and versatile white made of 100% Verdicchio grapes vinified in stainless steel tank white.

• Marche Rosso I.G.T: a juicy red made of 40% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot from younger vines, also vinified in stainless steel tank.

• “Falcotto” from Serrapetrona appellation: a great, full-bodied, earthy and spicy red made from the rather undiscovered Vernaccia Nera grape variety, a sibling of the more popular Vernaccia white. Vernaccia Nera is mainly planted in the Serrapetrona appellation where it is also used to produce sparkling red wines and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region where the resulting reds are light, earthy, spicy and mineral.

And the wine of today:


2007 Fontezoppa Vardo Colli Maceratesi Rosso Marche Italy
Suggested retail price $13-$16
Imported/distributed by SoilAir Selection in NYC

The vineyards used for “Vardo” are located in the Colli Maceratesi, a Denominazione di origine Controllata (DOC) producing some white wines under “Colli Maceratesi Bianco”, which comprise at least 80% of the Maceratino grape (also known as Montecchiese) with the remaining 20% from Trebbiano Toscano, Verdicchio, Malvasia and Chardonnay. Also some red wines under “Colli Maceratesi Rosso”, which must comprise at least 50% of the Sangiovese grape with the remaining 50% from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Lacrima Merlot and Montepulciano.

Vardo` is a blend of 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon as the label indicates it; although the winery website says differently, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, which I wouldn’t be surprised if the later corresponds to the real blend. The grapes were carefully harvested from vineyards consisting of 8 years old vines planted at about 150 meters above sea level, with North Eastern exposure to the sun. The fermentation occurred in stainless steel tank, where the wine also spent a resting period of 3 months, followed by a maturation period of 12 months in big 60 hectoliters used French oak casks to confer more complexity and structure to the wine without imparting the taste with too much toasted oak flavors. Then it was bottled with no filtration or fining to keep its texture and maximize the quality by preserving all essential components.

A blend of roughly 60% Sangiovese and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from 25 years old vines, 2007 Fontezoppa Vardo` Colli Maceratesi Rosso shows a beautiful, bright ruby-garnet color of light to medium intensity, with slight mature brown prune reflects on the rime. Although quite expressive, the nose is moderately complex, offering enjoyable, yet dry earthy aromas of dark berries, spices and black fruits intermingled with hints of smoke, black earth, pencil shaving, graphite and other minerals. Light to medium bodied, the palate is rather dry, very earthy, mineral and crisp, characterized by intense, dry fruity spicy flavors and black fruit. Very well balanced, the palate is full yet not heavy, fairly complex and persistent with vegetal, slightly herbaceous notes mixed with dry earth and juicy black fruits. From the beginning, the acidity and the mineral procure focus, while the soft and supple tannins provide a tamed structure all along towards the lengthy peppery and herbal, spicy finish.

Definitely a food wine enhanced by its acidity and minerality, complemented by a lot of earthy components and spices. Decanting is highly recommended, and in my opinion the wine was even showing better the next day, it appeared more settled and put together. Drink it with earthy dishes like game, poultry and venison; also some aged cheeses. I love it. A steal under $15, for connoisseurs and amateurs of more cerebral wines, like me.

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken and edited from the importer website at www.soilairselection.com and from the winery website at www.cantinefontezoppa.com

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2005 Brunori "Barco" Rosso Conero Marche Italy

Mario and Giorgio Brunori "Barco" Rosso Conero DOC Marches Italy

Founded in 1956 by Mario Brunori, the winery is located near the village of San Paolo di Jesi, in the Contrada San Nicolò, perched at 200 meters above sea level. The village resides in the heart of the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC, in the Le Marche (Marches) region, central eastern part of Italy.

His son Giorgio came soon after to work alongside him. Today, the family estate is now led by Mario's grandchildren, Carlo and Cristina, who have inherited not only the extensive experience in tending the vines, but also a deep interest in the knowing and applying modern technology.

The Brunori family, whose ancestral home is the town of Cupramontana (Province of Ancona), have always been producers of Verdicchio wine, but it was not until 1956 that they went from simply turning out wine in barrels to bottling their product, at the same time opening a sales outlet in the town of Jesi (Province of Ancona).

Although their production remains 90% of whites made with Verdicchio, they now produce quite a few wines with other grapes (3 reds, 3 whites including their famous San Nicolò Verdicchio Classico Superiore), but also a sparkling wine (Verdicchio Vino Spumante Charmant process), completed by a small production of Olive oil and 3 different Eau de Vie.


2005 Brunori "Barco" Rosso Conero DOC Marches Italy

Suggested retail price $16-$19
Distributed by Petit Pois Corp / Sussex Wine Merchants in NYC


Their 2005 Brunori "Barco" Rosso Conero DOC (Marches), one of the 3 reds they produce, was fermented in stainless steel tanks with grapes skins and pulp for 7-8 days. Followed by a short ageing period in cement thank then transferred into oak barrels (1/3 new) for another 6 months. Made from 100% Montepulciano from a 6.5 hectares vineyard with dry-sandy mixed soil and southeastern exposure, located in the Rosso Conero DOC, on the slope of the Monte Conero, a mountain overlooking the city of Ancona. From a different source, this wine may contain 10% Sangiovese and spend a bit more time in oak, but the winery website doesn't mention it.

