He wouldn’t trade Verdicchio for any other grape — for Natalino Crognaletti, how a wine ages comes down to careful farming and respect for nature. Fattoria San Lorenzo sits in the hamlet of San Lorenzo near Montecarotto, on the left bank of the Esino river, in the northernmost part of the Castelli di Jesi.
The estate traces back to grandfather Enrico Crognaletti, a cooper and winemaker, and father Gino, who devoted himself to selecting old Verdicchio clones from centuries-old vineyards known as “alberate”. Since 1995, third-generation Natalino Crognaletti has run the estate and bottled the wines under his own name.
The property is certified biodynamic: minimal use of copper and sulphur, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and long ageing in cement and wood. Geese roam freely among the vines — in Natalino’s view a sign of truly natural farming, and the source of the name of his best-known wine, Campo delle Oche. The estate spans over 30 hectares around Montecarotto, Corinaldo and Ostra Vetere, with vines averaging several decades old, and focuses on the region’s native grapes: Verdicchio, Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Lacrima.
The result is wines with pronounced minerality and spice, from crisp Verdicchio to layered, oak-aged reds — and even a rare passito made in the ice-wine style.
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