After scoring 95 points for two years in a rowa rarity for any under-$25 whitedemand exploded, and now the 2021 release is allocated tighter than we have ever seen it.

This Verdicchio is a revelation of dry Italian elegance that justifies that nickname. Aged in large, old oak barrels, it has a lush, round creaminess that will drive Chardonnay drinkers to distraction. Its seductive melange of fruit-laden, wet-stone aromatics and a lively palate of fennel, preserved lemon, and sea spray makes for a richer and more complex Verdicchio than youll find anywhere else.

Few producers execute this balance as perfectly as consummate craftsman Ampelio Bucci, who has been dubbed the dean of Verdicchio by Italian wine expert Ian dAgata. Under Buccis expert hand, this Classico Superiore achieves a level of quality almost indistinguishable from the winerys higher-end bottles.

A former fashion consultant, Bucci now happens to make two of Italys best white wines, according to Vinous. An exacting perfectionist, he draws on his familys 300-year winemaking legacy and a collection of pedigreed vineyardsand its all brilliantly expressed in this 2021 Verdicchio.

Bucci believes that Verdicchio vines dont really begin producing wines of distinction until they reach 20 years old. The vines used for this wine boast nearly 40 years on average, with roots digging deep into the clay-limestone soils of four low-yielding vineyards, including Montefiore, whose vines range up to 56 years of age. Farming is 100% organic, with no herbicides or pesticides used, allowing the nuances of the terroir to shine through.

Buy a case of this vibrant Verdicchio, drink some now, then let the other bottles slumber for a few years. Theyll evolve into one of the greatest value whites in your cellar.