Tenuta Colpaola

Year after year, the family’s connection to the land grew stronger. Francesco’s father, Piero, spent his adolescence wandering the property, and when he came of age, the rental business was passed down to him. Piero raised children of his own, introducing a third generation to the tenuta—a new connection to Mattelica’s hills, the forest, and even a few plots of vines. One day, Francesco, now a married man, was offered the opportunity to buy the property. He and Stefania dove right in.

For years, the couple sold their grapes to the local co-op, doing their part in the steady churn of the region. But in 2007, as stories of courageous European growers often go, the couple pivoted. They began replanting the vineyards with local Verdicchio clones and adopted organic farming practices. Next, they updated the cellar with modern, temperature-controlled steel tanks to ensure the wine would reflect both the quality of the land and the care they’d put into the work.

Today, Colpaola covers 10 hectares at the very highest point of the Matelica appellation. The vineyards climb up to 650 meters—200 meters above almost all their neighbors—pushing against the elements, with vines rooted in calcareous soils. The rows face east, benefiting from a dramatic diurnal shift that slows down the maturation cycle throughout the growing season.

With only handpicked fruit, the wine is made with minimal intervention. After harvest, the grapes are gently pressed, and the juice undergoes a cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks to highlight the freshness and high natural acidity of the site. The wine subsequently ages for four months in stainless steel before spending two months in bottle.

Since bottling their first wine in 2013, Colpaola has produced just a single Verdicchio from this hill. It’s a sort of “super-vertical” wine that reflects both the unique characteristics of a high-elevation calcareous vineyard and the family’s understanding that good things take time and care.