2018 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica Marche Italy 750 ml

“Let me be clear: I think it is probably Italy's single greatest white wine buy.” 

That was how Vinous’ Italian expert Ian D’Agata described a past vintage of today’s 2018 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica from the Marche in Italy. D’Agata also wrote that Verdicchio is “Italy’s greatest native white grape variety.”  

For the money, this particular bottle from the grape’s most definitive producer absolutely floored us and this past Tre Bicchieri winner is your ticket to an endless summer—or at least what you should be enjoying weeknights on its own as an aperitif, or alongside seafood or your favorite semi-hard cheeses. 

Let us be clear about this: Tasted early in the day, we kept returning to it, and finally, on an oft-made suggestion that we put it to the test at Hog Island Oyster Company—which is walking distance from our Napa HQ—no one was resisting. Paired with just-shucked Kumamoto oysters, the afternoon pivoted from good to outstanding. 

Lovers of Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, and other vibrant, high-acid European whites will find good company in this taut, classic Italian white. It shows radiant lemon zest, acacia, and honeysuckle aromas—an overachieving nose, which hints at serious complexity, all confirmed on the palate, which shows crisp apple, white peach, and notes of almond and flinty mineral right out of the gate with a bright, crystalline finish.

With recent vintages boasting back-to-back Tre Bicchieri awards (think: Italian wine Oscars), it simply doesn’t get better than Collestefano’s version. Or maybe it does, thanks to the winemaker...  

Collestefano’s Fabio Marchionni is known as a master of Verdicchio from Matelica, an area which only accounts for one-tenth of Italian Verdicchio production. Unlike its coastal cousins from the Castelli di Jesi region, Verdicchio from Matelica is grown at high elevations, well over 1,300 ft., with vines gracing east-west facing slopes of the Apennine Mountains. Here, Verdicchio is treated to a slightly cooler growing season, helping grapes retain bright acidity, making wines more reminiscent of great Sancerre or Austrian Grüner.

Add Marchionni’s Midas touch and certified-organic farming, and the Matelica style lends itself towards a more artisan, cult-level approach from a true Italian master. All that for under $20? 

You can afford to give that go-to Sauvignon Blanc a breather, while you take it up a notch with this seriously impressive Verdicchio.