Wines from Friuli

Nonino celebrates the 25th anniversary of the ÙE grape brandy with the outstanding Riserva ÙE 25th Anniversary - an assemblage of separately distilled grape brandies from Ribolla, Moscato, Merlot and Malvasia, which matured for five years in barriques or small wooden barrels. Golden yellow colour, elegant bouquet of vanilla, caramel and nut. On the palate a wonderfully deep grape aroma, very long and soft. Without the addition of dyes. SUPERIORE.DE

"Very floral and fruity in fragrance, muscaty-grapey, chocolaty and dried fruit aromas in the background. On the palate complex wood aromas, as well as chocolaty sweetness, spicy in the finish." Falstaff

Great wine that can boast enormous depth and intensity. Velvety and rich, the aromas recall dried berries, roasted oak and fine chocolate, on the palate of breathtaking power and fullness, the pure tension and beauty of Refosco. SUPERIORE.DE

"As well as the forest-berry aromas, there’s a hint of herb liqueur on the nose. The depth is certainly impressive and the acidity of this grape seems nicely balanced by some gentle tannins that time has polished. Good length." James Suckling

"The 2013 Refosco Vigna Dominin is a beautiful wine. Meroi has succeeded in taming most of the rusticity out of this notoriously rustic Friulian grape. In exchange, though, the wine is a bit less varietally expressive than it has been in the past. Still, taken on its own terms, the 2013 is a gorgeous Friulian red to drink over the next decade, give or take. Stylistically, the 2013 is a bit less pushed and concentrated than other recent editions. Sweet red cherry, French oak, spice and wild flowers are nicely pushed forward in this succulent, expressive red from Friuli's Colli Oriental district." Antonio Galloni

Felluga's Picolit is an exemplary example and explains the popularity and reputation of this rare and traditional sweet wine. Golden yellow in colour, it has a wonderful aroma of honey, white flowers and ripe tropical fruit. The sweet and rich taste is characterised by pleasant viscosity and impeccable balance. SUPERIORE.DE

"Intense nose of gingersnaps, pineapples, dried mangoes, lemons, marmalade, honey, acacia and candied almonds. Luscious and sweet, yet balanced and concentrated, with a delicious, spicy ginger character." James Suckling

Also from Bruttrio, like the Friulano Buri Bellaria, comes the almost pure top Merlot from the Palazzolo family. The vines of the vineyard, which was formerly cultivated by Miani, are almost 100 years old and regularly produce grapes of great complexity and very fine tannins, which, however, require at least two years of ageing and refinement before the wine is bottled unfiltered. But then the wine embarks on a journey that could not be more exciting and rewarding. On the nose, we find violet flowers and lots of blue and black berries, rounded off with savoury herbs and spices. A remarkably silky, almost floating red that leads into a never-ending, fusiose final with fleshy berries, minerals and herbs. SUPERIORE.DE

Dark ruby, spicy blackberry bouquet with herbal and delicate toasted aromas, underpinned with a fine note of noble wood. On the palate, expansive, deep and of complex texture, present, well-integrated tannins, well-balanced and of excellent length. SUPERIORE.DE

Mineral and delicate Friulano, on the nose grapefruit, peach, white pepper, figs and bananas. Then deep and complex on the palate with further appetising flavours of tropical fruits, apricots and hazelnuts. Very long and with its salty swing great as every year! SUPERIORE.DE

"Golden pale yellow; fruity, elderflower, appealing; powerful, intensely fruity, nettle, round, delicate, very pleasant." Merum

"Sometimes you can just smell "beautiful", and this is one of those cases. Wafting, almost lacy aromas of white peach, apricot and Fuji apples dance from the glass. Hints of wet river rock and fresh herbs emerge as the wine opens. On the palate, the wine focuses on perfectly ripe stone fruit, wild flowers and crushed rock. Balanced acidity ensures that the wine gains momentum with every sip." Wine Enthusiast

"The Friulano 2021 is youthfully unobtrusive with a pretty bouquet that mixes lemon peel with mint and nuances of crushed rock. It washes over the palate with a tense mix of citrusy acids and salty minerals, while a core of tropical melon develops towards the end. The 2021 finishes on a more delicate note, but long and with pretty inner flowers still lingering. The beautiful balance and underlying power of this wine will ensure it ages beautifully in bottle. The best is yet to come." Vinous

"White peaches and cooked apples with undertones of flint and matches. Also some iron filings. Full-bodied but compact, dense and fresh. Very mineral, with undertones of dried peach, citrus and minerals and a bright finish. Very solid." James Suckling

