Stroppolatini part II: Divine winery visit in Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy

Our sunny host Federico behind the bar in the frasca.

 

White wine tasting in the frasca

In Friuli, there is no wine tasting without a frasca, a Friulian wine bar. This concept combines wine tasting (and drinking) with enjoying local air-dried ham and local cheese. Stroppolatini’s frasca used to be the home for the farm’s pigs, hens and pigeons, but today it is a venue for all kinds of celebrations. 

To start our extensive, as well as humour filled, wine tasting process, Federico introduces us to the two different kinds of Friulano Stroppolatini makes: the classic Friulano aged in stainless steel, and Friulano Colle di Giano aged in French and Slavonian tonneaux. You can find the the background to these two styles, as well as the story of Stroppolatini winery in my recent blog post, visit to Stroppolatini part I. This time, dear vinous friends, we’ll just get straight to the experience of tasting these wines.

The 170 years old Friulano vines grow in front of the small violinist's house.

Friulano 2012

The classic version simply named Friulano, matures in contact with fine lees for 18 to 20 months in stainless steel. During this time its structure becomes rounder, and the wine develops more body and complexity.

While tasting I’m immediately draw to the floral nature of this wine. Also, there are citrus and almond aromas, and elegant minerality. Federico comments that the vintage of 2012 was less sunny and hot towards the harvest, which might explain the prominence of floral aromas, as they are sensitive to light. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied, round and fruity, and shows complexity of aromas. The medium acidity supports the wine’s structure, and the fruit, alcohol and structural elements are in good balance. Ending with a varietally typical medium plus length almond finish, this wine leaves a pleasant impression.

Friulano Colle di Giano 2012. Note the violinist's house label.

Friulano Colle di Giano 2012

Let’s now proceed to Friulano Colle di Giano, il capo Giuliano’s experiment. This Friulano version has been made from he same base wine as previous classic Friulano, but has gone through malolactic fermentation and has been aged in neutral oak tonneaux for 20 to 24 months (instead of stainless steel). These two processes have softened the acidity of the wine, added to its body, and developed complex layers of aromas.

Now the floral realm is more of honeyed nature, the almonds and nuts are now more in the foreground and on the palate the sensations approach full body. This version of Friulano is creamy and silky with an elegant mineral edge. The finish is long, creamy and almondy. What a pleasure. Please, il capo, keep on experimenting!

Attenti al capo!

The cellar full of red treasures

Our cheery wine tasting proceeds from the frasca to the pleasantly cool and enchantingly antique wine cellar. Federico and his sister, Marianna, have decorated the cellar with wine work inspiring quotes of both philosophical and practical nature. The barrels are organized in two storeys, hence it is good that Federico has written also a warning on the most risky cross beam: ”Attenti al capo!”, which translates both ”Mind the head!” and ”Mind the boss!”. The boss of the winery, il capo Giuliano, is not to be forgotten while working in the cellar, laughs Federico, and we guests dear to laugh along. In this family winery winemaking is meticulous and sincere as well as humorous and heartfelt.

Merlot 2012

The first red barrel Federico approaches is Merlot 2012, which, as all of Stroppolatini wines, is a 100% single varietal wine. Tasting this Merlot brings me to think of the two different climate impacts Friuli enjoys: on one hand the warm, sunny Mediterranean climate, and on the other hand, the cooling effect of air flowing between the nearby Alps and Adriatic sea. This airflow enhances the development of complex aromas. This Merlot has concentration of fruit derived from ripe grapes, while it has retained herbal, floral and red fruit flavours such as raspberry and cherry.  Even cherries in rum reach my nose. The complex fruit aromas of this medium to full-bodied wine are beautifully balanced by a proper backbone of medium tannins and equal acidity. I confess. I’m already impressed by this very first red wine. Federico shares that he finds this Merlot very versatile: it works well as an everyday wine, but is sufficiently refined for moments of celebration. Absolutely, I agree.

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2012

Excitement is in the air as Federico steers towards the Refosco barrel. This is my first encounter with this variety, and dear vinous readers, these kinds of moments are always highly remarkable to me, a devoted autochthon grape mad. Federico tells that in Friuli area Refosco is made in all kinds of versions from simple to very noble. It is a kind of grape that is suspect to changes in wine fashion, and in the recent years there was a period when Refosco was completely abandoned by the local market. There was no use bottling it, since nobody bought it! But, fortunately, now Refosco is back. And I can’t wait to taste it!

