Why it matters
The producer
Umani Ronchi makes a persuasive case that Verdicchio is a serious ageing grape. The estate, based in Cupramontana in the Marche hills of central Italy, has been working that argument for decades, and in 2024 Gambero Rosso named it Winery of the Year. That recognition arrived off the back of a long run of Tre Bicchieri awards for a single wine, Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio, and a five-year-aged Historical release that the guide described as a meticulous and fascinating masterpiece in the evolving abilities of Verdicchio.
The estate was founded in 1957 by Gino Umani Ronchi in Cupramontana, then acquired in 1968 by Roberto Bianchi and his son-in-law Massimo Bernetti, who pushed it toward international export. The Bernetti family still runs it. The operation now spans two regions, Marche and Abruzzo, producing white wine from Verdicchio in Marche and red wine from Montepulciano in Abruzzo, with Pelago, a Bordeaux-influenced red blend, sitting across both.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Cupramontana sits in the hilly interior of Marche, a few kilometres south of the Esino river, within the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi appellation zone. The Castelli di Jesi DOC and its Classico Superiore tier cover a large arc of hillside vineyards between the Adriatic coast and the Apennines. Altitude, aspect and the moderating influence of sea air from the east give Verdicchio its characteristic freshness and high natural acidity, both of which make the grape unusual among Italian whites and give it a capacity to age that the appellation has only recently begun to exploit at scale.
The Abruzzo operation is separate: vineyards on the other side of the Apennine ridge, where the climate is more continental, and the main grape is Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, a full-bodied red variety that thrives in the region's warm summers and well-drained soils.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The Abruzzo vineyards operate under certified organic farming, meaning no synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers in the vineyard. This tends to produce fruit with cleaner definition and more distinct varietal character in Montepulciano, a grape that can turn heavy and overripe without careful canopy management.
In the cellar, Montipagano, the estate's mid-tier Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, ferments in stainless steel tanks at 26 to 28°C for 10 to 12 days, followed by malolactic fermentation. A portion of the wine then goes through a short period in oak barrels before bottling. The steel fermentation preserves fruit weight and colour; the partial oak pass adds body without turning the wine heavy.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range covers two regions and several tiers. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is the core white work. Entry-level bottlings are fresh, light-bodied and aromatic, with broom, citrus peel and a saline, herb-edged finish that is characteristic of the grape. Vecchie Vigne, the flagship single-vineyard Superiore, adds density and age-worthiness: deeper citrus, more grip, longer finish. The Historical 2018 release, aged five years before going to market, moves into richer territory, with a textured mid-palate, evolved fruit, and the kind of mineral intensity that comes from extended time on its own lees.
The Conero red, Campo San Giorgio, is a Conero Riserva DOCG from Marche, built for ageing and scored 92 points by Wine Spectator in 2018. Pelago, the Bordeaux-influenced blend, won the International Wine Challenge in London in 1994.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore is where Umani Ronchi makes its clearest argument. It is a single-vineyard Verdicchio from older vines in the Castelli di Jesi zone, vinified for depth rather than early drinking. In the glass it gives preserved lemon, fresh herbs and a saline mineral edge, with enough body and acidity to make the finish feel long and focused. Eight Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso since 2009 is the track record. It is a white wine from a region and grape that most buyers underestimate, and drinking it corrects that.