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5218 Lawton Avenue
Oakland, CA 94114

510-654-9159

Oliver McCrum Wines has been importing small production Italian wine and distributing to fine retail and restaurant establishes throughout California since 1994. Over time, our portfolio of producers has steadily grown to over 45 producers from 15 different regions of Italy. We look for typical Italian wines with clarity and freshness, usually made from indigenous Italian grape varieties using clean, transparent winemaking techniques and no obvious use of oak. 

La Staffa

photos courtesy of estate

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All organic viticulture, certified and labeled
Very low use of sulfites
A range of Verdicchio expressions, from Pet Nat to single vineyard

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About La Staffa:

I love Verdicchio, and the bright, distinctive, intense Verdicchio di Matelica from Colle Stefano has been a staple of our selection for more than ten years. To my taste, much Verdicchio from the neighboring Castelli di Jesi appellation is mealy by comparison. But just to see if there were exceptions, I tasted through a slew of Jesi bottlings at Vinitaly, and the wine from an estate called La Staffa stuck out: it was vibrant, direct, very flavorful, complex and delicious.

La Staffa's young owner and enologist Riccardo Baldi was sharing a booth not far away, and I tasted through his whole line of wines, impressed by them and by his youthful enthusiasm (Riccardo is 24 and has already made 4 vintages). A week later, a visit to the vineyards and winery in the beautiful rolling hills outside the little town of Staffolo was equally impressive. (The Marche is one of Italy's most beautiful region, and the wine and food culture of the area should be better known.)

Ian d'Agata, in his wonderful new book about Italian grapes*, says that Verdicchio is 'arguably Italy's greatest native white grape variety;' I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but I love the grape and have drunk a lot over the years. The combination of aromas and flavors (apple, citrus, almond, herbs) is different, the weight in the mouth is different, but both wines are excellent examples of a fine Italian native variety.

* Native Wine Grapes of Italy, published by UC Press

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The Wines:

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi

La Staffa's Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi is grown organically in limestone-rich clay soil at about 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, close to the altitude at Colle Stefano, which is about an hour away (and much closer as the crow flies). High altitude vineyards preserve acidity during the growing season, and La Staffa has almost the same lip-smacking, fresh, green-apple zing as Colle Stefano.

The grapes are picked into small boxes, pressed immediately, and fermented using indigenous yeasts at cool temperature in a mixture of stainless steel and cement tanks with temperature control for about 15 days. The wine is bottled in the spring following the vintage after aging on the fine lees for about six months. The wine in tank is left outside during the winter for a mild natural cold stabilization, and is roughly filtered (not sterile filtered). 

Verdicchio bears the color of pale straw. Distinctly aromatic (almond, citrus, green apple, herbal notes on both nose and palate); medium weight, fresh acidity; long finish. Makes a delicious dry aperitif, or drink it with most any seafood dish, seafood pastas, or roast chicken.

verdicchio dei castelli di jesi ‘rincrocca’

La Staffa’s ‘Rincrocca’ is a selection of old Verdicchio vines. The site is planted with 5 different clones of Verdicchio, 2 of these clones are not available in the market anymore. Notes of almond, citrus, green apple, and herbs, with fresh acidity and a long finish. Delicious as a dry aperitif, or drink with most any seafood dish or roast chicken.

'Mai Sentito'

'Mai sentito’ means ‘unheard of,’ and this sparkling Verdicchio, bottled before the second fermentation is finished, is certainly the first of its type I’ve had. It’s not some random hipster experiment, though, it’s an intentional, thoughtful, delicious bottle of wine. The Verdicchio variety supplies the green apple and herbal notes you’d expect, along with lovely fresh acidity; the maceration of the yeast in the wine as the fermentation finishes adds texture and background notes. Excellent aperitif, would pair perfectly with all manner of antipasti. Nice job, Riccardo.

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more Information:

Visit the La Staffa Website

Castelli di Jesi is actually the Castles of Jesi - check them out here