2012 Verdicchio di Matelica Riserva Jera

The estate owns 23 hectares of vines, of which 16 hectares or approximately 85 percent are Verdicchio. Located very close to the town of Matelica, the vineyards grow in three areas: Aialunga, near Braccano, 8.8 hectares/3.3 hectares of Verdicchio at roughly 350-380 meters above sea level; Pagliano, where the winery is located, 8.8 hectares/7.3 hectares of Verdicchio at 320-360 meters above sea level; and Pian del Belgio, 5.4 hectares, all Verdicchio, also at about 320-360 meters above sea level. The estate is also busy planting six new hectares at Sannatoia (close to Matelica, like the other vineyards already in the fold). Soils differ between the various vineyards, but are mostly calcareous. The grapes are organically farmed (and certified so as of 2013) and the estate is in the process of converting over to biodynamic agriculture. At Borgo Paglianetto they believe in minimal winemaking intervention; the estate does not cryomacerate, for example, but uses selected biological yeasts while busily working on a selection of its own indigenous yeasts. I find Borgo Paglianetto to be an up-and-coming Italian wine estate whose Verdicchio wines are really very good, marked by clean aromas and flavors and a saline (at times, rather savory) note.