BISCI, Matelica
Brothers Giuseppe & Pierino Bisci purchased this 15 hectare estate in 1972, located in Matelica, between Macerata and Ancona in the Marchigiani hills. A new cellar was completed in 1980, and today the estate comprises 20 ha of certified organic vineyards, owned by Giuseppe’s son Mauro. At 300-350m elevation, the vineyards are south-facing – 17 ha of Verdicchio and 3 ha of Sangiovese & Merlot.
Mauro works hand-in-hand with agronomist-oenologist Arnoldo Bellelli, producing approximately 90,000 bottles annually, recognized as the foremost estate of Matelica and one of the best in the entire Marche region. Their single-vineyard Verdicchio di Matelica ‘Vigneto Fogliano’ is a consistent award-winner, including multiple for ‘Tre Bicchieri’ and Slow Food honours. Matelica is in a valley which is parallel to the coast and not influenced by the sea breezes, giving a climate that is continental with hot summers and cold winters and with a particularly broad diurnal temperature range. The soil is clayey-calcareous, rich in micro-elements as an ancient marine basin.
Fermentation and maturation for Bisci white wines take place in glazed concrete, including the Reserva ‘Senex’ (a selection from the Fogliano vineyard in the best vintages). Senex demonstrates the remarkable attention to detail that is a hallmark of Bisci. The selection of fruit is the result of three separate passes through the vineyard to ensure optimal ripeness, acidity and quality. Senex matures in the concrete vats for a remarkable 78 months, followed by 9 months refinement in bottle, prior to release.
One of the differentiating factors between Verdicchio di Matelica and Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi (apart from the tiny size of the 300 ha / 12 producers Matelica appellation compared to the large 2,000+ ha Castelli di Jesi), is the structure and ageability of the wines of Matelica. These are surely some of the finest white wines in all of Italy.
‘Bisci is a heavyweight in the small Verdicchio di Matelica denomination. Size and quality go hand in hand here, and Bisci's Verdicchio wines are among the best of the Marche. I especially like the fact that they are very faithful to the Matelica terroir: steely and refined, with a dry Riesling-like quality to them.’ - Ian D'Agata
