Colli Maceratesi

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The territory between the Musone to the north and the Chienti to the south features low hills formed from sedimentary rocks in the pre-Apennine zone and more prominent relief in the inner Apennine area.
• In the hill zone, calcisols occur with a dynamic of dissolution and re-precipitation of calcium carbonate in preferential horizons linked to climatic variation and thermal fluctuation, alongside soils of torrential transport origin, colluvial inputs, and calcarenitic-pelitic and clayey substrates.
• Agricultural use of soils predominates at elevations below 800 metres above sea level, and 75% of the provincial surface presents slopes of between 2% and 50%, with evenly distributed aspects and a slight prevalence toward the east.
• The climate is warm-temperate, with average January minimum temperatures generally above zero and average July temperatures above 20°C, and a mean annual temperature above 14–15°C.
• Precipitation, concentrated in the autumn–winter period but also present in spring and summer, is associated with the meso-Mediterranean phytoclimatic zone along the coast and with a degree of xericity in the inland area.
• The territory is traversed throughout by the Chienti and Potenza rivers and in part by the Musone river, which marks the boundary with the Province of Ancona.

• In the twelfth century, Cistercian monks founded the Abbey of Chiaravalle di Fiastra, which came to control much of the Macerata territory and established an organised form of agriculture oriented toward the commercial trade of goods.
• In 1596, the physician Andrea Bacci described in De naturali vinorum historia the hills of Macerata cultivated with large vineyards producing grapes for white wines, and the gentle Tribolani wines as more vigorous when harvested from sun-exposed sites.
• In 1875, the ampelography of the district of Macerata compiled by Santini recorded a clear prevalence of white- or yellowish-berried varieties, including Montecchiese, Verdicchio, Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Pecorino, and of dark-berried varieties Vernaccia and Lacrima.
• The technique of sparkling wine production was known in the Marche as early as 1622, as described by the physician Francesco Scacchi in De salubri potu dissertatio, predating the development of the technique in France by Dom Pérignon.

• The red wine style maintains a restrained yield of below 13 tonnes per hectare, a factor that accompanies an intense aromatic expression and a good structure.
• The red Riserva style is distinguished by its excellent structure and elevated alcohol and revives the tradition of ageing in barrels kept in small underground cellars or natural caves.
• The Sangiovese wine presents intense aromas and a harmonious palate, an expression of this variety's capacity to adapt to the soil and climatic conditions and the viticultural practices of the area.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0443
• Official trade body site — Istituto Marchigiano di Tutela Vini (IMT)