Robert Parker & Monica Larner: a spotlight on Umani Ronchi!
Monica Larner, Italian Reviewer of The Wine Advocate, wrote a full article about Le Marche during her last trip in this region. It was an opportunity also to interview Michele Bernetti and taste different wines from our 3 wine estates between Marche and Abruzzo. A pleasant conversation about wine, terroir and latest trends in the Italian wine scenario.
Follow the live interview with Monica Larner and Michele Bernetti on @wine_advocate Instagram. For the full report and review read here:
Campo San Giorgio 2016 -> 95 pt
The Umani Ronchi 2016 Conero Riserva Campo San Giorgio is the estate's headline wine and a pure expression of the Montepulciano grape that underlines purity, length and the staying power of the variety. This Riserva opens to tart cherry, cassis, spice, licorice and tar, offering a traditional and classic read of the Conero appellation in the Marche region that hangs over the blueness of the Adriatic Sea. This wine is polished and toned with bright berry flavors that segue to tar, licorice and grilled herb. It's perfect for a brasato alla marchigiana made with rolled up slices of braised beef and stuffed with prosciutto and pancetta. Production of this wine is 4,990 bottles and 85 magnums.
Casal di Serra 2019 -> 90 pt
The 2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore CaSal di Serra (made with organic fruit) shows a light and luminous appearance that appears shiny in the glass. The wine offers simple but exceptionally pure aromas of spring flower, citrus, cut grass and crushed limestone. It is lightweight, tart and fresh. It's the perfect match for a traditional dish of anchovy involtini. You don't get better value than this.
Centovie Pecorino 2018 -> 92 pt
The Pecorino grape is a variety that has enjoyed a steady climb in popularity over the past 10 years. This expression from Umani Ronchi really homes in on all the qualities that should prompt us to take a second look at this indigenous white grape from central Italy. The 2018 Pecorino Centovie opens to honeydew melon, citrus, pear and a touch of something almost spicy like saffron or crunchy like green apple. Pecorino delivers a point of firmness or structure that opens the wine up to a pairing with a spicy Thai chicken dish.
Vecchie Vigne 2018 -> 93 pt
Made with organic fruit, the Umani Ronchi 2018 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Vecchie Vigne is a very special wine that gives us a pure and transparent view onto the Verdicchio grape from old vines. The wine delivers a terrific sense of purity and depth, and it also hints at some of the compelling complexity that can be achieved when Verdicchio gets a little bit of age. Aromas of ripe peach, lemon drop and candied fruit make subtle appearances, and the wine continues with fresh fruit, light spice and crushed stone. Try it with the local seafood stew, brodetto marchigiano. This steady and beautifully intense wine is one I am happy to recommend, especially for enthusiasts of Italian whites.
Plenio 2017 -> 92 pt
Here's a great chance to make a platter of that Marche favorite, olive ascolane, or fried olives stuffed with meat. Sporting a modern and contemporary spin on the highly traditional and local Verdicchio grape, Umani Ronchi's 2017 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio opens to a luminous golden color with a rich, mid-weight texture. This wine sees its fruit sourced from the historic Cupramontana vineyard located at a breezy 400 meters in altitude. Forty percent of the wine is aged in Slavonian oak casks, and the rest goes into stainless steel and cement. Hot-vintage fruit produces aromas of dried peach, pear and toasted almond.
Cumaro 2016 -> 93 pt
This is a highly recognized wine that enjoys its own special following in Italy and beyond. The 2016 Conero Riserva Cúmaro is a pure expression of Montepulciano from the Conero bluffs that dip into the Adriatic Sea on a small promontory where sunshine and sea breezes caress the vines. Aged in French oak for 12 months, this wine is stacked tall and wide with dark fruit, sweet spice and cured tobacco. The wine is beautifully balanced, full and ripe. A classic Marchigiano lamb roast would pair nicely here.
Pelago 2016 -> 94+ pt
This wine is now celebrating its 22nd harvest. The Umani Ronchi 2016 Pelago is a blend of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged in French oak for 14 months. This is a wine with a deep core of dark fruit and a lot of stuffing that adds textural fiber and richness. Pelago shows a downright contemporary style that is expressed in terms of volume, softness and phenolic weight (or sheer grape concentration). This is a super Marche wine from start to finish, with black cherry, blackberry, soft spice, leather and tar. The 2016 vintage is especially rich and important. When you're ready to open it, sample it with wedges of an aged goat-milk caciotta.
Centovie Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015 -> 93 pt
Made with organic fruit, the Umani Ronchi 2015 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Centovie is charming and rich, exuberant and pure all at the same time. The Montepulciano grape is known for its dark fruit intensity, rich palate and soft tannins. All these qualities are present in this wine along with extra richness and textual fiber. This red unfolds to the senses in clear and rich layers, with plum, blackberry, dried currant and spice. It would do nicely with a local lasagne incassate, made with both minced chicken and minced beef.
