2023 Podium, Verdicchio, Garofoli - 'it doesn't get better than this' SL
Podium, a wine that is renowned not only for its pure expression of the variety, textural depth and elegance, but also its capacity to mature for over a decade.
Eric Guido, vinous.com
2023 Podium, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Garofoli
£140 per 6 bottle case in bond
When I first started working in the wine trade, I was asked to help prepare a blind tasting dinner. The chairman of the company asked me to select a range of wines to go head-to-head with those chosen by our buying director, with the audience voting for their favourite in each flight. For one round, I had suggested an impressive Verdicchio to take on a Chablis.
The evening was going well until the chairman, buoyed by the response from the room, invited questions - up until this point he had been reading from a card I had written. Someone asked what grape variety was used to make the Verdicchio. He looked across to me for assistance and beckoned me to stand up. Slightly reluctantly, I rose and replied, ‘Verdicchio!’ before immediately sitting back down again. The room erupted with laughter. To his credit, he recovered brilliantly. ‘There are over a thousand grape varieties in Italy,’ he announced. ‘If you think I know them all, you have another thing coming.’ The audience laughed even harder.
Aside from the recovery, what I remember most, however, is how well that Verdicchio showed.
More than two decades later, I still think Verdicchio remains one of Italy's most overlooked fine white wines. While we instinctively reach for Chablis, white Burgundy, Sancerre or Albariño, the best examples of Verdicchio can offer many of the same qualities that we prize in those wines: freshness, texture, complexity, minerality and remarkable versatility at the table. Few demonstrate that better than Podium from Garofoli.
The Garofoli family has been producing wine in Marche since the nineteenth century and is now in the hands of the fifth generation. They have long been recognised as one of the region's benchmark producers, playing a significant role in elevating the reputation of Verdicchio at a time when many producers were content to make simple, early-drinking wines. Garofoli sought to show what the variety could achieve when treated seriously, proving that Verdicchio was capable of producing wines with real depth, character and ageing potential.
Podium is the estate's flagship white, sourced from selected vineyards around Montecarotto in the heart of the Castelli di Jesi zone. Castelli di Jesi is the historic centre of Verdicchio production in Marche, located on rolling hills that stretch inland from Italy's Adriatic coast. The ‘Classico’ designation identifies vineyards within the original historic heartland of the appellation, while ‘Superiore’ denotes a higher quality level and stricter production standards.
What has always impressed me about Podium is its clarity of purpose. Carlo Garofoli chose to avoid oak entirely, believing that a great Verdicchio should not require embellishment. Fermentation and maturation take place in concrete and stainless steel, preserving the purity and energy of the fruit while allowing the wine's naturally textural character to shine through.
The 2023 vintage is a superb example. Fine acidity provides freshness and precision throughout, supporting flavours of white peach, pear and mouthwatering citrus. There is also that subtle almond note that I increasingly associate with the very best examples of the variety, adding both interest and complexity. The palate is impressively textured, almost silky in feel, yet retains a wonderful sense of tension and drive. A gently saline finish brings focus and persistence, drawing everything together beautifully.
This is one of those wines that always drinks well young, yet has the balance and substance to develop additional complexity with age. More importantly, it is exactly the sort of versatile, characterful white that many of our clients have increasingly gravitated towards in recent years. It offers more texture than many more expensive Chablis, more individuality than straightforward Sauvignon Blanc and more freshness than many broader Mediterranean whites.
In short, it delivers something that has become increasingly difficult to find: genuine character, a clear sense of place and outstanding value in one bottle. Offered here at £140 per 6 bottle case in bond, I genuinely don't believe Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi gets much better than this. Podium remains one of Italy's finest white wines and one of the most consistently rewarding bottles we offer.
2023 Podium, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Garofoli
£140 per 6 bottle case in bond
Please let us know of your interest.
Simon
simon.larkin@atlasfinewines.com