Posted By Joel on March 22, 2010

Le Marche producer Sartarelli does one thing and does it well. Very well.

It’s spelled V-E-R-D-I-C-C-H-I-O.

Located nearby Poggio San Marcello in the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi appellation of Italy’s Marche, the Sartarelli estate – its vineyards planted exclusively to Verdicchio - is run by Donatella Sartarelli and Patrizio Chiacchiarini, with assistance from enologist Alberto Mazzoni.

Sartarelli doesn’t rely upon strategic marketing or advertising campaign to carve out its place in the wine market. Instead, Sartarelli has made its bones by providing high quality product and great value for money.

Preservation of the environment through sustainable farming techniques along with careful timing and attention to detail take on important roles at Sartarelli. Recognizing that high quality grape is fundamental to high quality wine, agricultural treatments are avoided wherever possible. Grapes are allowed to ripen slowly with differently timed harvests to ensure the correct degree of ripeness. And great care is taken to avoid violence and damage to fruit during harvest and the winemaking process.

Three Sartarelli wines below – Verdiccho Classico, Superiore Tralivio and Superiore Balciana - are made of 100% Verdicchio grown in calcareous soil at approximately 325m altitude. Vines producing the Classico and Tralivio are an average age of 15-16 years with south, east, and southwest exposures; vines producing Balciana average 10 years old with northeast exposure.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2008

Tasting Notes / Impressions:

Pretty straw-yellow color with faded emerald reflections and a round, delicate character showing pear, apricot, honey and almond with hints of ginger and lime. Sound structure, lively acid and a satisfying finish.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

FISH SEAFOOD: generally speaking, fish / seafood can’t miss with this wine, but especially consider baked stuffed shrimp or fried “fisherman’s platter”; WHITE MEATS: simply prepared white meats, such as breaded pan-fried chicken cutlets; PASTA: recommend ziti or bucatini with fresh sardine sauce or spaghetti with mussels; EGGS: frittate and omelette dishes; APPETIZERS: zucchini stuffed with bread crumbs, onion, tomato and parmesan, a savory vegetable pie, foccacia bread with olives, cold meats

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Tralivio 2007

Strength and structure provide the background for intoxicating orange blossom, apricot, mango, and honey. Mint and a lick of sea salt on a satisfying finish. Deliciously weighty on the palate, the wine shows warmth, poise and symmetry.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

FISH SEAFOOD: more ambitious preparations of fish or seafood such as bouillabaisse or mussels with poached eggs and cream sauce; MEATS: especially consider “cacciatora” prepared chicken, rabbit, or lamb; PASTA: do consider spaghetti with good caviar and cream; APPETIZERS: roasted red pepper rolled with tuna and olive stuffing; baked and stuffed mushroom caps; CHEESES: medium aged cheeses.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Balciana 2007

Tasting Notes / Impressions:

This exquisite single-vineyard Verdicchio harvested late in small yield is an absolutely luminous, amber color highlighted with impressionistic splashes of golden summer straw. Intense apricot, orange creamsicle, mint and herb. Rich on the palate and a long, pleasant finish with hints of bitter almond and honey. Spectacular.

Food Pairing Suggestions:

FISH / SEAFOOD: skillet crusted scallops with a spicy orange sauce, or almond crusted fish fillet; MEATS: mustard-roasted rabbit with herbs and tomatoes, or slow-cooked lamb shanks with anchovy fillets, tomatoes and carrots; PASTA: ziti with carmelized onions and portobello mushrooms or linguine with scallops and lemon butter sauce; APPETIZERS / SALADS: zucchini or bean salad with lemon, mint and pieces of parmesan cheese, or hot endive / escarole salad with bacon and hard boiled eggs.

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Categories: $ (Under $25), $$ ($25-$50), Marche, Wine
Tags: Verdicchio