Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
cially easy to fi nd when you spend some time in
the area. The wine to look for is IGT Colline
Savonesi. Lumassina wines can be extremely
crisp, reminiscent of white fl owers, marine sea
breezes, with hints of pear, green apple, and
thyme. They are remarkably good with simply
prepared fi sh and shellfi sh dishes typical of
coastal towns.
MC-VPD). The MC4 clone is a little less tightly
packed than the MC1. Maceratino is planted
only in the Marche (there's also a little in
Umbria), mainly in the province of Macerata
and in the countryside around Loreto, in the
province of Ancona, preferably in hillside vine-
yards at altitudes less than 450 meters.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The DOC Colli Maceratesi is 244 hectares (with
various varieties planted). The DOC Colli Ma-
ceratesi Bianco wine has to be at least 70 per-
cent Maceratino; Colli Maceratesi Ribona can
instead be monovarietal (though the law
requires only a minimum of 80 percent Macer-
atino, which is a shame). The DOC also allows
a Ribona Spumante (a sparkling wine). In the
Marche, there are only about one hundred hec-
tares planted to Maceratino. There are also
some IGT wines from Umbria such as Can-
nara, Narni, and Spello that allow Maceratino
in the blend, but in these wines the variety has
only a minor role. I'm not sure it's presently
easy to defi ne what a good Maceratino wine is
like, because the wine has exploded onto the
scene only recently and everyone is still learn-
ing. In general, Maceratino wines seem lighter
than those made with Verdicchio (especially di
Matelica); but because Maceratino is a highly
reductive variety, off odors are frequent in
poorly made examples. The wines also seem
like they have the potential to age and to have a
very nice mineral edge, something I have found
in all the maceratinos I have tried. Overall, I
would say there are a number of interesting
wines made with this variety, but as for every
native that has been the subject of almost over-
night success, there are also several far less dis-
tinguished wines.
wines to try:
Cascina delle Terre Rosse***
(L'Acerbina), Punta Crena*** (Mattaossu, and
also a sparkling Mataossu Brut; the Lumassina
Brut, also sparkling, is less effervescent and
closer to a still wine), Sancio***, Durin***
(Mataosso), Viticultori Ingauni*, Giuseppe
Sacone*, Cascina Praié* (Zefi ro, a sparkling
version), and Cooperativa Viticoltori Coronata
(another sparkling lumassina).
Maceratino Bianco
where it's found:
Marche.
national regis-
try code number:
124.
color:
white.
Also known as Ribona, this variety may be
related to Verdicchio, though it presents notable
morphological and phenological differences.
It's an ancient variety, which explains the many
synonyms it is known by: Bianchetta Montec-
chiese and Uva Stretta are accurate; and there
are some improper ones such a Greco delle
Marche or Verdicchio Marino. The offi cial
name is Maceratino Bianco, in honor of the city
of Macerata, which is in the middle of the main
production zone. Maceratino has garnered con-
siderable interest from local producers, and
many estates are applying different agricultural
and enological techniques as they busily learn
about the variety. Maceratino does not appear to
be very adaptable and needs well-exposed, ven-
tilated sites, and nutrient-poor soils for best
results.
Maceratino is characterized by medium-
large to large, usually conical bunches that are
tightly packed; the berries are round and
medium in size. It buds and ripens relatively
late. There are fi ve offi cial clones (CSV-AP
MC1, CSV-AP MC4, MC-MM 1, MC-MM 3, and
wines to try:
Fattoria Forano*** (Colli Ma-
ceratesi Bianco Monteferro, a monovarietal
Maceratino wine), La Muròla** (Andrea Bac-
cius and Le Jole, the fresher and lighter of the
two and the one I prefer), Saputi* (Castru Vec-
chiu, soft and creamy), and Capinera* (Mur-
rano, slightly herbal).
