With the presentations of the 2023 Essential Guide to Italian Wine behind us (the past weekend in Milan), I turn my attention back to the great Italian white wines. In particular, I want to draw your attention to two undisputed very Italian greats, a Trebbiano and a Verdicchio.
I return here to a subject I am very passionate about: the great Italian white wines that, in my view, are generally undervalued, especially if they are made from native grapes rather than the “French” varietals. During the tastings for our Essential Guide to Italian Wine we tasted many this year that were of formidable quality while two were truly exceptional. In sports terminology you could say they were in “top form” because they were from years that were particularly favorable.
The first is an authentic icon among Italian white wines: a Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2018 from Francesco Paolo Valentini. The harvest was difficult that year due to some excessive rain and a fairly widespread presence of powdery mildew and peronospora, which forced growers to make some harsh selections during picking. Francesco Paolo, however, is a great, serious and consistent winegrower and he was able to produce a true masterpiece, in my humble opinion.
The second is a Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Villa Bucci 2019. The harvest in this case took place in almost opposite conditions with a hot and rather dry growing season that allowed for a very select production, with a lower number of bottles produced. Nevertheless, this is perhaps the best version I can remember.
We gave both wines a rating of 99/100 and three DoctorWine “seals” and chose Villa Bucci for our Best White Wine of the Year award because its price was slightly lower. It will save time if I just give you our tasting reviews and once you have tasted them for yourselves tell us which one you liked better.
Valentini
Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2018
99/100 – € 105
100% Trebbiano. Matures 4 years in big barrels. Bright straw yellow color. Bright straw yellow color. Complex and very clear aromas of renette apple, yellow citrus, wildflowers and hints of olive paste and flint. Tense and agile taste, savory and very elegant, dynamic body perfectly sustained by its acidity that makes it irresistibly easy to drink. Persistent finish. A great wine.
Bucci
Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Villa Bucci 2019
99/100 – € 45
100% Verdicchio. Matures 18 months in big barrels. Intense straw yellow color with greenish hues. Wide, enveloping and very typical aromas of anise, yellow plums, alfalfa, wildflowers and flint. Enveloping and neat taste, savory, warm but agile and very elegant. Very balanced. Exceptionally long finish. Great version.
Krug Grande Cuvée 170 EME Edition Champagne made from 45/55% Pinot Noir, 15/20 Pinot Meunier and 25/35 Chardonnay–the percentage depends upon the vintage. The blend is made from 195 wines from 12
Roberto Caporuscio, the owner of 
Calzone — Instead of the typical ricotta filling, this calzone was filled with an assortment of meats and cheeses.
Roberto knows we always like to start with a Pizza Margherita to share, and then we let him choose the remaining pizzas.
Krug 1996 made from 48% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay and 21% Meunier. 1996 was one of the best vintages of the century. It was the last vintage blended by three generations of the Krug family working together. It is made from 17 different growths. This is a
Olivier Krug told us that Krug vintage celebrates the distinct character of a particular year. A Krug vintage is a blend of the most expressive wines from a single year enhanced by a stay in
Pizza with golfetta salame and black summer truffles. Golfetta is a type of salame imported from Italy made from lean cuts of pork leg.
Assiette De Charcuterie – We started with a shared plate of Terrines, Saucisson and Parisian Ham served with coarse mustard, pickled vegetables and a salad of celery root.
Quenelle De Brochet Au Gratin — A mousse-like pike dumpling baked in a rich sauce of Gruyère cheese with Mushroom Bèchamel.
I couldn’t resist trying an order of pommes frites — French fries.
Mashed Potatoes, creamy and full of potato flavor accompanied my main dish.
Foie de Veau a la Moutarde — Calf’s Liver with Mustard Sauce was cooked perfectly.
Beaujolais “Saint-Amour” 2015 Domaine De Fa 100% Gamay from the single Vineyard Cötes de Besset at 400 meters one of the highest altitude sited in Saine-Amour. The vines are 40 years old and the soil is crushed granite, sand and big chunks of granite. Whole cluster fermentation takes place with a semi-carbonic maceration. The wine is ages in 1 -3 year old foudre. This is a
Blueberry Tart with Blueberry Ice Cream was a sweet finish.
My first course was grilled octopus with roasted fingering potatoes, celery hearts and Castelvetrano olives
Michele had bufala mozzarella, with prosciutto and heirloom tomatoes
Homemade “tre dita” pasta made with toasted durum flour and topped with vegetable caponata and light tomato sauce.
Paccheri with “Genovese” sauce of slow-cooked pork and onions, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Porcini Mushroom and Provola Ravioli in a tomato and marjoram sauce
Baba au Rhum with whipped cream and fresh berries
Pastiera, the traditional Neapolitan Wheatberry Cheesecake
