| Type | Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Grapes | 100% Verdicchio |
| Soil | Clay-limestone with gypsum deposits; altitude 200-250m |
| Serving temp. | 6-8°C |
| Style | Extraordinary depth, complexity, and autolytic richness; Extra Brut sparkling |
| Food pairing | Finest shellfish; aged cheeses; truffle preparations; celebration of the extraordinary |
X Pas Dosé is the most extraordinary sparkling wine in the Marche family winery portfolio — and one of the most extraordinary in the entire UniqueWines catalogue. Ten years on the lees. Extra Brut. From 100% Verdicchio of the organic clay-limestone and gypsum Castelli di Jesi estate. A commitment to extended lees ageing of a duration that very few sparkling wine producers anywhere in the world are willing or able to sustain.
The production protocol is one of painstaking precision. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of sixteen degrees Celsius — low enough to preserve the delicate aromatic compounds of the Verdicchio grape while allowing fermentation to proceed at the pace that produces the best structural foundation. Tirage — the addition of the dosage that triggers secondary fermentation in bottle — takes place the following year. The wine then rests on its lees for ten years before disgorgement, and is released six months after disgorgement to allow full integration of the dosage and the final aromatic development.
What does a decade of lees contact do to a Verdicchio-based traditional method sparkling wine? It develops a depth and complexity of autolytic character that shorter ageing periods cannot approach: the yeast-derived compounds that build over years of lees contact produce aromatic notes of extraordinary breadth and refinement, from toast and brioche through dried fruits and oxidative complexity into a mineral register that the Verdicchio grape's inherent character amplifies and that the clay-limestone and gypsum soils of the estate's Castelli di Jesi vineyards ground in something specific and irreplicable.
This is a wine for the most serious collectors and the most patient enthusiasts. Available through UniqueWines in the most strictly limited quantities.
