Leo Felici is a Verdicchio perfectionist and it shows.

Cement fermented and aged, this has outstanding varietal purity, lively acidity and exceptional length.

Read more at decanter.com

from learnitalianwines.wordpress.com

April 8, 2015
Italy’s 50 Best White Wines
Tom Hyland
…
I’m not going to list them from 1-50 (that list would probably change every day), but rather put them into five separate groupings of the Top Ten, Second Ten and so on. Each wine will be listed in its grouping alphabetically by the name of the estate. (Note: I did not include dessert wines – I’ll list those in a future post.)

1st Ten

Colterenzio Sauvignon “Lafoa” (Alto Adige)
Vigne Marina Coppi Timorasso “Fausto” (Colli Tortonesi)
Marisa Cuomo “Fiorduva” (Costa d’Amalfi)
Andrea Felici Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Riserva “Il Cantico della Figura”
Livio Felluga “Terre Alte” (Rosazzo Bianco)
Pieropan Soave “Calvarino” (Soave Classico)
Pietracupa Greco di Tufo
Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Riserva “Vorberg” (Alto Adige)
Cantina Tramin Gewürztraminer “Nussbaumer” (Alto Adige)
Valentini Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

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from www.eliewine.com

Marche is a breezy landscape of gentle, rolling hills in northern-central Italy between the Adriatic Sea on the east coast and the Apennine Mountains that run through the center of the country. This is Verdicchio territory …
… being recognized for producing some of the longest-lived dry whites found in Italy from the Verdicchio grape. In his book ‘Native Wine Grapes of Italy’, Ian D’Agata asserts that “Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest native white grape variety.”
…

Leo Felici is not only a dashing, young Marchigiani, he’s also a Verdicchio perfectionist. Soon after taking over his family’s tiny 18 acre estate in Apiro, the highest of the villages surrounding the town of Jesi, he immediately began transitioning to organic farming to help create the purest wines possible. His wines are rooted in tradition but imbued with a modern sensitivity. Take one sip of his 2009 Riserva and you’ll see what all the fuss is about. Felici’s wines have the tension between fruit and minerality found in the world’s great whites.

The structure of the wines is provided by the combination of altitude and vine age. The cuvée Il Cantico Figura comes from a single vineyard, San Francesco, at 1200 feet in elevation. It has an ideal south-east exposure. 50 years old vines grow from clay-calcerous rich soils that help trap moisture in this arid landscape and also create wines with lively acidity. Grapes are all hand-harvested and the fermentation process is begun with careful attention to delaying oxidation. The wine is then aged on the lees for 12 months to help build body.

The end result is a wine of outstanding varietal purity, full of white fruits, hints of brine and almonds, and an epic length reminiscent of lime peels. ..

from bourgogne-wineblog.com par Patrick MACLART.

Andrea FELICI – Apiro

**(*) ?? castelli di Jesi riserva classico « il Cantico della Figura » 2010
nez de foin, amandes, discret. La bouche est bien axée sur l’acidité et l’amertume, au dépend d’un bouquet peu expressif. Bonne longueur.

****(*) verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi classico sup. 2012
très beau nez frais, jolie expression sur la finesse, notes salines, citron confit à la marocaine. Belle bouche, élevage sur lies indéniablement. C’est harmonieux, sapide, vibrant. Belle acidité riche en milieu de bouche. C’est long et sincère. Beau.

from leaandsandeman.co.uk

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Charles Lea

We had a great email from Leopardo Felici last week, who, if he knew the English expression, would say his cup is brimming over. As it is he expresses himself with such clarity and is so obviously so happy that we really have to publish as it comes:

 

“the harvest is over since few days now.
We are very happy with it.
In the last month we had great day-night temperature excursions and this allowed the grapes to keep a great acidity and perfect purfums.
We harvested as well a very good quantity.
We are back to the 2010 quantity level after the last two years with lower yields, due to climatic conditions.
We foresee elegant wines, with good alcool level, very interesting acidities and intense nouse.
In general we expect to have this 2013 vintage very similar to the 2006 and 2004 vintages.
We are very satisfied with the first taste and analysis.
Moreover, I was to the 3 bicchieri consignation award event for Il Cantico 2010 and we received the news that the Andrea Felici Classico reached the 3 glasse final.
So the Classico received the two red glasses.
I cannot ask more!”

 

This last bit is about the fact that his top cuvée 2010 IL CANTICO DELLA FIGURA Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Andrea Felici, won the prestigious ‘three glasses’ (tre bicchiere) award from the Gambero Rosso published ‘Vini d’Italia guide this year, which we already knew, but what we did not know was that his basic cuvée 2012 VERDICCHIO CLASSICO SUPERIORE Andrea Felici, which we have been singing the praises of all summer, was also in the ‘taste-off’ for this award, and only narrowly lost. It therefore won ‘two glasses’, and they are red to signify that it is such good value for money.

 

Another reason to give it a go!

Andrea Felici!!! you should have told me earlier!

Officially launched the new Verdicchio advertising campaign
Verdicchio!!! Potevi dirlo prima! Verdicchio!!! You should have told me earlier!

These are the words ..

Elegant
With a great structure
100% from Marche region
One of Italy’s most highly accredited white wines
Verdicchio!!! You should have told me earlier!

see the YouTube video

from leaandsandeman.co.uk

This is a wonderful organic Verdicchio from the territory of Apiro in the Macerata Province of Le Marche in central Italy, without a shadow of doubt the jewel of the region.

The wine is a pale straw yellow with golden highlights and a luminescent tint of green. A complex aroma of exotic fruits and cedar, elder broom, lemon flowers, wild fennel and thyme, finishing with a flinty minerality. To taste it is intense and savoury, fresh, warm and persistent.

What the critics say:
‘Bright with white pepper spice on the nose while the palate has the softness of baked lemon fruit in the middle, although it tightens up on the finish with some crisp pear characters‘. 87 – The Wine Gang

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