From the hills and valleys of Valpolicella, the group travelled south east- on the same latitude as Southern Burgundy (Mâcon) with the Adriatic sea to the south and foothills of the Alps to the north, we entered Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the most awarded white wine region in Italy. The area consists of 8 DOC's and 2 DOCG's, covers 5,300ha and grows over 26 different varietals, a mix of Italian, French and Austrian/German. The grapes themselves are a microcosm for the local population and history of the area, one where cultural influences and borders have shaped this part of Italy, making it one of the more unique areas in the country.
Our visit for three days was to DOC Friuli Isonzo, the area below DOC Collio and above DOC Carso (where the city of Trieste is located). Isonzo (only 1,172ha) is a plateau of calcareous clay, with warming influence from the Adriatic and cooler winds at night from the north east Alps. The region takes its name from the River Isonzo which flows through the region and defines its two main areas; left and right bank (sound familiar?). The right bank has soils which are red and rich in clay and gravel, where the left bank is white calcareous gravel. This distinction of soils has been used to define sub-regions, now allowed to appear on the label; Rive Alte for the right bank and Rive di Giare for the left.
Within the region, 50% of the wine produced is sold as DOC with the other 50% sold as IGT (IGT allowing producers to blend different DOC's) and over half of the production in white wine. Although 26 varietals are allowed, the focus for the region is on the 8-10 that best reflect the terrior and maintain the best quality. These grapes are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Istriana, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Merlot, Pignolo, Friulano, Traminer, Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla. Frequently, top cuvées will be a blend of two or even three of these varietals.
The Consorzio is very active within the region and its goals are to provide technical, marketing and sales support, moving towards sustainability. One of the technical projects of the Consorzio, has been working at Puiatti Winery with Pinot Grigio and measuring different aspects of the growing; clones, rootstocks, irrigation amounts and timing and disease control. Controlling both sugar levels and fungal diseases has been the focus of the project. A change of rootstocks has helped even out the growing cycle (bringing it forward for less hang time, less sugar) and leaf plucking, higher training, longer cane pruning and the use of air shots have helped control fungal diseases, reducing treatments by a third.
Our first afternoon concluded with a generic tasting hosted by Puiatti Winery, 14 producers brought 2 wines each (some managed to sneak in 3) and with the sun setting in the background, we were able to sample some of the best wines Italy has to offer.
(Wineries included Blason, Borgo Conventi, Borgo San Daniele, Bressan, Buzzinelli, Drius Mauro, Feresin Davide, Ferlat Silvano, La Bellanotte, Magnàs, Masut da Rive, Puiatti, Ronco del Gelso, Sgubin Renzo)
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Tenuta Villanova by Marisa D’Vari
Following an introduction to Friuli and Isonzo and checking into to our agri-tourism bed and breakfast homes, we were welcomed to the stunning estate of Tenuta Villanova with a tour of the Distillery, where they make grappa in addition to their range of competitively -priced wines. The family has owned the estate for over seventy-five years, although the vineyards are over five hundred years old the soils of which are rich with layers of chalk, marl, and sandstone rendering them particularly well-suited for wine production. Over decades, the family has improved the property with the objective of producing top tier wines and now export to a number of markets. They aim to produce wines as naturally as possible, opting for a density of 6,000 single or double Guyot-trained vines per hectare, planting vines suited to the environment with low vigour rootstock.Before dinner and a tasting of the various wines (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) along with a lovely gourmet-style multi-course meal, we were shown the historic distillery with its iconic copper pot stills. After dinner we sampled the product, called Valdi Rose. It is made by soft pressing stemmed grapes, resulting in a pomace, rich in grape juice.
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Friuli/ Isonzo by Sophie RudgeVie di Romans: “Globalise quality or respect difference…?”
Gianfranco Gallo couldn’t be further from the Californian giant we usually associate with that surname. A brief clarification of a legal battle eradicates the need for any further discussion on the subject.
Our initial discussion begins in the vineyard, not with brand values. This 10 year old chardonnay plot greets us with stunning views and a sense of openness on this plateau, just a few kilometres from the Slovenian hills. Heat is tempered by a constant light breeze as our attention is drawn to GG’s emphasis on leaf aspect for optimal energy absorption, the importance of air circulation and controlling respiration.