Since the 2016 vintage, Livio Felluga's top wine Sossò has been maturing in the bottle for an extra year before being released for sale. This Riserva is a beautiful, rich and comforting red wine that is dense on the palate, imparting pretty cherry and dark fruit flavours with plenty of spice and tobacco. The extremely articulate flavour shoulders a convincing tannin portion and yet steers into an intensely fruity final with terrific length. The wine simply glides forward with its unique feel and a dynamism that is slow and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Deep ruby red. Bright, fresh and savoury aromas and flavours of blueberries, flint, coffee and fresh herbs. Long and clean with soft tannins and very good clarity on the bright end. A beautiful, very refined wine with early appeal but also velvet paws creeping concentration and complexity. SUPERIORE.DE

"A delicate blend of smoky sage, wild blueberries, cracked chalk and dried violets makes the 2018 Rivarossa a total pleasure to take in. This is silky and cool-toned with a balanced inner sweetness that offsets its tart wild berry fruits as peppery herbal tones amass toward the close. The Rivarossa tapers off structured with edgy tannins that pinch at the cheeks as a note of black licorice lingers on and on. A lot is going on beneath the surface here, but it will be several years before the 2018 comes entirely into focus." Vinous

"Lovely blackberries, violets and blueberries with hints of dark chocolate. Medium to full body with creamy, polished tannins and a flavourful finish." James Suckling

Antica Cuvée - here in the high alcoholic dosage form "Cask Strength" - is a fine, very aromatic Riserva. Nonino uses the traditional still for distillation. The inviting clear amber colour is the result of storage in small barrels. A very special note is given to the cuvée by the small but essential addition of young grappa, which has matured for a year in Limousin barriques. Fruity, warm, velvety and long-lasting. SUPERIORE.DE

Dottore Palazzolo, the red dedicated to the founder, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, opens in deep ruby red and with the scent of ripe berries, a hint of vanilla, tobacco and black tar. Beguiling, rich in extract and concentrated with herbs and wild berries, yet full of elegance, with fine citrus acidity and wonderfully firm on the palate. Our tip: Be patient and allow this exceptional wine a few more years of bottle ageing! SUPERIORE.DE

"Savory in the glass, the 2020 Rosso del Gnemiz lifts up with dusty florals and earth tones before giving way to dried black cherries. This is pure elegance, lifted and refined, with crisp red and black fruits accelerated by brisk acidity. It finishes classically dry and with fine tannins that frame the wine perfectly, tapering off with amazing length and clarity, leaving peppery florals to linger." Vinous

Dottore Palazzolo, a red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot and dedicated to the founder, opens in a deep ruby red colour and with the aroma of ripe berries, a hint of vanilla, tobacco and black tar. Beguiling, full of extract and concentrated flavours of herbs and wild berries, yet full of elegance, with fine citrus acidity and wonderfully firm on the palate. Our tip: Be patient and allow this exceptional wine a few more years to mature in the bottle! SUPERIORE.DE

Great wine that boasts enormous depth and intensity. Velvety and rich, the aromas are reminiscent of dried berries, toasted oak and fine chocolate, with breathtaking power and fullness on the palate, the pure tension and beauty of Refosco. SUPERIORE.DE

"Deep dark opaque garnet purple. Shows rich and precise notes of wild berries, blackberries, elderberries, light mint and precious wood on the nose, complex. Polished and tightly meshed on the palate, spreads out in a lush and decisive way, cool fruit with precise progression, supported by excellent use of wood, lingers long." Falstaff

"This is really nicely done, showing black fruit, such as blackberry, as well as dark chocolate and spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins and a flavorful finish. Some smoky oak at the end." James Suckling

"The 2016 Refosco Vigna Dominin is airy and dusty in character, as peppery florals and hints of licorice give way to dried black cherries. Its silky textures usher in a potent mix of red and black fruit with savory penetrating spice and violet-tinged florals that form toward the close. It leaves the palate with a coating of sweet tannins and lingering minerals, as hints of spiced tangerine and pomegranate fade. This is a powerful effort with the depth to balance. I’m looking forward to retasting it with a few years of maturity." Vinous

Terre Alte Rosazzo is made from Tocai Friulano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Bianco. It is a spice bomb that seduces with a beguiling blend of flint, dried flowers and ginger, balanced by vividly ripe nectarines. Terre Alte washes over the palate with an opulent, textured wave of mineral fruits and savoury spices, while taking on a citrus-derived tension towards the finish. The finish is long and floral, with tart fruit and wild herbs complemented by a hint of lemon custard. The balance, but also the depth of its character and personality are almost unreal - a beguiling, very great Italian white wine! SUPERIORE.DE

