New Producer: Borgo Paglianetto – Verdicchio’s Turn to Shine

Affordable Italian whites with so much to offer.

We are delighted to introduce the wines of Borgo Paglianetto, an organic winery located in the heart of the Marche region in Central Italy. A young estate, the project was born in 2008 and is situated in the production zone of Verdicchio di Matelica DOC. The appellation’s inland location and higher altitude (400-450m) compared to more coastal Verdicchio di Jesi produces wines in a crisper, more intense and mineral style. An exclusively white wine estate of 29 hectares, the soils have a high proportion of limestone and chalk, imbuing the wines with a certain steely structure and depth. Tasting this range from Paglianetto, it’s easy to see why producers up and down the peninsula regularly cite Verdicchio as the white variety with the most potential in Italy.

Fermentation and maturation is carried out exclusively in stainless steel to preserve purity and freshness, with 6-9 months sur lie aging depending on the cuvee

Aging for all the wines is carried out in stainless steel to preserve purity and freshness, and the wines are kept on their lees for between 6-9 months depending on the cuvee. The earlier drinking, accessible Petrara is named after an ancient area of the city of Matelica and comes from primarily south facing clay-limestone vineyards averaging 30 years old. It sees 6 months in stainless steel and 2 months in bottle before release. Ergon is inspired by the Latin “energeia” to mean “force in action.” A selection of the best exposed plots on the estate, it is fermented only with wild yeasts and aged on the lees in tank for 6 months. Vertis comes from the Latin “vertere” (“to turn”) and means “the highest point”. The deepest, most mineral and complex expression of Verdicchio the estate produces, it comes from a single vineyard where the vines average twenty years old, are trained and picked later to lower yields, and spends longer on the lees in tank and bottle before release.

Of this set of new vintages, Eric Guido of Vinous writes, “this year marked another outstanding performance from Borgo Paglianetto. This Matelica producer excels at creating wines that balance the acid and mineral character of the growing zone with vibrancy and vividly ripe fruit–a balance that is seldom seen. Aroldo Bellelli works as the estate’s enologist, which should come as no surprise to readers who follow the region's top producers. Bellelli’s work can also be enjoyed through the portfolios of Bisci and Colpaola. Like his other projects, practices are organic, strictly low-impact and natural throughout the winemaking process. However, at Borgo Paglianetto, while quite serious, I love the more playful style encapsulated in the younger wines: Terravignata and Petrara. Of course, if readers are looking for the intensity, power and mineral depths Matelica can reach, it’s the Vertis that over-delivers vintage after vintage.”