Winemaker Notes
Podium is one of the leading examples of Verdicchio, from the best-known wine area of Marche, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC. It is made from 100% Verdicchio grown in the historic part of the denomination. The vineyard is atop a long flat-topped hill that is reminiscent of a speaker's stand or podium, giving the wine its name.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2018 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium is spicy and wildly fresh, wafting up with zests of lemon and lime, followed by dusty yellow flowers and white smoke. Its textures are velvety and round, verging on oily, while remaining wonderfully poised and finessed throughout. There’s almost a feeling of vibration on the palate, as notes of ripe green apple with a hint of tropical citrus and savory spices amass in the mouth and linger long. The sheer density of fruit, along with balanced acids, make the 2018 a perfect contender to cellar, but it is showing beautifully today.
One of central Italy’s classic white grapes, Verdicchio thrives in two distinct zones of the Marche. The best vineyards of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi adorn hillsides a mere 20 miles from the Adriatic Sea. The vineyards of the smaller, more inland Verdicchio di Matelica, are at higher elevation. Somm Secret—Recent genetic discoveries have proven that the Verdicchio grape is identical to Trebbiano di Soave, Trebbiano di Lugana and Trebbiano Veltenesi.
Stretching along Italy’s eastern coast with neighbors, Umbria to its west and Abruzzo to its south, Marche is a region with a varying climate from north to south. Its coastal plains roll into hills that become the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of the country. The Marche's best red wines come from the grapes, Montepulciano and Sangiovese; the local Verdicchio makes refreshing, crisp and light whites.