Explorers Club
December 2025

Marchetti Spumante Brut Settenote

The wines from Maurizio Marchetti are well-known among longtime Explorers Club members. This marks the sixth selection for this club, dating back to 2009. While we have typically focused on his red wines, last year we introduced his authoritative Verdicchio called Cavaliere. This year, for the holidays, we present his delightful sparkling wine, Settenote.

For those who are new to the club and experiencing Marchetti for the first time, the story of the winery is remarkable. Maurizio Marchetti’s great-great-great-grandfather was a spice trader who amassed a fortune 250 years ago. Like many great spice merchants of that era, he built a large estate on the Adriatic coastline in the region of the Marches (pronounced mar-kay). Today, his heir, Maurizio Marchetti, resides there, growing grapes and pursuing his two passions: wine and painting. Although the estate includes a small castle and amphitheater, a small portion is dedicated to vineyards, resulting in an annual production of just 4,000 cases. In recent years, he has collaborated with some neighbors to increase production, and Settenote is a prime example of this effort. The base of this wine is Verdicchio, the premier white grape of the Marches, augmented with 10% Chardonnay and 10% Trebbiano.

The classic white wine variety of this part of Italy is the Verdicchio grape, which has been cultivated in the region for centuries. Recent DNA evidence suggests that it is the same as Trebbiano di Soave, commonly used in northern Italy as a blending grape for wines around Lake Garda. Thanks to its naturally high acidity, Verdicchio is versatile and can produce sparkling wines as well as crisp, dry whites. When harvested at optimal ripeness, it can be used for richer, full-bodied whites that retain great freshness or even dessert wines. For the Settenote, the grapes are picked early to enhance acidity, which is essential for quality sparkling wines.

To create this wine, Maurizio focuses on vineyards on the north side of his estate, in collaboration with a neighboring vineyard. The soils in this area are sandier, which accelerates ripening. This is beneficial for sparkling wine production, as the sugars in the grapes accumulate quickly while still maintaining ample acidity. High acidity provides sparkling wines with freshness, making them ideal for stimulating the appetite. After pressing the grapes, the juice is allowed to settle and clarify before being transferred to a large sealed tank. The fermentation process occurs in this tank, where the carbon dioxide produced is trapped, infusing back into the wine. This method, known as the Charmat process, is commonly employed in the production of sparkling wines, including nearly all Prosecco. While wines made using bottle fermentation, such as Champagne, have greater depth, those produced through the Charmat process possess a frothy, fun quality that makes them both affordable and delicious.

Chill this wine to refrigerator temperature before serving. Allowing the bottle to warm slightly after opening will enhance the aromatic profile. It presents an inviting nose of fresh pears and pineapple, complemented by deeper notes of caraway seed, celery hearts, and white pepper. On the palate, it is dry but not austere, featuring a juicy fruit character and a frothy mouthfeel. We recommend pairing it with appetizers or enjoying it on its own. It is best consumed in 2025 or 2026.

Martoccia Poggio Apricale 2024

We are enormous fans of the wines of young Luca Brunelli, one of the fastest rising stars from the Brunello di Montalcino region. His family farms vineyards at the highest elevation in the area, with their cellars just a stone’s throw from the walls of Montalcino. Due to this elevation and the extremely poor soils, the vines Luca tends to are only about 20 inches tall, with fruit often hanging just 6 inches off the ground. Visitors frequently comment that his vineyards resemble a collection of bonsai trees adorned with grapes. While this description is apt, it also results in some of the lowest yields in the region, with Luca harvesting less than one bottle of wine per plant. This meticulous effort produces some of the most intense wines in Montalcino that not only drink well at a young age but also age gracefully over the years. Unfortunately, the limited quantity of Brunello he produces sells for $85 a bottle, which may not be feasible for many customers. Fortunately, he also produces around 2,000 cases a year of our featured wine, Poggio Apricale, sourced from a different vineyard with higher yields.

Most of the grapes used in crafting Poggio Apricale are grown in the commune of Cinigiano, a half-hour drive from the winery. Like much of Tuscany, the soils here comprise a blend of sand, limestone, and quartz, ideal for the local Sangiovese grape. When the family acquired this property, they planted it with Sangiovese Grosso from cuttings taken from the original estate. Additionally, the vineyard includes plantings of Colorino and Merlot, which contribute to the final blend. Luca also incorporates grapes from younger vines from their Montalcino estate. Based on the vineyard’s location, the wine technically qualifies as Chianti, but Luca prefers to use the vineyard’s name, Poggio Apricale. While not officially certified, the Brunelli family farms all their vineyards using organic practices.

Now that the vines at Poggio Apricale are over 10 years old, Luca has begun crafting the wine in a more serious manner. The grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed, with fermentation and maceration lasting for 20 days. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred to a mixture of large Slavonian oak casks and a few older French barriques for aging. After 4 to 6 months, the wine is bottled.

I encourage you to decant this wine for half an hour before serving to allow the bouquet to open up and the tannins to soften. Once aerated, it reveals an incredible combination of dried Morello cherry, sage, Szechuan peppercorn, and new leather. On the palate, it offers a deep sense of black fruits, a solid structure, and firm, dusty tannins. Although designed for early enjoyment, it will age nicely for three to five years, so drink 2025-2029. Pair it with a rich Bolognese sauce or braised lamb shanks for an exceptional dining experience.