In the glass, Brunori Barco's robe exposes an intense ruby red color with red onion shin reflects that will clearly mature to orange with age. The nose is earthy and floral, Violette and Rose notes, with aromas of ripe dark berries. The palate is dry, medium bodied, quite mellow yet with very good acidity and persisting dark, earthy fruit flavors. The finish is here again earthy, with slightly dry tannins. Overall, an interesting, sapid wine to pair (like most Italian wines) with food, to attenuate some of the tannins and soften the texture. Red meat, pasta dishes with red sauce and aged cheeses should complement it nicely.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

Info partly taken from the winery website at www.brunori.it

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2007 Capestrano Rosso Piceno Marche Italy

2007 Capestrano Rosso Piceno Superiore Marche Italy
Suggested retail price $10-$14
Distributed by Vias Imports in NYC

After discovering last month, the Passerina from the same producer, a little fun white with fruity (not sweet) touch to drink as an aperitif and enjoy anytime. Here is its sibling, the Rosso Piceno. Made from 50% Montepulciano and 50% Sangiovese, this juicy little red wine, somewhat simple yet friendly, is very enjoyable and definitely inoffensive. It offers nice, soft red cherry aromas, very good acidity and balance, with slight earthy tannins in the finish. An excellent value and a good choice for the long awaited yet not completely there, Spring season.

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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Discovery of the Month: April 2009 Intriguing wine from Le Marche

2007 Colli di Serrapetrona "Collanquanto" red Le Marche Italy
Suggested retail price $12-$15
A Jan d'Amore Wines Selection in NYC

You probably tried at least one white Vernaccia before, but did you ever try a red Vernaccia? No? Well, I need to admit, me neither, before this one. So let's discover it together.

This grape variety and the resulting wine of the same name come from "Le Marche" (or Marches) region, located in the central eastern part of Italy, a hilly region bordering the Adriatic Sea.

Serrapetrona D.O.C is an appellation (or a Denominazione di Origine Controllata) surrounding the village of the same name, situated in the foothills of the Appennine Mountains chain, about 60 kilometers southwest of the main town of Marche, called Ancona (in the Macerata province).

Although, Montepulciano and Sangiovese for the reds, and Verdichio, Trebbiano and Malvaisia for the whites, seem to be the major grape varieties, Le Marche produces many other different wines. Some well known and some so obscure that they don't even travel further than the local Marche market. Among them, you will find names like: Bianchello del Metauro (Bianchello grape), Bianco dei Colli Maceratesi (Maceratino grape), Falerio dei Colli Ascolani (partly made with Passerina, Pecorino and Pinot Bianco), and amongst many more, the now finally rediscovered Vernaccia (Nera) di Serrapetrona.

Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is a fairly rare and apparently ancient wine. Historians found trace of it in the Middle ages, with some appearances in the 14th century books and poetry. It was well established as an indigenous grape variety and a pretty unique wine by the 19th century, being one the most recognized wine of this small patch of land (that the Macerata province is) in "Le Marche". Altough, for diverse reasons, its popularity slowly declined by the end of that same century and Vernaccia Nera became an extremely local grape which nearly vanished. It took almost a hundred years for this grape variety to finally have a renaissance. New techniques, methods and a growing strong willingness to revive this so deeply enrooted grape by the middle of the 90's, brought the resurgence of this variety.

Vernaccia di Serrapetrona apparently comes in two red Spumante (slightly fizzy) versions: a dry and a sweet. Here is my dilemma, when I tried the wine, unless I tried it after a few hours of opening (which I don't think so, because usually Jan D'Amore always bring me closed bottles), the wine appeared to me to be dry for sure, but with no trace of fuzziness....???

Intrigued, I kept searching the net and Googling the name and always found the same result: Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is red (for sure), made from at least 90-95% of Vernaccia Nera with little addition of local or international red grapes (no doubt), and dry or sweet, usually presents tiny bubbles....Go figure! (I will have to ask my friend Jan).

To try to understand, I went to their website (www.collidiserrapetrona.it), and unfortunately for me, they do not have the English version working yet. So first, I tried to translate it but my Italian is poor and despite my efforts, I think I was making my own sauce rather than translating it the proper way.

Fortunately, an other website (www.consorziocompat.com) representing the "Marche Export Consortium of Typical Agricultural and Food products" came to my rescue and gave me the answer (or should I say: the properly translated version of it). The following info were taken from the above website:

"Colli di Serrapetrona farm was founded with the aim to implement a unique project to rediscover "still" Vernaccia wine (here is my answer), obtained from an autochthonous vine. The wines produced are the result of an initiative that aimed to promote the territory and its history and rediscover its traditions. The oenologist, Frederico Giotto, a young and enthusiastic expert, led this research and studied the vines and the winemaking processes."

The farm's vineyards are planted on the hill slopes surrounding the small village of Serrapetrona. Careful selection and excellent vineyards' management and winemaking are the key to obtain these rare little gems of intense aromas, flavors and sensations.

Made from about 95-100% Vernaccia Nera (and depending on the vintage about 5% Merlot), this wine spent 10 months in stainless steel tanks, didn't see any oak and spent another 2 months in the bottle before released.

2007 Colli di Serrapetrona Collequanto Vernaccia Nera Marche has a fairly intense ruby color. The expressive nose exposes aromas of flowers, lavender, spice, crushed green pepper and ripe red wild cherry. The palate presents darker fruit flavors, like cassis and blueberry, with more earthy tones and slightly green notes in a juicy and very enjoyable way. Balanced, medium to light, this wine has certain elegance with a lot of character and personality. I liked it a lot. Light, earthy and inviting, with integrated tannins and bright, refreshing acidity, it is an ideal mid-season and summer red wine. Pair it with poultry, grilled red meat, salami and other charcuterie. Grilled duck with wild herbs served with panned potatoes and mushrooms...

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin

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