I Love Monsters
Macerata, Marche
With the I love Monsters label, Tenuta di Tavignano honours the Marche region’s colourful winemaking heritage. This label celebrates ancestral methods using indigenous varieties while adding a nouveau flair. Second generation owner Ondine de la Feld sought out to harness the full potential for Verdicchio’s inherent acidity, phenolic profile and structure in a series of wines unique to her family’s estate.
These wines are imbued with the energy of their land and the attention to detail of their maker Giulio Piazzini, whose celebrated Verdicchio Misco was awarded by its peers on many occasions. Once again, his wines push the boundaries of this exceptional variety, highlighting the many aromatic qualities it offers.
Our allocation of ‘La Birba’ Ancestral Method, made with the ultra-rare Lacrima di Morro d’Alba from southern Marche, is the star of this year’s new release. With a marked different take on the ancestral sparkling method, it’s ever cleansing, rich with red fruit flavours and driven by skilful lees work. These stand out not only as modern benchmarks for the region, but also the style, and we’re thrilled to have them back.
2021 Ancestral Method 'Pestifero' Bianco
Since her inception in 2014, Ondine de la Feld has led her young team to add a modern, more dynamic touch to Tenuta di Tavignano. She has capitalised on the natural assets that make Le Marche a cradle of organic agriculture and biodynamic winemaking, while propelling the family estate into the future by shaking things up. Il Pestifero, which translates to “bratty young boy” or “problem child”, is one of the three Ancestral Method projects dedicated to reviving traditional winemaking methods using modern technologies. It showcases Verdicchio’s wicked personality and versatility when paired with other traditional varieties found in the region.
Winemaking:
The organically grown Verdicchio (70%), Malvasia (15%) and Sangiovese (15%) are grown on South-West facing vineyards, on the Tenuta di Tavignano estate. The juice was gently extracted, then naturally fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperature, and bottled for prise de mousse for a couple of months. It was left undisgorged and unaltered by SO2, resulting in the purest expression of fruit.
Tasting Notes:
It has a pale hazy colour and vibrant aromas of pear, lemon, nectarine, salty olive brine, and fennel. The palate offers soft bubbles, delicately meshed with lemon sorbet and orange blossom characters, contrasted by a tart Granny Smith apple acidity, and a lengthy chalky minerality from extended lees contact.
The perfect match with zucchini spaghetti topped with Pecorino Romano.
2021 Ancestral Method 'La Birba' Rosato
This Rosato Frizzante uses the ancestral method to shine a light on Le Marche’s very own Lacrima grapes. After nearly vanishing during the phylloxera wave of destruction that swept through Europe in the 19th Century, Lacrima di Morro d’Alba was saved and nurtured back to life by dedicated growers. Today, it is one of the jewels of Le Marche – full of aromatic appeal and extremely drinkable – its name includes the village of Morro d’Alba (DOC), the epicentre of its production. Morro d’Alba is nestled among the rolling hills of the province of Ancora, between Senigallia in the North and Jesi in the South.
Winemaking:
The fruit was hand-picked from organically farmed, South-East facing vines situated on the gentle-slopped hills of the Colline di Tavignano. Only the free run juice was used, with the slightest salmon pink colour extracted from the skins. Lacrima grapes have a natural deep colour but soft tannins, making for youthful and generous wines. The first fermentation took 14 days in stainless steel, after which the wine underwent the secondary fermentation in bottle. It was released undisgorged.
Tasting Notes:
Exuberant aromas of guava and peach pulp lead the way to a dry and textured palate. It offers a lovely red fruit composition, with raspberry and strawberry and rhubarb compote characters supported by a sharp acid line that keeps the finish clean as the tingling mousse dissipates.
Enjoy it with a generous spread of chicken liver parfait on sourdough.
2020 'La Vergine' Verdicchio Orange
Tenuta di Tavignano demonstrates its dedication to diversity in yet another of the multiple expressions of the single Verdicchio variety that makes Le Marche’s pride and joy. The unique terroir and four rivers that morphed its hills along with the calcareous-clayey subsoils that give the wines their distinctive minerality, and microclimates, fashion vintages to the rhythm of the Adriatic Sea breeze.
Winemaking:
This orange wine is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes from Le Marche’s province of Macerata. Fittingly named “The Virgin”, it is fermented using only indigenous yeast, without temperature control and a brief cap maceration as part of a complexing oxidative process.
Tasting Notes:
The floating specks glisten in the light. It shows off Verdicchio’s most exotic attributes - tropical aromas of passionfruit and ripe mango. The palate is fresh, incredibly textured, and filled with lemongrass, fresh ginger and a kefir lime acidity slicing through the almond oil bitterness and apricot kernel texture lingering on the finish. It has a drying walnut skin feel that leaves the palate salivating for more.
This orange Verdicchio’s golden colour and copper reflections highlight its fragrance and freshness, which will be the perfect accompaniment to smoked trout and kohlrabi gratin.