Friuli white wine journey

I have always found Italian wine intimidating. I’m comfortable with the usual suspects, be that Pinot Grigio, Barolo, Chianti, Primitivo but this only covers a small portion of its styles. By contrast, France I find more approachable (although don’t get me started on Burgundy); its wine is everywhere and then most of its varieties are “International “ - you’ll recognise them as Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon etc. However, Italy has all of these but then add in atleast 500 indigenous grape varieties. Where on earth do you start?

Well, the best way is by tasting! We begin this journey with a Friuli-Venezia Giulia masterclass presented by Peter McCombie MW.

All I know about Friuli, is from a phase I went through where I drank a lot of Orange wine before getting into wine seriously...

Just like Chile last week, Friuli is a really interesting area with lots of influences. The Alps border Austria to the north, while Slovenia borders to the East, Veneto lies to the West and the Adriatic Sea South East. This gives us warm days and chilly nights, wines retain that refreshing acidity you expect from Italian whites. White production is dominant here, amassing 91% of the total volume and the style is known for being aromatic and complex.

Here they are, the six wines we explored. All very different expressions accentuating Friuli’s unique grape varieties and regional characteristics.

Tenuta Stella, Ribolla gialla 2023 DOC Collio - £37,00 Beautiful gold shine. Pronounced aromas, grapefruit and lemon, tangy apple aromas indicating skin contact, after aeration scents of honey were revealed. Interesting but approachable taste with a textured finish and slight tannins from oak aging. I went over the Tenuta Stella stall following the event and apparently a small proportion underwent skin contact. This was only entry level skin contact and they had other fuller more bold Orange options to explore.

Drius, Pinot bianco 2023 DOC Friuli Isonzo - €16.90 Pinot Bianco, the workhorse. Difficult to follow-up from the first one. Pale lemon with medium intensity on the nose. Fruity green and citrus notes, apple, lemon, lime with some white flowers and butter. Textured mouthfeel with a tingling sensation. Aged in oak and the lees were frequently agitated. I couldn’t believe it had 14% alcohol, you wouldn’t notice it as all its components were perfectly balanced.

Il Roncal, Pinot grigio 2024, DOC Friuli Colli Orientali - €25,00 The grape wine enthusiasts love to hate. What is it about Pinot Grigio that makes it so popular? For most people, it’s fun and pleasurable but when they drink it, it isn’t the main event. Personally, I think spending £10-15 really improves the quality and can elevate the experience. The Il Roncal sits perfectly in this category. The vineyards are situated on Montebello Hill, and Il Roncal is a Fruilian expression for ““estate on a hill cultivated in terraces”. These slopes help concentrate the flavours and lift its intensity. Pale lemon but with a hint of colour from the grape. Fresh and ripe apples, pears, lemons, grapefruits backed up with some white flowers and a hint of spice. Some reductive aromas which added minerality and complexity. Refreshing acidity.

Cantina Rauscedo, Fruiliano 2024 DOC Friuli - £15-20 Fruiliano was known as “Tocai” Fruliano, but this was prohibited by the EU to avoid confusion with the Hungarian Tokaji (a world class sweet wine that everyone should try!). Since 2007 the wines have been labelled Fruiliano. Alsace was also impacted, where Pinot Gris was called Tokay d’Alsace or Tokay Pinot Gris! Anyway, this is not a sweet wine. Pale lemon, medium acidity. Herbaceous notes of bell pepper with some citrus aromas and white flowers. There is some lees aging here contributing to textured mouthful and a medium to long finish.

Ca Modeano, Malavasia 2023 DOC Friuli - £17.50 Malavasia can produce a wide range of styles, from simple and refreshing to full and complex. Historically one of the most planted grapes in Italy. This one had an Intense bouquet with herbaceous notes complemented with lemon and grapefruit. Big flavours stretching from peach to pineapple.

Cozzarolo, Sauvignon 2024 DOC Friuli Colli Orientalli - £21 We finished our journey with a Sauvignon Blanc, the most herbaceous of the bunch. Pronounced intensity with bell pepper, fresh green, citrus fruits completed with minerality and white pepper. Long finish with bell pepper and peach persisting and overall the mouthfeel was rounded.

There were a few other highlights from the walk-around.

Berto and Fiorella I sampled the Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Arc di San Marc (blend of Refosco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc). The Cabernet Franc stuck with me, I noted its spice and earthiness. Comparable to Chinon or Bourgueil from the Loire Valley.

Vinory Wines Obviously the Barbersco and Barolo were amazing. But, what I found really interesting were the Nizza DOCG 2021 and Nizza DOCG Bricco 2021- Big, bold, concentrated expressions of Barbera. They had all the red fruits you would expect but with full body, structure and flavour concentration. Nizza DOCG is a relatively new appellation which has very strict rules - vines must be planted on south facing slopes!

Leaving the event, I feel less intimidated by Italian Wine. Peter will also be happy to hear that I feel a trip to Friuli is on the cards. The journey through Italian wine continues...

Note: Prices are retail, however I've struggled to find them for sale in the UK! So this is what you should expect to pay if available. I could find a (2022 Ca Modeano Malvasia at Davy Wine for £16.95)