We are at 46 degrees latitude on the Rive Alte which is on the same parallel as Cognac and Portland, Oregon though that is where similarities end. The combination of maritime and continental influences, together with ancient glacial soils and a raft of indigenous varieties, offer a myriad of unique and distinct expressions of origin.
Yet despite (or as a direct result of) his infectious drive for viticultural excellence, Gianfranco is at pains to underline that there is no right or wrong way. With so much terroir variation and numerous options to introduce degree changes in style, they are still learning.
Similarly, in both vinification and maturation cellars, no decision is taken lightly or by adherence to an untested hunch. Here, there is an air of serenity. This is where nature is left to meditate and develop thought-provoking complexity under attentive eyes though with respectful intervention. Vinification is all in stainless steel (a question of style, not quality), maturation barriques are a combination of new (on its own considered too extreme) and old, malo is never forced and wines are allowed at least 2 years before release.
A twelve-wine tasting spoilt us with a varietal flight (illustrating great scope) to start with followed by verticals of Sauvignon (back to 1993), Chardonnay (including 1996 from magnum) and Pinot Grigio back to 1997 - a testament to the longevity he aspires to. His very personal take on his Chaitons rosé to finish was, not only fascinating, but also a snapshot of his questioning of preconceptions. A ‘white’ merlot with broad, fully ripe fruit but with elegant tannic structure and assertive acidity: a very complete wine worthy of greater contemplation than we sadly had time for…
I am left with a thorough and very real grasp on all viticultural aspects of Gianfranco’s work. He exudes passion for his subject and an enviable precision in all his methodologies. There is ultimate respect for nature and a constant search to better understand it. Whilst the current release of 2008 wines inspires now, one is left wondering whether they will evolve with the same grace as the greatest of vintages and indeed, what enduring delights Gianfranco’s learnings of coming years will deliver. I for one will be waiting with enthusiasm.
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Tenuta Luisa by Gareth Morgan
Eddi Luisa is a self-made man. His spanking new winery and its vineyards are at Corona in the Rive Alte. Eddi began work at thirteen and inherited 5 hectares of vines from his grandfather who founded the business in 1927. He now has 80 ha.of vines out of a total holding of 120 ha. The business is now shared with his sons, winemaker, Michele, and agronomist, Davide.
They have planted Friulano, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Traminer, Ribolla Gialla and Verduzzo for white wine and Refosco, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for red. The vines are planted on Guyot at a density of 5 to 6,000 plants per hectare, with a yield of around 1kg per vine. They do not fertilise, and carry out both leaf plucking and a green harvest. They pick when the fruit is “structured and elegant” and are not especially worried about high alcohol levels. They belong to a sustainable viticulture association.
Michele’s control of the winery is meticulous. He uses selected yeasts, enzymes to enhance aromatics and uses Nitrogen to encourage solid material to float to the top of the tanks. White wines are aged on the fine lees. For the red wines, only free-run juice is normally used to avoid excess astringency in the wine.
He says that his consumers look for very fruity aromatic wines, but still uses some small oak barrels and large wooden casks to age his best wines, especially his few reds. “They’re just vessels to mature the wine in,” he says. “I don’t think people want the spicy vanillin of new oak in their wine these days: it leaves too much tannin at the back of the throat. It may be quite interesting to taste, but it’s not much fun to drink. We ought to be able to come up with something that gives us pleasure, that’s elegant and well made and that invites you to drink a second glass.”
There are two main lines: Luisa, for wines vinified and aged in stainless steel and I Ferretti for those aged in oak. 30% of the production is exported, with the Friulano available in the UK through Majestic. The 2009 Friulano is especially attractive, a delicious, mouth-filling dry white with spicy, pear and lemon fruit, with a hint of melon and a lingering, slightly salty finish.
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Tenuta di Blasig by Gareth Morgan |
| Elisabetta Bortolotto-Sarcinelli (photo by Helen Savage) |
We were received by the owner, Elisabetta Bortolotto-Sarcinelli (who is Italian) and her husband Patrick (Austrian).
