This story began more than half a century ago in Cupramontana, in the heart of Verdicchio Classico. Today the wine estate Umani Ronchi is in the hands of the Bianchi-Bernetti family. Three wine zones - Castelli di Jesi, Conero and Abruzzo - and numerous vineyards are spread over 10 districts. A total of 210 hectares have been planted with Verdicchio and Montepulciano, which are best reflected in Marche and Abruzzo. The 185 km of vines are nestled between the hills and the Adriatic coast, each with its unique characteristics and terroir. Umani Ronchi has doubled his estate and replanted 85% of his old vines since the 1970s. They have invested in Verdicchio and Rosso Conero and restored the Pecorino and Lacrima di Morro d'Alba varieties. Moreover, their vineyards are all organically processed. This is more a technical decision than an ideological consideration. The vines thrive in such a way that there is room for a viticulture that gets the best out of the grapes without sacrificing the quality of the wines.

The Umani Ronchi San Lorenzo is a 100% Montepulciano. The vines are planted on a soil of lime and clay. The grapes come from two different vineyards, both owned by Umani Ronchi and located in Ancona and Osima. The planting density in the vineyards is 2200 to 5680 vines per hectare. The grapes are picked manually from the end of September to mid-October.

First of all, a skin soaking takes place for about 12 days in stainless steel barrels and then the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, followed by a 12-month maturation of which 50% of the wine matures in barriques and the rest in large oak barrels of 5000-8000 liters. After the assembly has been assembled from the 2 different educations, the wine rests for another 6 months in the bottle. The San Lorenzo has a beautiful fresh garnet red color in the glass. The nose smells sweet and fruity, with predominantly dominant notes of sour cherries. The starter is rich, juicy, flavorful and pleasant with velvety tannins. A long finish that is mostly fruity.

The San Lorenzo Montepulciano goes well with hearty pasta dishes, game, stews, rich cheeses, as well as roasted white meat and grilled dishes. The wine is also excellent with a nice Pizza.

90/100 James Suckling