La Staffa: Organic and artisanal wines without compromise

Nicknamed “Balcone della Vallesina” and “Colle del Verdicchio”, Staffolo, a municipality in the Castelli di Jesi area of Ancona, has always been linked to viticulture and has around twenty wineries, among which La Staffa stands out. Founded in 2004 by Riccardo Baldi together with his father, the winery has twelve hectares cultivated mainly in Verdicchio and Montepulciano. Born in 1990, with a past as a university student, Riccardo Baldi is known in the area as the child prodigy of Staffolo, as well as the golden boy of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi for the talent and confidence shown since the first years produced. An absolute and staunch supporter of a more natural vision of agriculture, Baldi began his experience at 19 «because I fell in love with the idea of making my own wine and in a short time the desire and ambition led me to dream of becoming a reference in my appellation and being one of the most famous young winemakers in Italy». Driven by passion, desire, and the ability to experiment, Baldi has found innovative readings along the way that are both faithful to the winemaking tradition of the area and its “I believe”, that is “artisanal, organic, classic”, the ABC of what a good Verdicchio from the Castles of Jesi should be like. Minimal interventions, respect for nature, and a focus on the local area are the three key concepts that guide the production process of Baldi, awarded Best Winemaker under 35 at the 2021 Food&Wine Italia Awards in 2021.

THE WINES

La Staffa's labels, with their elegant savory soul, are created on the twelve hectares owned by the winery: seven hectares located in Contrada Castellaretta and another five scattered across several nearby plots, with clayey and calcareous soils rich in calcium carbonate.

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore La Staffa

An expression of the territory in which it was born, the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore La Staffa is a cuvée that identifies this corner of the Marche region devoted to viticulture. Here the clay and limestone soils are rich in calcium carbonate which gives the wines a particular flavour that makes them exclusive. This white man with a strong personality is no exception, a sincere and artisanal interpretation of one of the most important denominations in all of Italy. Fine and balanced, it stands out for its clear and lively aromatic fan, with floral scents of hawthorn and broom embellished with notes of hay, flint and suggestions of white-fleshed fruit. Dry, fresh, with good flavour, balanced and harmonious, this Verdicchio is ideal for Christmas dishes based on fish and seafood, but also to be served alongside fresh cheeses.

Selva di Sotto Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Classico

A unique wine, inspired by Carlo Pigini Campanari, master of Verdicchio: it is born in the highest parcel of Staffolo, at 500 meters above sea level, this reserve obtained from a vineyard planted in 1974 on a soil rich in stones and skeleton. The inspiration for Pigini Campanari is found in the production style of this wine which retraces what gave rise to the great Verdicchios of the ’80 and ’90 years: immediately after the grapes are pressed, the winemaking takes place in hyperoxidation, choosing to re-mold the must in the air to facilitate its oxidation. The result is a white of great stability and innate longevity. A Verdicchio with an intense, refined and persistent bouquet in which notes of yellow flowers, chalk and mineral notes stand out. On the palate it is dry and elegant, with an excellent body and great persistence, perfect with baked or gouazzetto fish, shellfish, first courses with white ragù.

Rincrocca Castelli di Jesi Verdicchio Riserva Classico

Obtained from a 1972 vineyard, this Verdicchio is the emblem of the Staffolo area since it embodies all its characteristics of minerality and complexity. After aging for 12 months in concrete tanks and 12 months in bottles, it releases aromas of elderberry and white fruit while in the mouth it combines juiciness and vivacity with aromatic structure and depth. A symbol of Verdicchio's evolutionary potential, it is excellent as an aperitif and with fish dishes, including baked turbot with potatoes and spaghetti with clams.

Euphoria Marche Rosato

An exuberant and jaunty rosé made from pure Montepulciano grapes and a nod to younger wine lovers: inspired in name and label by the television series beloved by Millenials, Euphoria stands out for its freshness and pleasantness thanks to the acidity and minerality that distinguish the calcareous soils of Contrada Castellaretta and which also make a rich and traditionally austere grape like Montepulciano available for modern interpretations. A fun wine, as the owner of La Staffa himself defines it, which expresses the freshest soul of the area thanks to the direct pressing of the grapes. A local rosé, aged in concrete tanks for six months, a versatile wine, young and with a light body, excellent for uncorking at an aperitif, as well as combining with seafood crudity and fish dishes.

Mai sentito! Frizzante sui Lieviti M.F.

A fresh and convivial sparkling wine, which in its immediacy recounts the salient features of the territory of origin: here is Mai Sentito!, pét-nat refermented on the yeasts with an ancestral method that is born from Verdicchio (80%) and Trebbiano (20%) grapes grown on calcareous clay soils rich in calcium carbonate which give the wine a particular flavour. A small bubble that stands out for its great crunchiness with an intense, very persistent, fine and fruity aroma in which you can detect hints of yeast, bread making and wild fennel. In the mouth it is dry, refreshing and quite soft. Very balanced and persistent, to be sipped with fish appetizers, frying, shellfish, fresh but also sliced cheeses and cured meats.