It is with great pleasure that I want to talk about the tasting experience of the 1991 vintage of Cuprese, a wine that has not struggled with the passing of time and which expresses, in an exemplary and unique way, all the characteristics of the Verdicchio grape after 30 years in the bottle.
Cuprese is the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore that best identifies the Colonnara winery, a co-operative established in 1959 in Cupramontana (AN), on the initiative of 19 founding members in what is known as “the capital of Verdicchio” of the Castelli di Jesi. The winery has grown over time, both in terms of the number of members, over one hundred right now, and in terms of production; in fact, today it produces all the main D.O.C. of the Marche region, as well as having consolidated their skills in sparkling winemaking with both the traditional and tank methods.
Two elements characterise the Colonnara winery, being the aging cellar and the wine tower.
The aging cellar is the heart of the company, the place where the bottles mature for years. This is a space where there is almost total absence of light, a constant temperature around 14-16 ° C, the right humidity, the absence of noises and vibrations, which are essential elements for the correct aging process of wines.
The wine tower, one of the few still preserved in Italy, dominates the hill on which the winery stands. Designed in 1961, it consists of a system of communicating tanks, that exploit the force of gravity, to make the wine descend from the upper to the lower tanks, thus limiting the use of hydraulic pumps. The lower part of the tower is still used today for some stages of winemaking.
The historic vineyards of the cooperative winery are located on the right bank of the Esino river, in a hilly area, at an average altitude of 450 meters, between the municipalities of Cupramontana, Apiro, Staffolo and San Paolo di Jesi.
Cuprese – Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi D.O.C. Classico Superiore – 1991
Verdicchio 100%
The iconic wine of the winery, it has been produced since 1985 and reflects all the characteristics of the Verdicchio grape. The vineyards, where the grapes for Cuprese are produced, are in a hilly area between 350 and 500 metres above sea level, in the municipalities of Cupramontana, Maiolati and Staffolo, on a soils of marine origin, characterised by clay and sand. The training systems used are double arched cane, Silvoz and Guyot. The yield is about 85 tons/ha.
The grapes are harvested by hand, to guarantee the perfect health of the fruit. The fermentation takes place in controlled temperature stainless-steel tanks, and the wine is then bottled in the spring, following the harvest.
- Look: deep gold.
- Smell: pronounced intensity. Fruity (pineapple and peach), toasted (hazelnut and almond), well integrated with hints of honey and white pepper. The finish has a light bitter almond aftertaste.
- Taste: dry, medium (+) acidity, medium alcohol, long finish.
- Pairing: vegetables au gratin in the Marche style.
Producer: Colonnara