Serrapetrona DOC | Château Monty

Serrapetrona DOC is a still red wine made from 85-100% Vernaccia Nera, a distinctive red grape variety native to the area around the beautiful town of Serrapetrona in Macerata province in the Le Marche region in Italy. The Serrapetrona DOC dates from 1971, pre-dates the creation of the Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG which dates from 2004 (Le Marche’s first DOCG).

History | The first reference to the name of the town of Serrapetrona dates to 1132, during the Lombard domination. Serrapetrona’s municipal coat of arms shows among other things a vine with bunches. Although there are citations on viticulture and its transformation into wine since the fifteenth century, the word “Vernaccia” does not yet appear. This can be explained by the long maturation of the grapes before crushing and the subsequent fermentation which makes the wine degassable not before spring (from the Latin “ver”). In 1562 the cultivation of vines in the province of Camerino was distinguished by quality and quantity. After the end of the Second World War, the Municipality of Serrapetrona suffered emigration and the abandonment of rural areas.

Production zone | Serrapetrona DOC wines can be made anywhere in Serrapetrona township, as well as in part of the neighbouring townships of Belforte del Chienti and San Severino Marche. The zone lies about 37miles (60km) inland from the Adriatic Sea. The terrain is classified as half a Mountain Environment and half a High Hill Environment. In the first case the territory is that of part of the Municipality of Serrapetrona up to the border with the Municipality of Camerino to the west. The altitude is between 500 and 1000 mt a.s.l., but vines are limited to altitudes of 700 mt a.s.l. The other half of the territory comprising the medium and high hills takes in the remaining part of the Municipality of Serrapetrona and part of the territory of the Municipalities of San Severino Marche and Belforte del Chienti. The altitude of this last area is between 250 and 500 mt a.s.l.. and viticulture benefits from it in its entirety.

Wine production | 2017 Around 60 hectares (148 acres) of Vernaccia Nera were in production in 2017, of which 20% was made as still Serrapetrona Rosso DOC, and the remaining 80% was made under the sparkling wine-only Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG. The delimited production area for both wines is the same (see Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG for details). 0-15% other red grapes may be blended in.

Soils | The soils of the mountain area are geologically derived from the calcareous ridges that have produced rocky limestone outcrops in the valley of the Cesolone stream that crosses the entire municipal territory, limestone and red limestone and cinerea calcareous marl. The cultivated soils are thin and stony, directly developed on the limestone-marl rock. The soils of the hilly part are varied in relation to the use of the land, agricultural or natural, but they are almost always calcareous, stony and rarely fluvial. They are of arenaceous-clayey formation and sands are present as the last episode of marine sedimentation.

Climate | The climate belongs to the “Alto Collinare” phytoclimatic plan and is characterized by average rainfall exceeding 700-800 mm per year and average temperatures below about 14° C. In July, average rainfall of 800 mm and average temperatures of 21° C are recorded.

Terrain | Slopes on the mountain area (40% of the total) are largely between 35 and 70%, while in the remaining hilly part (60%) they are between 0 and 35%.

Aspect | The production zone is mostly oriented east and south, well suited therefore for wine-growing.

Wine style | Agreeable herbal, black pepper notes.

Food matching | Joe Bastianch recommends pasta alla carbonara.

Bibliography

Burton Anderson, The Wine Atlas of Italy, Mitchell Beazley, 1990 p171-179.

Production data | 2006-2010 Federdoc as reported by I Numeri del Vino. 2016-2018 Valoritalia.