2016 Verdicchio Occhio Verde

The Story

Tenuta Fionia’s first white wine is Occhio Verde. Translated to the ‘green eye’, the wine is named after the grape variety, Verdicchio, whose name means ‘the little green one’. Occhio Verde is produced at Tenuta Mattei from Verdicchio grapes sourced from the hills around the town of Jesi. The Castelli dei Jesi is an ancient wine producing area with records dating from the 14th century. There are claims that these wines may have even helped the Visigoths conquer Rome in the 4th century.

Winemaking

Late harvested Verdicchio is pressed - with no separation of free-run and pressed juice – and the must left to settle for 48 hours in tanks at around 10°C. The must is not clarified or fined. After settling, the juice is racked into stainless steel tanks and barrel (around 10% of total volume) and underwent a spontaneous fermentation. After fermentation, the wine was left in contact with heavy lees for around 18 months before being bottled.

Tasting Notes

The grapes are picked slightly later than usual to ensure complete ripeness. The resulting wine has a small amount of residual sugar to balance the fresh acidity, typical of Verdicchio. The wine has complex aromas of almond, white peach and spice, a full-bodied palate and a very long, fresh finish.