Both spoke superb English and we had some very valuable discussions on the positioning of the wines of Fruili and the Veneto in the UK.
Unlike most properties in Isonzo which are generally in rural locations directly surrounded by vineyards, Tenuta di Blasig is based in the town of Ronchie dei Legionari: one passes through an arch in a walled street which opens into a beautiful garden with an attractive house, the winery and even a private chapel.
The property dates back some 250 years, and has been in the same family for generations. The winery is still based in the old buildings but a modern underground cellar with a bottling line on the floor above has been added very recently. The vineyards are in several parcels around the Isonzo DOC, but all within a few kms of the winery.
They have a wine shop on site with an intriguing glass floor area, allowing visitors to look down into the cellars. Following a short visit to the winery and cellars, we were invited to a historic first floor tasting room with Elisabetta and her winemaker, Erica Orlandina.
The property focuses on high class varietal wines, typical for the terroir of Friuli-Isonzo, all with great expression of fruit but without the very high levels of alcohol found at many other properties. We were encouraged by the excellent price/quality ratio, with prices ranging from €5.50 to €13 per bottle (ex-cellars) - and they even produce a wine at just €2/litre for bag-in-box format (not tasted).
All the wines we sampled showed excellent varietal character and length. We tasted the property’s 2009 Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Fruilano, their 2008 and 2009 Malvasia (the latter had just been bottled the previous day so we tasted a tank sample) and Merlots from 2006 and 2007. We also tasted a stunning 2005 wine which they just call “Rosso” (a blend of 70% Refosco and 30% Merlot, aged in barriques for almost five years) and a delicious dessert wine “Le Lutte” from the important local grape, Verduzzo, which we had not sampled elsewhere.
Tenuta di Blassig is currently unrepresented in the UK, but they are able to ship orders directly from as little as one case to anywhere in Europe.
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Lorenzon by Keith Grainger
On 10th June the day’s last visit was to Azienda Agricola Lorenzon at Pieris, San Canzian d’Isonzo. This turned out to be a delightfully informal, yet highly informative, evening. We were met by our hosts, brothers Davide and Nicola Lorenzon. Davide, an oenology graduate is in charge of quality and Nicola (accountancy graduate) responsible for sales, although it appears that the boundaries are agreeably soft. They walked us past a sad olive grove devastated by frost (all the trees were dead) and into the vineyard, thankfully completely healthy. The vineyards are just 6 to 7 kilometres from the sea, the closest in the entire region, and obviously benefit from the moderating influences.The family business was founded in 1972, with just 5 hectares, now there are 150 hectares of vineyards and land planted with olives, apples and peaches. The estate also makes a little honey. Lorenzon has vineyards at Pieris, Romàns d’Isonzo and Cassegliano. All the vineyards are within 20 minutes of the winery resulting in a minimal delay before processing fruit. Training is mostly guyot (simple) with a little spurred cordon at Pieris. Interestingly, I noted that in several vineyards at other wineries what was described as guyot was, in fact spurred cordon. The scene at Pieris was somewhat bucolic with running rabbits and pheasants nesting amidst the vines . The vineyards are irrigated – the system being used only as necessary and yields are in the region of 85hL/ha.
Lorenzon is the largest estate in the Isonzo appellation with a current production of 800,000 bottles and a potential of 1.2 million bottles. The winery struck me as very well-designed and equipped, including a bottling line that can handle all closure types. Wines are marketed under several labels, including I Feudi di Romans, Lorenzon and Borgo Dei Vassalli.
The tasting and dinner rolled into one, and we were introduced to the brothers’ father, the ebullient Enzo Lorenzo, who founded the winery and who still sits comfortably at the top of the winery family tree. Enzo was our chef for the evening, and very skilled too! The tasting was comprehensive and included spumantes, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Friulano (including a very attractive bag-in-box wine that is only allowed IGT status), Traminer, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Pasito Verduzzo.
All the wines generally impressed with their restrained alcohols, quality/value ratio and sheer drinkability. The 2009 Friulano, lees matured and delightfully creamy but retaining high aromatics, was perhaps the star. Dinner was tremendous fun and, in such a lively atmosphere, information and anecdotes flowed as freely as the delightful wines.