Pure-varietal Pinot Nero, produced only in the best years. Fine, very elegant bouquet of redcurrant, blueberry and sweet spicy notes. Cool and lean on the palate, of Burgundian finesse and structure, the fruit discreetly underpinned by fine spice and wonderfully polished tannin. Long and complex with aristocratic restraint and blessed with great ageing potential. SUPERIORE.DE

Just 828 numbered bottles were bottled of this rare speciality. High-quality pear distillate from perfectly ripened and hand-picked Williams pears with fine maturation nuances due to 2 years of storage in Limousin oak barriques. A beguilingly beautiful brandy of great intensity and softness. Without added colouring agents. SUPERIORE.DE

Merlot Dominin 2019 is explosive from the first sip. The rich bouquet is complex with raspberries, flowers, liquorice and herbs. The palate is extremely complex with overripe and opulent fruits. A wine with sheer exuberant elements, but nevertheless very coherent in its entirety. Everything is in the right place here and it is clearly the flagship wine of the boutique winery and on par with the great red wines of Miani. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2019 Merlot Vigna Dominin opens with a dramatic bouquet, blending crushed blueberries with mentholated herbs and sweet tobacco. This is suave and elegant with a rush of polished red and black fruits while taking on a savory spiciness toward the close. The 2019 finishes incredibly long, as a web of fine-grained tannins wraps the palate in youthful poise. Black currant and chalky mineral tones slowly fade into the background. This powerful vintage of Merlot Vigna Dominin will require time to show its best. That said, it will be worth the wait." Vinous

Fine cherry distillate, made from perfectly ripened and hand-picked cherries. Delicate in aroma, elegant in taste with a hint of hazelnut typical of cherry fruit. SUPERIORE.DE

"A", as it is called in the winery, represents the qualitative peak of Schiopetto. This wine is made from Chardonnay grapes and a small part of Friulano, which come from a historic single vineyard site of the winery in the Colli Orientali and achieve a unique expression. A perfect synthesis between the expressiveness of Chardonnay and the aromatic complexity of Friulano, this white wine shows the quintessence and full personality of the Friulian territory and is dedicated to Mario Schiopetto. SUPERIORE.DE

"This is a very serious chardonnay with subtle aromas of apple pie, flint and lemon curd. Holding back, but enticing you with every scent. Full-bodied with density and energy and lots of flavors, yet it’s dry and racy at the end." James Suckling

Fine grape spirit from the selection of fresh Moscato Giallo from Vallagarina-Trentino. Smells of May roses, aromatic, fresh and floral on the palate. SUPERIORE.DE

Delicate and aromatic grape brandy from Traminer grapes, smells of roses, nutmeg and a little of blackcurrant. Memories of the dessert wine from Pantelleria come to mind. SUPERIORE.DE

Rare Fragolino grapes from Nonino's own vineyards produce this exceptional grape spirit. Clear and pure, the aromas are reminiscent of blueberries and wild berries. SUPERIORE.DE

ÙE Merlot Gran Riserva matures sealed and supervised by the Italian Customs and Monopolies Authority for over 12 years in sherry casks from Jerez de la Frontera in the company's cellars.

Natural amber colour with a golden sheen. Very elegant on the nose with sweet scents of marzipan, sultanas, iris, violets and candied fruits, which are echoed in the lingering taste and with balsamic notes.

Glass bottle with diamond cut by hand, with a gold label printed by hand in silkscreen with the signature of the master distiller and chef de cave Benito Nonino. Without added colouring. SUPERIORE.DE

The brilliantly clear Grappa Cru Monovitigno Pignolo was produced in very limited quantities and bottled in 150 numbered decanters with a vintage label, exclusively available only at SUPERIORE.DE It is a single-varietal grappa made from marc of the rare Pignolo grape from the Nonino vineyard in Buttrio in Friuli. It is rich, elegant and velvety smooth with a pronounced wild berry flavour.

With "Cru Monovitigno Pignolo", the Noninos are taking part in the "Omaggio a Venezia" project, an initiative involving prestigious Italian brand producers such as Alessi, Loro Piana, Missoni, Tod's, Trussardi and others. "Omaggio a Venezia" aims to help the city fathers of Venice to preserve the artistic and architectural heritage, this unique and unmistakable style of Venice.

Part of the proceeds from the sale will be given to the city of Venice for the restoration of the 17th century "Camerino degli Stucchi" in the Ca'Rezzonico Museum. SUPERIORE.DE