27 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo 2017 Organic White Wine
I love Italian wines, I love white wines and I love interesting blends. And then I tried the Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo 2017 Organic White Wine. A blend of Maceratino, Incrocio Bruni, Trebbiano, I was perplexed. I had only heard of Trebbiano and had never heard of the other two grapes. But regardless, the wine was everything I want in a white wine – bright, aromatic, floral, mineral and that is why the Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo 2017 Organic White Wine is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.
Quercia Scarlatta is located in the Marche region in central Italy. The winery was established in 2011 by Stefano Pintossi and Claudia Pagliotti who left the corporate world to become grower-winemakers. After renovating an old colonial house on hilly land, they started a sustainable, organic three hectare farm to create organic wine from native grapes, olive oil and natural cosmetics.
Quercia Scarlatta Marchese Japo Organic White Wine is a blend of Maceratino (70%), Incrocio Bruni (20%) and Trebbiano (10%). Trebbiano is one of the most widely plated grapes in Italy. Maceratino is an indigenous grape from the Marche region. There are very few plantings of this grape which has been replaced by Verdicchio, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Maceratino is a light skinned grape that often blended with Trebbiano. Incrocio Bruni 54 is a hybrid variety that was created by crossing Verdicchio with Sauvignon. It was developed in the 1940s by the Marchegiano ampelographer Bruno Bruni. The name of the grape translates to the “Bruni Crossing” and the number 54 supposedly comes from it being the 54th attempt in which the hybrid worked.
The wine is made with minimal intervention. It is a golden yellow color with greenish hints. The nose has bright aromatics of flowers, nectarine and peach with a mineral and lime finish. On the palate, the wine has a notable texture and high acidity.
This is a wine to enjoy with seafood or soft cheeses. It retails for $23.99 and can be purchased directly from the importer Vero Vino Gusto.