​Pelago Umani Ronchi

In today’s article we present the review of the Pelago Marche Rosso I.G.T. Umani Ronchi vintage 2017.

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Umani Ronchi is a leading winery in Marche and Abruzzo. It was founded in the late fifties of the twentieth century by Gino Umani Ronchi, near Cupramontana, in the province of Ancona. In the following years, the business was acquired by the Bianchi-Bernetti family who transformed it into a real winery based in Osimo, also in the province of Ancona, in the Marche.

In the following years, Umani Ronchi increased the vineyard area and the production. Its wines began to be marketed abroad. In 1982 Rosso Conero San Lorenzo was born, in 1983 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Casal di Serra was born and in 1985 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Villa Bianchi was born. They are three of the winery’s historic wines. Meanwhile, after an important period of training abroad, Massimo’s son, Michele, joined the winery.

From the collaboration with the famous enologist Giacomo Tachis, in 1994, after meticulous studies and researches on the cultivation of some of the most important international vines in the territory of the Marche, the Pelago wine took shape. In 1997, this incredible wine won the "Best Red Wine in the World" award at the International Wine Challenge in London.

Meanwhile, the winery expanded further, continued to modernize and refine its wine production. In 2020, Umani Ronchi was included in the Top list of Wine Spectator, among the 34 Best Wineries in Italy.

Today, Umani Ronchi has over 210 hectares of vineyards, located in very suitable areas of the Marche, on the hills of Verdicchio up to Conero, and Abruzzo, near Gran Sasso, where Pecorino and Montepulciano grapes are successfully cultivated. In short, Umani Ronchi wines represent the best of Marche and Abruzzo enology.

Let’s go back to "Pelago". We have already told you about its history and its success. Now let’s get into some technical details that can be very useful for a conscious tasting. It is a red wine resulting from the blending of grapes of international red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with grapes of autochthonous vines, Montepulciano above all, in a mysterious formula. The grapes are grown in Osimo, on a hill about 100-150 meters above sea level, with clay-calcareous soil, positively influenced by sea breezes from the Adriatic coast. Its name refers to the Greek word "pelagos", which means "sea", just to recall the proximity of the Adriatic Sea to its place of production and the influence of the "sea" on the grapes and, consequently, on the organoleptic characteristics of the wine.

The harvest takes place manually, starting from Merlot, in the initial part of September, and then continuing with Cabernet Sauvignon, at the end of September, and ending with Montepulciano, in October. The vinification process is characterized by a fermentation in stainless steel at a controlled temperature (27-29 ºC), for about 15 days. It is followed by malolactic fermentation, evolution in oak barrels for 14 months and aging in bottle for about 12 months.

Let’s go to the tasting.

Pelago Marche Rosso I.G.T. Umani Ronchi 2017 has an intense ruby red color. The aroma is rich and varied: we perceive spicy notes of black pepper, licorice and tobacco, hints of coffee, herbaceous notes, typical of Cabernet Sauvignon, and hints of red fruits, currant and blueberry, typical of Merlot. The palate is full-bodied, with an important structure (14% vol.), evolved and soft tannins, in a sip in which stand out its mineral qualities, such as those of the area where the grapes are grown. This combination generates a remarkable elegance and refinement.

For organoleptic characteristics it is a perfect wine with important meats or aged cheeses. In our opinion, for complexity and richness, it can also be considered a meditation wine.