Vineyards and winemaking
Il Cantico della Figura is a single-vineyard Verdicchio from the San Francesco site at around 500 metres above sea level near Apiro. The south-east-facing vineyard was planted in 1968, and its mature vines grow in the clay-limestone soils of the high Marche hills, where pronounced day-to-night temperature changes encourage aromatic intensity and firm acidity.
The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented on their skins for two weeks. The wine then matures on its lees for 12 months in vitrified concrete, followed by a further six months in bottle. This long, oak-free élevage builds texture and complexity while keeping the vineyard’s mineral character clear.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Deep straw gold with green-gold highlights and the lustre of a mature white wine.
Nose
Acacia, baked apple and loquat are layered with preserved lemon, anise and sage. Notes of beeswax, dried herbs and wet stone develop as the wine opens.
Palate
Dry, full-bodied and assured, with citrus oil and orchard fruit wrapped around a firm core of acidity. Extended skin and lees contact bring breadth and a gentle phenolic grip, while saline, balsamic and almond notes lengthen the finish. The 2015 combines mature complexity with Verdicchio’s characteristic freshness.
Food pairing
Serve with roast monkfish and pancetta, chicken with sage and lemon, pork loin with fennel, or a risotto of wild mushrooms and aged Parmesan. Its depth and savoury edge also make it a thoughtful partner for mature Pecorino.
Background story
The Felici family has tended vines between Apiro and Cupramontana for generations. Today Leopardo Felici draws on experience as a sommelier in London and at Florence’s Enoteca Pinchiorri, bringing a particular appreciation of mineral, age-worthy European white wines to his family’s Verdicchio.
Il Cantico della Figura is the estate’s cru and its most contemplative expression. Fruit from the old San Francesco vineyard, two weeks on the skins and patient maturation in concrete give the wine a scale and longevity far removed from simple, early-drinking Verdicchio.
