When an Italian Verdicchio was voted one of Decanter’s Wines of the Year for 2020, it was no surprise that a long-heralded denomination of quality wines was the subject of the accolade, and it was equally no surprise that the Sartarelli company was the winning winery.
Just for the record, the wine in question was the Sartarelli, Balciana, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2017, and it got an extraordinary 95 points, putting it in the top echelons of the Wines of the Year 2020 category.
What lies behind this winery? What’s the secret?
Sartarelli is a family winemaking company, founded in 1972, with a clear philosophy: quality wines focusing only on Verdicchio, emphasising the best and greatest characteristics of this wine varietal. Patrizio and Donatella run it, ably assisted by Caterina (marketing and PR) and brother, Tommaso,who is also, crucially, the oenologist of the family.