We believe in Verdicchio.

Those with an appreciation for the grape – and its home region of Le Marche – know it can be complex, structured, vinous even. Way beyond a zesty aperitif, it's a wine that easily shows up for the main course.

With a sea-level rise in quality coming out of Le Marche, we’ve found inspiration in bottles from under-$20 fav Andrea Felici to old guard estate Villa Bucci. And, newcomers popping up in between (La Staffa, Stefano Zoli).

New-to-the-US producer TERRALIBERA is no exception: a snapshot of what's happening in the Castelli di Jesi appellation, it's a project that sees Verdicchio with incredible clarity.

Terralibera is 'freedom of the land'...

Winemaker Gian Mario Bongini found his calling by way of another (quite opposite) established career. From a farming family outside of Milan, he left for the big city to study economics; with success in corporate finance, he would often escape to catch his breath in Le Marche – a humble counterpoint to the flashy city.

Here (after collaborative winemaking with friends) Gian Mario found his true passion, and along with it, two unique Verdicchio vineyards in Serra de’ Conti. On the fringes of the Adriatic Sea, it’s a place of steep hills and mountain-driven wind. And, unique waves of clay and limestone.

'Insiema' vineyard 📷 via Terralibera

Gian Mario vinifies the sites separately to most clearly articulate their different terroirs. But, it’s all done with the same philosophy of low intervention. Hand harvested, destemmed, spontaneous fermentation; and all in stainless steel with a touch of time on the lees plus batonnage. As a result, the wines have serious depth and length.

2022 'INSIEME' VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI:

'Insieme' ("togetherness") is a single vineyard, but being on an undulating hill (pictured above) there are numerous combinations of soil, altitude and exposure. Gian Mario bottles these micro-plots together here, making for a beautifully expressive representation of serious-quality Verdicchio.

2022 'DA SOLO' VERDICCHIO DEI CASTELLI DI JESI:

'Da Solo' ("alone") was Gian Mario's first cuvée, a manifestation of the solo venture outside of his original group winemaking project. It's also from single 1.4-hectare parcel, and sees additional aging prior to release. An even more textured expression of Verdicchio.