Andrea Felici
Summary
Andrea Felici is a boutique family estate in Marche's Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi appellation, where Leopardo Felici crafts mineral-driven Verdicchio wines from high-elevation vineyards (400-500m) with limestone and clay soils near Apiro. Their meticulous approach balances temperature-controlled fermentation with extended lees aging, elevating Verdicchio beyond its humble reputation through precise, age-worthy expressions that have positioned them at the forefront of the region's viticultural renaissance.
Heritage & Leadership
Andrea Felici is a wine producer based in the Marche region of Italy, specifically near the town of Apiro within the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi appellation. The estate represents a family winemaking tradition that has gained prominence particularly in the early 2000s. The winery is currently led by Leopardo Felici, who took over operations from his father Andrea, continuing the family's commitment to quality winemaking in the region. Under Leopardo's direction, the winery has maintained its focus on expressing the distinctive character of the Verdicchio grape variety and the unique terroir of the Apiro area.
Vineyards & Wines
The Andrea Felici vineyards are situated near the town of Apiro in the Marche region, at elevations of approximately 400-500 meters above sea level. This higher altitude location contributes to significant diurnal temperature variations, which help develop aromatic complexity in the grapes. The vineyard soils feature limestone and clay components, providing mineral characteristics to the resulting wines.
The winery's production centers on Verdicchio, the signature white grape of the Marche region. Their portfolio includes Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico DOC and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva DOCG wines. One of their notable offerings is "Il Cantico della Figura," a premium single-vineyard Verdicchio that showcases the grape's potential for complexity and depth. Andrea Felici has developed a reputation for producing Verdicchio wines that demonstrate the grape's capacity to create complex, age-worthy white wines.
Philosophy & Practice
Andrea Felici employs temperature-controlled fermentation for their Verdicchio wines to preserve freshness and aromatic qualities. The winery practices sustainable viticulture with minimal intervention in the vineyard, focusing on maintaining the natural balance of their growing sites. For their premium wines, they implement extended lees aging to add complexity and textural depth.
The winemaking approach includes hand harvesting to ensure selective grape collection, maintaining quality from vineyard to cellar. Stainless steel tanks are primarily used for both fermentation and aging of their Verdicchio wines, helping to preserve the varietal's natural characteristics. This combination of careful vineyard management and precise cellar work has earned recognition for their Riserva wines from major Italian wine guides such as Gambero Rosso, affirming their position among quality-focused producers in the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi appellation.