La Monacesca

VINTAGE 2023

James Suckling – 87
Restrained aromas of stone fruit, camphor, almonds, broom flowers and rosemary. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied with a biting, chewy style and apple notes in a dry finish. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 88
A smoky and floral wine with broom flower, kerosene, stone fruit and peat notes. Medium-bodied with zesty acidity and a raw finish due to a fierce structure and less supple fruit. Drink now.

Wine Spectator – 88
A ripe mix of baked pineapple and blood orange sorbet flavors is framed nicely by bright, mouthwatering acidity and accented by flattering hints of herbs, honeycomb and vanilla. Minerally on the creamy finish. Drink now. 6,666 cases made, 800 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2021

Wine Spectator – 88
Dry and well-cut, with flavors of white cherry and almond skin enriched by hints of brioche and vanilla. Minerally finish. Drink now. 10,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

Vinous – 92
The 2020 Verdicchio di Matelica blossoms in the glass with a gorgeous bouquet, showing crushed apples and green melon laced with lime zest and sweet white smoke. Its textures are like pure silk matched with a decadent and weighty wave of ripe orchard fruits, while the expression remains remarkably fresh. Residual acids mingle with salty minerals, bitter almonds and a hint of kiwi through the long and dramatic finale. Wow, this is already such a pleasure to taste, yet there’s significant upside potential here as well. Simply stunning.

Wine Advocate – 87
Due to the warm and sunny vintage conditions, the Monacesca 2020 Verdicchio di Matelica reveals a waxy, slightly evolved bouquet with dried apricot, preserved lemon and candied fruit. There are elegant notes of ash and mineral at the back, and I also get a hint of fragrant tea. There is some sweet apple and nuttiness on the close of this ample 80,000-bottle release. Fruit is sourced from over 19 hectares of vines, and winemaking sees stainless steel only.

VINTAGE 2021

Wine Spectator – 90
An elegant white, with the broad, creamy feel of the baked melon, dried pineapple, creamed almond and salted butter flavors on the palate reined in nicely by well-honed citrus peel acidity. Smoke and salt notes play out on the clean-cut, minerally finish. Drink now. 2,500 cases made, 265 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 90
This is intense, with restrained wax and lanolin character. It’s dense on the palate, with broom flower flavors, a full body, a silky texture, zesty acidity and a savory aftertaste with a biting, slightly cooked finish. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 91
Here is a pretty white wine that delivers on both fronts: aromatic complexity and mouthfeel. The Monacesca 2020 Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Mirum sees fruit from a three-hectare site on heavier clay soils. This unoaked Riserva starts off with a decisively mineral-driven bouquet with dustings of crushed stone and powdered terracotta. A swell of primary fruit appears on second nose with candied lemon, Darjeeling tea and waxy fruit. This 30,000-bottle release has the textural heft to pair with roasted chicken or pork.

Wine Spectator – 90
A lithe white, fine and silky on the palate, with a delicate weave of pear tart, lemon curd, smoke and chopped almond notes. Reveals hints of warm spices and fleur de sel on the finish. Drink now. 2,500 cases made, 135 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2019

Vinous – 93
The 2019 Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Mirum wafts up with a wonferfully perfumed and floral bouquet, as dried flowers give way to young peach, chamomile, raw almond, chalk dust and wet stone. Its opulent, almost- glycerol-like textures fill the palate with a rush of ripe pears and apples, contrasted by saline-infused acidity and savory herbal tones. This tapers off with unreal lenght and potency, like experiencing every flavor found within a basket of ripe stone fruits, along with hints of ginger and subtly sweet spice. There’s so much going on here already and so many layers to explore, however the best is yet to come.

VINTAGE 2016

James Suckling – 91
This rather serious and elegant chardonnay from Marche has a complex, candied-citrus nose with an interesting hint of funk. The combination of ripe fruit and gentle creaminess on the palate is very nicely judged. If the silky finish was longer, this would rate even higher. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2015

James Suckling – 92
Fascinating chardonnay with layers of fruit and dried-apple and -pineapple character. Full-bodied, dense and intense. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2015

James Suckling – 84
This is very ripe, but a bit heavy and tired. For some reason, the moderately dry tannins at the finish don’t do much for this. Drink up with hearty food.

Wine Advocate – 93+
La Monacesca is one of the few producers to experiment with the Syrah grape on this Adriatic side of Italy. Their 2015 Syrah is a ripe and round rendition with loads of pretty dark-fruit intensity. This wine makes me want to taste more Syrah from the Marche, especially because the fullness and generosity of the grape pairs so well with all the delicious grilled meat dishes that are cooked up regularly in these parts. The wine ages in neutral barrique for 24 months and is framed by sweet spice and savory smoke. Only 4,500 bottles were made. This is the inaugural vintage of this new wine.