Wines from Friuli

The vines from which the Chardonnay grapes for the Rio delle Rose come are over 80 years old. Fine, exotic and noticeably mineral bouquet of pome fruit, apple, citrus peel, white flowers, some flint and a hint of banana and pineapple. On the palate, it is driven forward, with beautiful pressure and juicy tension, then again this fine minerality in the further course and a very delicate, never-ending melt in the long, complex finish. Very balanced and big - with its subtle restraint and great personality, Rio delle Rose is for us one of the best Chardonnays from Friuli! SUPERIORE.DE

Ronc di Vico's Refosco dal Peduncolo is a wine with rough edges - which is precisely why it is so fascinating. The autochthonous grape variety naturally brings depth, structure and an unmistakable flavour. The grapes come from old plots in the Colli Orientali, whose Ponca soils of marl and sandstone provide clarity and tension. The 2022 vintage offered ideal conditions for fully ripe, healthy harvest. After strict manual harvesting and a long maceration period, the wine matured for around 20 months in French barriques.

These are the rare moments when a wine combines everything: origin, character and that depth that is difficult to explain. "Titut Ros" is just such a wine - a single-varietal Merlot that is only made in very small quantities and exclusively from the oldest vines on the steep plots of Ronc di Vico. The deep roots of the vines, anchored in the barren Ponca soil of the Colli Orientali, characterise a fruit of rare intensity and clarity. Thanks to stable weather conditions, the 2022 vintage offered perfect ripeness with impeccable health - the grapes were hand-picked, meticulously selected and vinified with a long maceration period. The wine then matured for 18 months in new and used French barriques before finding its inner balance in the bottle.

There are wines that you don't find every year. Raccaro's Merlot belongs to this rare species – produced only when the vintage allows it, and even then in homeopathic quantities. "Da sempre presente nel vigneto aziendale", as the family says: always in the vineyard, but never in the bottle as a matter of course. This Merlot is not a concession to international trends, but part of the history of these slopes on Monte Quarin, where the grape variety develops a depth on the fossilised marl layers of the Ponca that is reminiscent of the great Merlot interpretations of Friuli. The vineyard lies at an altitude of 90 metres, north-south orientation, 5,000 vines per hectare in the Guyot system. Old vines, low yields, late harvest – the prerequisites for concentration. The vinification follows a clear line: twelve days of maceration at a controlled 25 to 28 degrees to extract structure and depth without overtaxing the fruit. This is followed by 15 months in small French wooden barrels, where the wine gains complexity and learns to tame its youthful vigour.

A rarity with a fine sweetness and great depth: Verduzzo Friulano is considered a traditional speciality of Friuli and is a true expression of Paolo Meroi's philosophy - the smallest quantities, uncompromising selection and an ageing process that places balance above opulence. The vines grow on the typical Ponca soils of marl and sandstone, which provide freshness and structure. After selective harvest, the grapes are gently pressed and the must fermented in small oak barrels, followed by long ageing on the fine lees. In the glass, the wine is a rich amber colour with golden reflections.

A Merlot of impressive depth and fidelity to its origins: "Ros di Buri" comes from the single vineyard of the same name near Buttrio, whose old vines are deeply rooted in the typical Ponca soils of marl and sandstone. This vineyard is one of the winery's prime locations and produces a Merlot that is far more than just an international style wine. The grapes are rigorously selected, harvested by hand and vinified in small French barriques, where the wine matures for 18 months before spending further time in the bottle to reach perfection.

Lis is a mixed blend of Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and is one of the house's top wines. It has a wonderfully complex aroma of citrus and passion fruit, yellow apple and an initially barely perceptible flavour lead from the Sauvignon Bianco. All elements of this cuvée are equally and masterfully married on the palate, the mouthfeel is soft and round. This complex and at the same time elegant white wine, with its subtle pressure, whets the appetite for more and inevitably casts a spell over every Friuli fan. SUPERIORE.DE

A white wine with Mediterranean lightness and a Friulian signature: Shàris is the charming combination of Chardonnay and Ribolla Gialla – two varieties that show their finest profile here on the marl and sandstone soils of the Collio. Pale straw yellow in the glass with a greenish tinge. The nose is fresh and expressive at the same time: white flowers, ripe pear, citrus fruit, a little honeydew melon and a hint of almond. Smooth and clear on the palate, with well-balanced acidity, fine minerality and a pleasantly dry finish. A cleverly composed bianco with character that is not overwhelming, but at no stage is it banal – it is a true flagship for the modern white wine culture of Friuli and the estate's bestseller. SUPERIORE.DE

Some names carry history. Pupillo was originally the label for a Merlot vineyard planted in 2004, which did not fulfil the company's ambitions – too young, too impetuous, not ripe for the demands of Ronco del Gnemiz. Since then, the name has been dormant, reserved for vintages in which the family decided that the wines did not quite reach the standards of the legendary Rosso del Gnemiz. 2023 is one such year.

"San Zuan" is one of the great interpretations of Friulano every year – and in the 2023 vintage it shows a slightly different facet. The single vineyard site above San Giovanni al Natisone, characterised by barren Ponca soils, benefits from a microclimate that combines warmth and alpine freshness. 2023 brought a rather unsettled spring with variable rainfall and later a hot, dry summer that put the vines to the test. However, cool September nights preserved the acidity and lent the grapes precision and flavour. The grapes were harvested in several stages at the end of September, gently pressed and traditionally matured in large, used wooden barrels. The prolonged contact with the lees gave the wine depth and a creamy but never opulent texture.

Livio Felluga's new crus are the result of massalselection. For this purpose, selected vines are reproduced in particularly favourable locations in order to renew vineyards with particularly high-quality vines and to further improve the quality of individual varietal wines. The Pinot Grigio named after the Curubella vineyard expresses the unique and very expressive terroir in a very special way.