This wine has it all. An elegant minerality, black pepper spice and herbal notes support nuanced floral aromas. All this is backed up by wild, black forest fruit such as blackberries and blueberries. The complexity of the aromas is intense, yet elegant. Further, on the palate the wine is very structured. There are plenty of tannins and acid to give it a sturdy back and balance the concentrated fruit. However, the overall impression is lightened by the prominent floral and mineral flavour elements. A long and pleasant aftertaste of flowers and forest fruit keeps on lingering. At this instant I’ve become Refosco dal Penduncolo Rosso’s friend for life.

Federico climbs to the heights to reach the Refosco barrel.

Schioppettino 2012

The autochthon grape celebration is only to get more intense as Federico introduces us to Schioppettino. This variety is as local as it gets. In the whole of Italy, Schioppettino has its only DOC in Friuli. Its name derives from the relaxed, less technically aware way it was common to make it earlier, which left residual sugar in the wine and every so often a secondary fermentation took place in the bottle, causing it to sparkle on the tongue, and pop the corks out of bottles (schioppettare in Italian = crackle in English).

Stroppolatini’s Schioppettino is faithfully reflective of the characteristics of its variety: it is spicy with red fruit character, mineral and high in tannin. However, although this variety is typically known for its high acidity, in the case of Stroppolatini the outcome is medium in acidity. Federico shares that Schioppettino typically ages in a curious way. When it is young, it shows primarily spicy or herbaceous character, and aggressive tannin. However, when it becomes four years of age, it changes its aromatic and structural character almost overnight. Suddenly it becomes fruit-driven and soft in tannin. Might this be a polymerisation event that  takes place in a rapid cascade of some sort? While I’m pondering this mystery, the last wine of this blog post is poured to my glass.

Cabernet Franc 2012

Cabernet Franc is well know as a part of right bank Bordeaux blends and the grape of the reds from the Loire valley. It is a herbaceous grape variety that has a genetic relationship e.g. to Carmenere, a very herbaceous variety cultivated nowadays mainly in Chile. First, in Chile it was assumed that these vines were Merlot, but the mistake was corrected as the very spicy, herbaceous wine produced was evidently not Merlot. In Friuli, the mistake made was more logical: Carmenere vines were first assumed to be Cabernet Franc vines. This was closer to the truth as both  varieties show herbaceous character. Still, Carmenere has double the amount. In Chile the nomenclature wsa corrected, but in Friuli people got used to calling their Carmenere wine Cabernet Franc. For them ”Cabernet Franc” needs to taste just this spicy and herbaceous, and they are sticking to their guns. Consequently, also at Stroppolatini the wine is labelled Cab. Franc, although they inform very clearly that this spicy and green bell pepper tasting wine is actually made of Carmenere grapes.

It comes as no surprise, that a pronounced spicy, grassy and bell pepper aroma reaches my nose already before I stick it to the glass. The aromas of black pepper spice, grass and green as well as red bell pepper are equally evident on the palate. The structure of this medium bodied wine is freshly acidic and medium in tannin, and its alcohol is well integrated.

I try to make contact - however Tom the cat is busy stalking his prey.

Tom the cat keeps us company

Dear vinous friends, we’ve reached a point in our journey, where we are soon to taste the flagship wine of Stroppolatini winery: Pignolo. But I’m now painfully aware of the already extended length of the blog post at hand. So, I decide that I will still return to Stroppolatini a third time, and I will write a separate story on Pignolo only. Besides, this wonderful, edgy, yet elegant Stroppolatini wine deserves its own space and time in the spotlight.

We are fortunate to be able to vertically taste three different Pignolo vintages, and while we are at Pignolo 2010 on the terrace outside the frasca, we suddenly get company. The exact moment Marianna kindly brings us very thinly sliced, deliciously fragrant prosciutto, bam!, Tom the cat suddenly appears next to me. ”He arrives when the ham arrives”, says amused Federico. But why does Tom have almost only one tooth left? Well, although Tom is offered plenty of proper cat food, he finds eating normal food rather boring. He is a country cat that likes to hunt and stalk everything that moves, and well, doesn’t move (the ham). Federico suspects that Tom eats stones alongside with his preys, because he looses teeth all the time. At this pace there is soon only one tooth left. No worries though, Tom, these thin prosciutto slices melt in you mouth anyway, with or without teeth!

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 We will return to Stroppolatini for a vertical Pignolo tasting in the near future, I promise. Next time, however, we will make a stop in Milan, since I’ve got juicy vinous news from there in store for you, dear readers!