Zaccagnini Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Salmagina 2010

Press

With such an array of fine Verdicchio making up this month’s wine pages, it was always going to be a tough call to decide on a favourite – and my Discovery of the Month really is something special. The Zaccagnini family presides over around 42 hectares of vineyard in Staffolo, Le Marche, and their ongoing research and experimentation – not to mention an exhaustive process of grape selection – have led to the production of an increasingly impressive portfolio of wines. Their Verdicchio ‘Salmàgina’ is a wonderful example of what this grape can achieve given the right conditions and care. Straw yellow, with a delicately floral nose, this Verdicchio is positively bursting with quaffable elegance and it proffers a veritable festa of complexity and soft intensity. Fruit flavours of pear and apple greet the palate, while light oak adds a welcome degree of weight, and a refreshing tang of acidity balances the nuances of fruit beautifully. We’d recommend serving this wine with pretty much any seafood, especially with creamy or smoked fish dishes, or with grilled oysters or scallops – but equally, this is finely structured wine that is a delight to drink on its own.

Italia! Discovery of the Month June 2010

From the Zaccagnini family vineyards of 25 hectares in the rolling hills arround Staffolo, this is a full-flavoured dry Italian white from the Marche region, with substantial apple and pear flavours lent added weight and honeyed ripeness thanks to the late picking of the variety.

thewinegang.com

What they say: Fruity bouquet mixed with honeysuckle and dried fruit, the palate is a tangy mix of mineral and stoned fruits, with fresh acidity and light oak. What we think: Ripe tropical fruit attack with an attractive almond nuttiness and floral top-notes. It’s mouth-filling with a savoury finish that should be good with food

Imbibe Magazine