2021 Tenute Pieralisi Nativo Bio Verdicchio

The Tenute Pieralisi Nativo Bio Verdicchio comes from the Marche or Marche. The Verdicchio bianco is a white grape variety from the Marches and is a very old variety, and although it has been around for centuries in the Marches, its birthplace is most likely Veneto, from where it was then spread to the south in the 15th century. The name Nativo is inspired by the historical presence of the Verdicchio grape in the Marche region and its cultivation in the rolling hills overlooking the Esino Valley. Il Nativo adopts the traditional oenological practice of spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts which, in combination with modern winemaking technologies, allows to obtain a wine with a strong connection to the area, of great elegance and pleasant drinking
The Native is made from 100% Verdicchio on the Guyot system which are grown organically. The grapes come from a vineyard called Colle del Sole, located in the municipality of Maiolati Spontini, which is characterized by its soil rich in clay and silt. Verdicchio grapes are grown in the eastern part of the hill on 4 hectares of soft hilly terrain. The average height is 120 meters above sea level. The alcoholic fermentation takes place spontaneously, without the addition of yeasts, in a stainless steel vat. It lasts about 35 days at an average temperature of 14° Celsius. The wine is then aged for about 5 months on the fine lees (sur lie) before being bottled.

In the glass, the Pieralisi Nativo Bio Verdicchio has a light straw yellow colour. In the nose, the wine is fresh, fruity and wonderfully pure with white fruit and riper yellow fruit, floral tones, fennel, tarragon and a nice minerality. In the mouth a soft attack, a lot of juice but always flowing, a strong minerality and a small bitterness, with mild acids.

ABOUT THE GRAPE VERDICCHIO
When you say Verdicchio, your thoughts immediately go to the Marche region. The reason is easy to explain: it is the most common native white grape variety of the area. Its scarce ability to adapt to areas outside those of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica gives it a strong territorial characterization. Morphologically and from a DNA point of view, it is identical to Trebbiano di Lugana and Trebbiano di Soave, grapes that can be found between Lake Garda and the western part of Veneto. Some similarities are Verdello, Verduschia, Peverella (only in the autonomous province of Trento) and Trebbiano Verde (only in Lazio).

Its presence in the area between Ancona and Macerata has been around for a long time and is certified by several documents, mainly notarial deeds, dating back to the Middle Ages. The origin of the name is quickly explained: even at full ripeness, the grapes never lose those shades of green that characterize the bunch. In the vineyard it seems to have a sterile quality in the first two buds, resulting in short pruning.

In addition, it is quite delicate in its resistance to mildew and other diseases and therefore it should be grown on well exposed and airy mounds. It ripens in a regular period, ie between September and early October. Its bow gives way to a wide choice of interpretations: it can be harvested in advance to produce spumanti with personality, but also for vintages where the fresh citrus sensations can be captivated, or it can be harvested as soon as it is ripe to give wider fruity sensations to obtain. Verdicchio is also suitable for over-ripening, where hints of candied fruit and aromatic herbs are present to create refined white wines from partially dried grapes. It likes fermentation in steel, but also tolerates aging in wooden barrels of different volumes, just as it is suitable for the fermentation of red wines and the subsequent aging in pottery amphorae. This is why it is universally recognized as a complete, versatile variety. Its distribution throughout the territory of the Marche region is a consequence of its nature and it is not rare to find it in the area of ​​​​Ascoli Piceno, where it was one of the elements of the varieties that gave life to the denomination Falerio dei Colli Ascolanic