Compared to the Vecchie Vigne, which is more vertical and direct in character, the Umani Ronchi 2020 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio shows a richer and waxier textural character. Partially aged in oak, the wine plays its best cards in terms of mouthfeel with lasting flavors of apricot, Golden Delicious apple and spicy saffron. Fruit is from Cupramontana at 400 meters in elevation and is usually the last parcel harvested each year.

Here's a great chance to make a platter of that Marche favorite, olive ascolane, or fried olives stuffed with meat. Sporting a modern and contemporary spin on the highly traditional and local Verdicchio grape, Umani Ronchi's 2017 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio opens to a luminous golden color with a rich, mid-weight texture. This wine sees its fruit sourced from the historic Cupramontana vineyard located at a breezy 400 meters in altitude. Forty percent of the wine is aged in Slavonian oak casks, and the rest goes into stainless steel and cement. Hot-vintage fruit produces aromas of dried peach, pear and toasted almond.

With its first vintage released in 1995, the Umani Ronchi 2016 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio is a popular choice in the region and is a bottle I see in many restaurants and wine shops across Central Italy. Its popularity is easy to understand, given the fresh and transparent quality of the aromas: green apple, citrus, white peach and crushed stone appear. The wine is partially fermented in oak barrels, and the finished blend is given time to age on the fine lees. This would be a great summer wine to enjoy with a shrimp-and-avocado salad. Some of 16,000 bottles were produced.

Although I did prefer the 2008, the 2010 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio gives us a terrific view onto the staying power of this native Marche grape. This vintage delivers extra fruit weight with candied fruit, grilled herb, toasted bread and a darker mineral tone of pencil shaving. The bouquet is very nicely integrated, but it does remain on the neutral side. This wine is more open-knit and soft compared to 2008.

Here's a back vintage that shows lots of energy and personality. The Umani Ronchi 2008 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Plenio delivers aromas of pressed flower, white fruit and even a hint of mint or rosemary. The mouthfeel is creamy with mid-weight intensity, but the minerality gives freshness and precision to this very transparent and well-aged Verdicchio.