LA STAFFA
Castelli di Jesi MARCHE
ITALY
3 wines $27
La Staffa
Riccardo Baldi finished his first vintage at just 19 years old, introducing biodynamic methods into the family vineyards in Staffolo. La Staffa sits in the southern portion of the Castelli di Jesi denomination in a landscape defined not only by the region’s castles, but also the Adriatic winds that ensure proper ripening for Verdicchio’s thick skins and loose bunches.
Nicknamed “Golden Boy of Le Marche,” Riccardo provides ample evidence for Ian d’Agata’s claim that Verdicchio should be recognized as Italy’s greatest white varietal, winning Vinitaly’s 2018 award for the best winemaker in Le Marche.
The certified organic vineyards feature limestone-rich clay soil at about 400 meters above sea level with vines dating back to 1972. Riccardo uses native yeast and vinifies each parcel of the estate separately, yielding single vineyard expressions that prove Verdicchio’s age worthiness.
Verdicchio exhibits brisk, linear green apple acidity along with bitter almond skin, medium weight and a delicate herbaceous quality that suggests the name, Verdicchio (green in Italian), refers not only to the grape’s distinctly green skin but also its bouquet. In this La Staffa flight we’ll explore a variety of Verdicchio’s expressions from a playful frizzante ancestrale to a single vineyard expression of 54-year-old vines.
The Line Up
La Staffa Mai Sentito Marche Frizzante Bianco (Verdicchio/Trebbiano) IGT NV
Sparkling Verdicchio with a touch of Trebbiano, ‘Mai Sentito’ features the clean, steely acidity you would expect. The second fermentation finishes in the bottle with no added yeast or sugar. 'Mai sentito’ means ‘unheard of’; it’s a playful, fresh aperitivo.
2023 La Staffa Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Superiore DOCG
100% Verdicchio from two vineyards planted in 1972 and 2010. It features two barrels of the single vineyard, Rincrocca. Aged half in concrete and half in stainless steel; this Verdicchio stays on the lees for six months with battonage after fermentation. The lees-aging adds texture, and you can nearly taste the Adriatic. A mineral finish perfect for seafood.
2021 La Staffa Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Riserva Rincrocca DOCG
“Rincrocca” is 100% Verdicchio from a single vineyard planted in 1972 with 5 different clones. From the vineyard one can see horse stables that provide the namesake for Staffolo, founded in 1078 by a chevalier, and La Staffa, “stirrup.” Picked and immediately pressed, the grapes are fermented spontaneously in cement with indigenous yeast and then aged one year further in cement before further bottle aging. Elegant, expressive, and built for aging.