Verdicchio is a name used by half a dozen Italian grapes. This one, di Matelica, sounds like it should be connected in some way to an American heavy metal band but in fact comes from the central eastern Italian region of Marche. Most of the others are better known by other names, such as Pecorino, Maceratino, etc, and this one also crops up as a number of Trebbianos including di Lugana which we encountered in week L (2014).
Week V (2015) Villa Taurini Verdicchio di Matelica. 2013. Tesco £5.99
The root of its name, Verdi, means green (you may have heard of Joe Green, the composer of romantic opera) and that gives a hint of what to expect.
There are indeed hints of green in this mostly mid-lemon yellow wine and it smells mostly of pears with some warmer, stone fruit tones.
It is dry but with a fruity sweetness and a citrus acidity that makes it refreshing and enjoyable. The first impressions I got of this wine were slightly disappointing, but that was on a cold and snowy evening. The following day, at lunchtime, I returned to the same bottle and formed a markedly different opinion as it felt richer and more flavoursome. The effect of oxygen? Maybe, I can't be sure, but it did seem somehow better.
According to the bottle it has a fairly normal 12.5% abv and this is about right as there is some body and bite to it that means it is not a thin, watery wine.
I very much enjoyed the Lugana, made from a differently named but similar variety and that was priced at more than two and a hlaf times the cost of this bottle. Was it that much better or more enjoyable? The truth is that I can't remember clearly enough to be sure. I like the Lugana and I like this, but only on returning to it after it had been opened for nearly twenty hours.
The Lugana came from a long way to the North whre there is a more continental climate and further from the temperature moderating influence of the Adriatic sea, so perhaps that explains the difference and why the nectarine and clementine flavours of the Lugana were not in evidence on this Verdicchio. Again, I don't know.
Would I buy this again? Yes, but as a good value, everyday or perhaps high volume party wine. If I was wanting to be safe and get something more interesting I would be tempted to pay the premium for its differently named cousin.
Week V (2015) Villa Taurini Verdicchio di Matelica. 2013. Tesco £5.99The root of its name, Verdi, means green (you may have heard of Joe Green, the composer of romantic opera) and that gives a hint of what to expect.
There are indeed hints of green in this mostly mid-lemon yellow wine and it smells mostly of pears with some warmer, stone fruit tones.
It is dry but with a fruity sweetness and a citrus acidity that makes it refreshing and enjoyable. The first impressions I got of this wine were slightly disappointing, but that was on a cold and snowy evening. The following day, at lunchtime, I returned to the same bottle and formed a markedly different opinion as it felt richer and more flavoursome. The effect of oxygen? Maybe, I can't be sure, but it did seem somehow better.
According to the bottle it has a fairly normal 12.5% abv and this is about right as there is some body and bite to it that means it is not a thin, watery wine.
I very much enjoyed the Lugana, made from a differently named but similar variety and that was priced at more than two and a hlaf times the cost of this bottle. Was it that much better or more enjoyable? The truth is that I can't remember clearly enough to be sure. I like the Lugana and I like this, but only on returning to it after it had been opened for nearly twenty hours.
The Lugana came from a long way to the North whre there is a more continental climate and further from the temperature moderating influence of the Adriatic sea, so perhaps that explains the difference and why the nectarine and clementine flavours of the Lugana were not in evidence on this Verdicchio. Again, I don't know.
Would I buy this again? Yes, but as a good value, everyday or perhaps high volume party wine. If I was wanting to be safe and get something more interesting I would be tempted to pay the premium for its differently named cousin.
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