“Ronco Basso” Chardonnay Friuli Colli Orientali DOC 2024

Ronco del Gnemiz | Friuli
Az. Ronco del Gnemiz Soc. Agr. | Via Ronchi 5 | IT 33048 San Giovanni al Natisone

02101024 · 0,75 l · 65,33 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available

On the lower slopes of Ronco, where the hills of Rosazzo gently fade into the valley, lies a plot of land that Christian Patat planted in 2001 with a mission: to make the best Chardonnay in Friuli. Not a modest ambition, but anyone who knows the wines of Ronco del Gnemiz knows that nobody bakes small rolls here. The vines come from Selezione Massale, vegetatively propagated from the estate's oldest Chardonnay vines. They are rooted in the Ponca, Friuli's famous marl soil, which gives the wines their mineral tension. Exposed to the south-west, they capture the warmth of the afternoon sun – and yet they retain the freshness that only the Adriatic breeze and the proximity of the Alps can provide. What distinguishes Ronco Basso from the other white wines of the estate: It is the only one to undergo malolactic fermentation. Christian Patat gives it this creamy dimension because the Chardonnay can take it – no, because it needs it. Whole-cluster pressing, then eleven months in French barriques, a third of them new, the rest second and third vintages. Rare bâtonnage, a lot of patience.

Straw yellow in the glass with golden reflections. The bouquet is complex: peach and apricot, a hint of mango, plus vanilla, smoke and that mineral undertone that some describe as "wet stone". On the palate, it is velvety yet firm – buttery texture, ripe fruit, but always infused with an acidity that keeps the wine lively. The final is long, with notes of almond and a salty aftertaste reminiscent of the Ponca. Not a Chardonnay that has to look to Burgundy. One that knows where it comes from – and wants to stay there. SUPERIORE.DE