Kermit Lynch Day 5: Clean, Pure Verdicchio by Colleleva
We are going to finish our Kermit Lynch week with a beautiful, every day drinker from the Marche. As with every region in Italy, the Marche is a world all its own. Wildly beautiful, quietly agricultural, and still largely undiscovered compared to its more famous neighbors. Tucked along the Adriatic coast between Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo, it’s a landscape of rolling green hills that rise toward the Apennines before dropping dramatically to limestone cliffs along the sea. This is Verdicchio country, and the 2024 Colleleva Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is a perfect reflection of that place. Personally, it’s on my list to visit as soon as possible.
Verdicchio takes its name from verde, a nod to the subtle green hue of both the grape and the wine itself. It has been cultivated here for centuries, and nowhere does it feel more at home than in the Castelli di Jesi DOC, a historic zone surrounding the fortified town of Jesi. This is the heartland of the grape.
Colleleva, literally “the hill that rises”, sits in an ideal position about halfway between the Apennine mountains and the Adriatic Sea. With eastern-facing vineyards and constant cooling maritime breezes, the estate benefits from a natural balance: full ripeness without sacrificing the bright acidity that defines great Verdicchio. It’s a microclimate that allows the grape to show both energy and depth, something that comes through clearly in the glass.
This 2024 bottling is very pretty. Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, it is just clean, expressive fruit. The aromatics are immediate: citrus peel, white flowers, and that signature hint of almond, all wrapped in a texture that is both fresh and gently rounded. A slight prickle of natural CO₂ adds lift and vibrancy, keeping the wine lively from start to finish. It’s a bright wine in every way. There’s an ease to it and an unpretentious charm. This is not a wine trying to be anything other than what it is: pure Verdicchio, made to be enjoyed.
Not every wine imported by Kermit Lynch is an age-worthy, serious wine, and I love that. While Verdicchio is certainly capable of producing age-worthy wines in its Riserva form, this bottling leans fully into freshness. In fact, during a recent (virtual) tasting trip through the Marche, Colleleva’s stainless steel Verdicchio stood out as one of the brightest and most memorable among dozens tasted.
Notes from Anthony Lynch
The Marche’s chief white grape, Verdicchio, has always been Colleleva’s primary focus. A crisp, linear white with subtle aromas of flowers and herbs, this is an all-purpose bargain sipper made for aperitivo, salads, and seafood. The low alcohol and bright, saline finish make it a delightfully refreshing choice all summer and beyond.