Bright pale yellow with greenish reflections; aroma and flavor of Granny Smith apple, orange peel, cut grass and almonds; mouthwatering acidity, very long finish.
The Matelica appellation is in the west of the Marche, in the foothills of the Apennines, not far from the border with Umbria. Grimaldi is just outside the little town of Matelica itself, at between 450 and 550 meters (1,500-1,800 feet) above sea level. The elevation of the vineyards is important to the character of these wines; higher elevation makes for a cooler climate, and better retention of acidity. The soils at Tenuta Grimaldi are rocky, with lots of sand; the vineyards face east and north-east.
Tenuta Grimaldi produces only Verdicchio, from four different clones. They grow grapes organically, at relatively low yields; the fruit is picked by hand into small boxes; the whole bunches are pressed, and the juice is settled out and fermented in stainless steel tanks and large wooden barrels. (Fermentation and aging in large barrels is quite different from the same process in barriques, the goal with larger barrels being to add complexity to the wine without adding oak flavors.) As of this writing, the winemaker Mirko Mattana is experimenting with both indigenous and selected yeasts, to see which he prefers. After the alcoholic fermentation, the wine is then aged in the same vessels on the fine lees until bottling, which takes place in June.