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A.A. Lis Neris, at San Lorenzo Isontino, Friuli by Paul Howard
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| Alvaro Pecorari (photo by Helen Savage) |
Lis Neris sounds a little like the name of a young go-ahead winemaker, possibly flying, probably female. Not at all, the name of this winery translates as “black ladies”, after the crinoline-clad women that once tended vines here. Alvaro Pecorari owns and runs it; he is the fourth generation of the family to do so, taking over from his father in 1982.
This 60-hectare estate is located in three parcels on the right bank of the river Isonzo. With Alvaro we visited the vineyards in the coolest part next to the river at San Lorenzo. Dedicated to white grapes, 30% of it is Pinot Gris, the others being Friulano, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Verduzzo. Alvaro showed how the local terroir is ideal for aroma and flavour development. The vineyards occupy calcareous gravel terraces, washed down from the eastern Alps by glacial melt waters. These poor, free-draining soils combine with a unique microclimate created by the proximity to both the Alps and Adriatic. High-density vines, severe pruning and careful canopy management complete the quality picture.
Then, at the chapel-like winery, the tasting was conducted by Alvaro’s daughter, Federica. It majored on Pinot Grigio -theirs are quince-flavoured, richly textured and every bit as fine as those made by the greatest estates of Alsace. The style is dry, the balance impeccable, the longevity assured. There was also the opportunity to try Confini, an unusual yet delightful blend of Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Wafting rose petal scents followed by a fine combination of zesty acidity and fleshy texture proved a memorable finale to a great visit.
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Azienda Agricola Sant’ Elena by Vivienne J Franks
Founded in 1893 by the Klodic family, who came from Trieste, this winery was bought in 1994 by Dominic Nocerino of Vinifera Imports, one of the largest wine distributers in the USA. The winery is managed by the enigmatic local Friulian consultant winemaker Maurizio Drascek, and Dominic’s son, Dom, who recently graduated in Business Studies in the USA. The 40 hectare estate is situated in Gradisca d’Isonzo, which lies along the Friulian Slovenian border. This area has seen numerous rulers in its history, from the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, to the Venetians, the Austrian-Hungarian rulers, the Slavs and finally the Italians.
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| Maurizio Drascek (photo by Helen Savage) |
Production is limited to 100,000 bottles from the vineyard situated behind the winery. Maurizio’s philosophy is to produce high quality IGT wines ‘one bottle from one vine’. Why IGT? Because in the US market, the wines are labelled ‘Venezia-Giulia’ and not ‘Friuli-Venezia-Giulia’.
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| Photo by Helen Savage |
The focus is on white wines, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay Gewürztraminer and Riesling. Red wines are produced from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the lesser known Pignolo.
We tasted a range of Sant’Elena wines with lunch, expertly prepared by Maurizio, whose ambition is to be as good a chef as he is a winemaker!
Spaghetti al Pomodoro, followed by Bresaola and Rocket, with Mozzarella and Pomodoro - yummy!
Pinot Grigio 2008 - 12 hours maceration in stainless steel tanks, pre-fermentation, then 6 months maturation on lees pre bottling. A pink onion skin coloured wine with ripe dessert apple flavours and a fresh crispness, an ideal aperitif.
Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - With a similar production to the Pinot Grigio, this wine from stony alluvial soils demonstrated the minerality so typical of this area. It was a fresh, elegant wine with lovely lime and citrus characters.
‘Mil Rosis’ 2008 - This was a white blend of 70% Chardonnay, 15% Gewürztraminer and 15% Riesling. Well-balanced and elegant, this wine paired very well with our main course.
Merlot 2006 - Fermented in stainless steel, followed by 24 months in barriques, this was a spicy black fruity easy drinking wine.
‘Tato’2006 - A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, named after Dom’s grandfather Salvatore, this wine is matured in French oak for 24 months prior to blending. The leafy characters of the Cabernet Sauvignon dominate the blend.
‘Quantum’ 2006 - Finally the local speciality…Pignolo! This first production of 5,000 bottles is still a baby. The grapes were dried on racks for 60 days. This ‘appassimento’ styled wine was matured in French oak for 3 years, and our barrel sample was simply delicious.
What a way to end our trip to Friuli…
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