Tenuta Grimaldi Verdicchio di Matelica 2022

Verdicchio is one of our favorite grape varieties. It is grown in two appellations in the Marche region, Castelli di Jesi and Matelica, and is also genetically identical to a constituent grape of Soave called Trebbiano di Soave. Wines made from it show a range of zesty aromas and flavors, including green apple, flower, citrus peel, and almond, depending on where it is grown; the best examples can age very well in the bottle, but somehow they never get the chance in my house. I love Verdicchio as a dry aperitif, while I’m cooking dinner, but of course it is a very useful table wine too.

The Matelica appellation is in the west of the Marche, in the foothills of the Apennines, not far from the border with Umbria. Tenuta Grimaldi is a neighbor of our longstanding Matelica producer, Fabio Marchionni of Colle Stefano, who introduced us. (We get some of our best tips from other winemakers.) Grimaldi is just outside the little town of Matelica itself, about 15 minutes drive from Colle Stefano, at between 450 and 550 meters (1,500-1,800 feet) above sea level, slightly higher than Colle Stefano. The elevation of the vineyards is important to the character of these wines; higher elevation makes for a cooler climate, and better retention of acidity. The soils at Tenuta Grimaldi are rockier than the mostly clay soil at Colle Stefano, with more sand; the vineyards face east and north-east.

Tenuta Grimaldi produces only Verdicchio, from four different clones. They grow grapes organically, at relatively low yields; the fruit is picked by hand into small boxes; the whole bunches are pressed, and the juice is settled out and fermented in stainless steel tanks and large wooden barrels*.  (Fermentation and aging in large barrels is quite different from the same process in barriques, the goal with larger barrels being to add complexity to the wine without adding oak flavors.) As of this writing, the winemaker Mirko Mattana is experimenting with both indigenous and selected yeasts, to see which he prefers. After the alcoholic fermentation, the wine is then aged in the same vessels on the fine lees until bottling, which takes place in June.