Santa Barbara is a Marche estate working the hills around Jesi, and this is its Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi in the late-harvest style the region calls Tardivo — picked later than the norm, but, as the name insists, not late. The DOCG is one of the few in Italy written around a single white grape, and Verdicchio has held that ground for centuries.
- Verdicchio, the grape of the Marche.
- Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOCG, a white-only appellation.
- 2020 vintage, from the hills inland of Ancona.
- 14% ABV, dry, medium body, high acidity.
How it is made
Tardivo means the fruit hangs longer than usual, so the grapes accumulate sugar and the wine ferments to a higher strength than most Italian whites. The DOCG rules keep it to Verdicchio alone. What separates it from a standard Castelli di Jesi is that extra time on the vine, which builds weight without tipping the wine into sweetness.
How it tastes
Green apple and citrus zest at the front, then almond and a green, bitter-herb note that is the grape's signature. There is a saline mineral streak underneath, and the acidity stays high and straight through a long finish. Yellow in the glass with golden reflections. The bitterness on the end is deliberate, not a fault.
Good to know
Verdicchio is often described as the white grape that behaves like a red: firm structure, a bitter grip, and the ability to age. The Castelli di Jesi zone takes its name from the ring of hill towns around Jesi, and the DOCG covers only the best-exposed slopes within it. Tardivo is a traditional local style rather than an invention, though few producers still bother with it.
