“Happiness,like precious wine , should be tasted source by source .”
Ludwing Feuerbach
I visited Marche for the first time in summer 2019. I was really curious to taste finally Verdicchio which I used to know just a little. Meanwhile planning the travel and my allocation, I decided to accomodate at zone of city Jesi, exactly in the city San Paolo di Jesi, which is located cca 3 km from Staffolo.
Staffolo is a nice small city placed on the sweet hills of Verdicchio, with cca 2000 habitants and 20 wine producers. Colle del Verdicchio – Verdicchio Hills.
One of my first visits to discover and test the best Verdicchio wines was the visit of the Company La Staffa. I met La Staffa of Ricardo Baldi during the exhibition International Wine Show Prague organised inside of Hotel Hilton in Prague, where despite of the wide presence of Italian wine producers, I was really impressed by Verdicchio, because of little chance to taste more samples of Verdicchio before.
The visit of many wineries is always a difficult task because of thousands of narrow dusty and uneven country roads and paths, I would say really scouting experience ,if only I wasn’t driven by the help of my GPS.
However, the discomfort of roads is always balanced by beauty and colours of landscape meanwhile I was looking for the winery La Staffa of Ricardo Baldi.
When I finally came at Contrada Castellaretta, where the company is located, I breathed a big sigh of relief . The vineyards are grown in neighbourhood of Contrada ( cca 7 ha ) and situated at aprox 400-500 m above the sea level on the calcareous and clayey soil , ideal for the Verdicchio grapes cultivation. The place where the winery is located is beautiful, and view is covering the landscape of surrounding hills.
While seated at the shadow of the degustation room surrounded by the marvellous panorama , we started to taste different types of Verdicchio and discussed Verdicchio naturally , its. potential for ageing and others wines from zone.
Among others Riccardo told me about the wines of Esther Hauser, a small agricultural company situated nearby the Staffolo city.. but it’s another story, which I will tell at the other occasion.
La Staffa Verdicchio Frizzante Mai Sentito ( Sparkling wine ), Verdicchio with the small addition of Trebbiano grapes. Spumante made by Method Ancestral, the fermentation on lees. Colour pale yellow, aromas of peach, yeast, freshness on palate, sapid with the scents of lemon.
Marche Rosato Igt L’Aurora 2018, the rosè wine made from Montepulciano grapes, aroma of rose petals, the small red fruits, wild strawberries , brings the freshness at palate.
La Staffa Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi Superiore Rincrocca 2016, the wine created from the vineyard planted at 1972. Colour pale yellow, intense aroma of broom , honey, beeswax, in mouth dry taste , with the scents of honey with typical bitter aftertaste.
La Staffa Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC La Staffa 2018 – Colour yellow pale, intense aroma of green apple, kiwi, acacia, broom , on palate fresh, mineral, sapid with nicely acidity and typical bitter aftertaste.
Thanks goes to Riccardo Baldi for the gentle hospitality and for the possibility to taste wines. Let’s continue to discover other wines and other marvellous places inside of the Region.
