2021 Oppedentro Valdé Marche Bianco

Region: Marche < Italy

Grapes: Verdicchio 90%, Trebbiano 10%

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; 40-year-old vines; hand-picked and placed into little baskets, then foot stomped and fermented/aged 9 months in stainless steel. Clarification by decantation and wide filtration; minimal added SO2; 12.5% ABV  

Oppedentro, whose motto is "wines of patience", started in 2017 when four friends got together to start a small-scale natural wine project in their home region of the Marche, near the Adriatic coast.  They have one vineyard, called Cupramontana, farmed organically and at fairly high elevation in an area that only grows Verdicchio grapes, because that's what one does in this area.

They make just two wines, a white and a red -- they're all about small scale wines "of patience", remember?  This Bianco, comprised mostly of Verdicchio with a splash of Trebbiano, is dry and crisp, with layers of texture and flavor that sets it apart from your average Marche white wine. It smells like crisp apples and early summer mornings, but the palate leans more towards melon and citrus.  The mouthfeel is unctuous and satisfying, but the body is light.  We love this one with an aperitivo spread -- try with salty Marcona almonds, proscuitto (and melon!), green olives or crispy fried things.