SOLD OUT! If you want a wine that literally smells and tastes like spring, you need some Marchetti Tenuta del Cavaliere in your life. One of the finest versions of Verdicchio I've ever tasted, just 300 cases were produced, and I just bought my distributor out of this one.
Produced with late harvested Verdicchio that is fermented completely dry, this is a white that offers up an impeccable mix of concentration and richness balanced by Verdicchio's naturally high acidity. There are 10 cases up for grabs -- once those are gone, we'll be waiting for the next vintage to arrive.
2020 Marchetti Verdicchio ‘Tenuta del Cavaliere’
One of the finest Verdicchios on the planet. 94 points - Josh Spurling
SOLD OUT
Maurizio Marchetti puts all of his heart and soul into this rare and delicious Verdicchio. Tenuta del Cavaliere is Marchetti’s top site in Castelli di Jesi, and the grapes spend an extra month on the vine. This extended hang time allows them to develop greater body, structure, and flavor intensity. Yes, it is a late harvest wine, but no, it’s not sweet! Sure, it’s richer, lusher, and more opulent than your average Verdicchio, but it’s still completely dry and plenty fresh.
In a good year, the winery will produce 300 cases of this wine. I’m pleased to announce we were able to snag 10 of those cases or 120 bottles. That might seem like a lot, but last year we sold every bottle in just a few days! The new vintage is just as good as last year’s, and once folks start tasting this one, we’ll have a rush on this wine. Translated, it will sell out fast.
Maurizio Marchetti is about as meticulous as they come when it comes to farming. Being that his wife makes a healthy living as cardiologist, Maurizio doesn’t need to rely on his wines to produce much of an income. This allows him to be incredibly picky and discriminating in his vineyards. In fact, he’s so picky and discriminating that he only gets the equivalent of half a bottle of wine per plant. It is this level of care and commitment that makes this wine so special.
There’s a lot going on here folks, and if you love complex, layered, and exotic whites, this is the ticket. Fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 4 months, this one is medium to full-bodied, with alluring and exotic notes of apricot, white peach, yellow plum, ginger, spice, assorted green herbs, and more. I know that’s a lot of tasting notes, but it’s all there. When you taste it, you’ll understand.
A word to the wise — don’t serve this ice cold. You’ll lose a lot of the aromatic pleasure and dumb the wine down. And enjoy it with spicy stuff, vegetarian dishes, and/or richer seafood preparations. This is one of those wines that certainly elevates food, but it doesn’t require it.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville