Amphora-aged Verdicchio from Jesi Classico, bursting with flavours of orange blossom, grapefruit zest and almonds

Having received an impressive 92 point score, Decanter Judge Andy Howard MW included  “Ergo” in the July 2022 feature “Verdicchio: Panel Tasting Results”.

“Ergo” is a distinctive example of Verdicchio Superiore wine aged in amphora for one year. As a result, this wine develops a translucent gold shade and becomes truly complex and full of nutty, peppery and honeyed flavours. It has plenty of freshness, but instead of Verdicchio’s characteristic lime, “Ergo” tastes more like caramelised grapefruit zest.

This Verdicchio Superiore wine is produced by the Montecappone winery, nestled near the Esino river in the historic Classico area, just one kilometre west of the town of Jesi. It bears the label “Mirizzi”, which winemaker Gianluca Mirizzi only uses for the best wines of the estate.

Winemaking

“Ergo” is produced from 100% Verdicchio grapes. Gianluca ferments this wine using indigenous yeasts, which naturally develop on grape skins. As indigenous yeasts are less reliable than commercial ones, they are more difficult to work with. But the resulting wine’s flavour is truer to the terroir. The fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature, slowly elevated from 12°C to 18°C over the course of two weeks. After that, 50% of the wine is aged in a terracotta amphora (pictured), and 50% in concrete vats, for one year. As amphorae allow some oxidation, the wine develops a golden hue as well as nutty aromas.

Tasting notes

This Verdicchio Superiore has a pale gold colour. It offers aromas of orange blossom and yellow apple, with a fresh undertone of lemon balm. These are complemented by spicy notes of white pepper and ginger, as well as almond and caramelised grapefruit zest. This is a very complex wine, with a full body and a delightfully smooth and rich texture.

Awards

Decanter Panel Tasting – 92 points Blind tasted by Andy Howard MW, Sara Bachiorri and Michael Garner | Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 – Silver Medal (2018 vintage) | Vinitaly 5StarWines 2021 – 96 points (2018 vintage) | Gambero Rosso 2021 – Two Glasses (2018 vintage) | WOW The Italian Wine Competition 2020 – Gold medal (2018 vintage) | AIS Vitae La Guida Vini 2021 – 4 vines (2018 vintage) | I Vini di Veronelli 2021 – Three Stars (2018 vintage)