Gravner: a Divine winery visit in Collio, Friuli, Italy

A pond at the oldest vineyard.

Amber, not orange

Standing here, at the front yard of Gravner winery, in the village of Oslavia, I’ve arrived at the heart of modern orange wine. Gravner’s main building is in Italy, but so close to the Slovenian border that we can see over to the other side: “those trees over there are in Slovenia!” This border region of Italy’s Collio and Slovenia’s Brda is culturally very united. The border has been moved around, and the separation between Collio and Brda (on the Slovenian side) is practically artificial, hence the locals call it Collio-Brda.  Also, this building is the only building in the village of Oslavia that survived the First World War intact – at the time it served as a hospital for the wounded. Today, its peaceful cellar protects numerous gigantic, hand-made clay vessels called amphoras (or kvevris in Georgian) that have been imported from Georgia. They are now buried in the ground, where in their wombs they mature some of world’s most spectacular wines made using prolonged skin contact. I had the privilege to spend an afternoon with Mateja Gravner contemplating the delicate relationship between vineyard care and nature’s balance, discussing Gravner’s ecologically responsible and aware wine philosophy, and tasting their divine wines.

Josko Gravner, Mateja’s father, is the iconic master of wines produced with prolonged skin contact. His uncompromising and bold choices of both wine-making materials and methods have laid the foundations for orange wine culture in the area. Gravner’s wine production philosophy prioritizes the character of the original grape. Protecting nature is important to Gravner, and it is one way of ensuring that the varietal character becomes fully communicated in the final product. The less the wine is disturbed with outside noise (e.g. chemicals in the vineyard, fining, etc) along the way, the more “alive”, nuanced and clearly defined its character is in the end. On that note, Gravners do not use the term “orange wine”, although Mateja agrees that it is useful for marketing purposes as customers are more and more familiar with that term. Instead, Mateja prefers the term “amber wine” because “amber is alive, but orange is already gone”. Orange colour is monotonous, artificial and dead, she explains, while amber is nuanced and alive. Hence, “amber wine”.

Amphoras / kvevris above ground.

At the vineyard

Mateja takes us to their oldest vineyard planted with 7 hectares of white Ribolla (this variety has a thousand year history in this area) and 1,5 hectares of red and unpredictably grape yielding Pignolo (a local variety as well that almost faced extinction, but made it back). And that is it. Gravner has stopped growing international varieties. Although this vineyard hosts only two varieties of grapes, many other plants and species abound. Promoting biodiversity and protecting the surrounding ecosystem from human impact caused by agriculture are of primary concern for Gravner. As planting the vineyard causes the vines to be overrepresented in that particular system, Gravners have decided to plant fruit, olive and other trees in the vineyard, and even build artificial ponds to support the birds and insects. In this area, there has been a loss of bird species in the past decades. However, thanks to ecologically more aware agriculture and these kinds of interventions, the bird populations have started to flourish again. Wine is nature’s product, and Gravner approaches it as a part of the ecosystem. The more ecologically balanced the vineyards are, the more balanced the grapes, and finally, the resulting wine. And along the same lines, the less the wine is disturbed at any point of its production, the more the final product reflects the grapes of origin. All this crystallizes to outstanding quality in the glass.

Although Gravner works with practically biodynamic (and organic) production methods, they haven’t applied for any certifications. Why? Because they want to work only according to the principles they themselves believe are most fruitful for reaching best quality, on the contrary to working according to certificate requirements that would at some instances require compromising from their own standards. The accumulation of copper and sulphur compounds in the soil is currently a common problem in organic vineyards because they are sprayed with these repetitively to prevent fungal disease. Gravner has found a solution in propolis and algae. With the help of these natural fungicides they have been able to reduce the usage of copper and sulphur up to 40%. “Everything that helps lessen the human impact on the soil must be at least tried”, says Mateja.

“How we produce is how we live”

Listening to Mateja, I begin to understand that for Gravner wine is a living organism that develops and grows at its own pace. It needs to be listened to, its process needs to be followed, not pushed. Mateja often compares wine with growing children:  like a child, wine slowly becomes itself, with proper guidance and plenty of time. At Gravner this time is approximately seven years – this is the time a wine needs to mature after prolonged skin contact, and this is the time a child needs to grow before she is ready for school. And like a proper parent, Gravner makes uncompromising choices to reach a wine that reflects the true character of the original grapes: only the healthiest and optimally ripe grapes are picked, the rest are discarded. And only Georgian, hand-made clay vessels will do. Nothing less, no matter how much effort it may require to get the cellar filled with them.

Mateja Gravner and the spectacular Rosso Breg 2004 made with Pignolo.

Before the amphoras, Gravner produced their wines in a manner still very typical to Collio: international varieties filled the vineyards and the cellar was full of stainless steel and modern technology. No doubt, this set produced wines of the highest quality with crisp acidity and fruity freshness – wines with international appeal. However, Josko Gravner didn’t taste the original varietal taste of the grapes in the end product. Further, he noticed that international wines as well as the wines of his own area seemed to lose personality and approach a uniform style. This bothered him.

A turning point was reached in 1996. This was a very poor vintage. Gravner lost a devastating 92% of Ribolla grapes. Josko decided to experiment with the remaining 8% to finally determine what interventions would allow or hinder the Ribolla varietal taste of the fresh grapes to shine through in the wine. He attempted e.g. making Ribolla wine with or without cultured yeasts; with or without prolonged skin contact; with or without sulphites. The final results? Unsurprisingly, Ribolla’s character was the clearest with minimal interventions. As a conclusion, Josko Gravner opted for amphoras as they, without any other technology but a minimal amount of sulphites, allowed for prolonged skin contact and retained the fresh aromas of the wine.  Mateja says: “Amphoras are nothing exotic – they just bring together everything that is required to achieve a high quality wine through extended skin contact without any extra technology.” (An article about Kvevri/Amphora as a wine making technology is available here.)

Gravner's cellar is full of amphoras buried in the ground.

Determined to produce characterful wines, in 1997 Josko Gravner sold his shiny stainless steel tanks and started his challenging journey towards creating a cellar full of Georgian amphoras. Easier said than done. At the time Georgia was still politically unstable. To travel there was a questionable undertaking as such, but to get the actual amphoras to end up in Collio, a herculean task. The first batch of amphoras arrived in no earlier than year 2000. There were eleven amphoras, out of which nine were broken. Naturally, the conclusion was to order more Georgian amphoras! The vintage of 2001 was the first when Gravner produced some wine made in amphoras. Today, all their wine is produced in amphoras, including the red Pignolo. After pressing, Pignolo moves into oak barrels to mature, but Ribolla stays in skin contact for six months in amphoras before racking, and after continues to mature in amphoras until the following autumn. After this period also Ribolla is matured in large Slavonian oak vessels for six years.  

Tasting wines together with Mateja Gravner crystallized the spirit of this uncompromising winemaking philosophy into concrete reality. These wines were outstanding throughout. Each of them would deserve a detailed, in-depth review. Attempting to write a short version would not do them justice. Instead, I will warmly recommend these wines for wine enthusiasts and anyone fascinated by unique wines of outstanding quality. What I took home from this visit (alongside with a couple of lovely bottles to my collection) was the comprehension that a wine is born, when its process is allowed to take place in the right conditions without extra manipulation. My visit at Gravner helped me to trust the process instead of pushing the river – and this applies equally well to life as well as wine making in kvevris/amphoras.

Amber wine.

Coordinates

Azienda Agricola Gravner Francesco
Localita Lenzuolo Bianco 9
Oslavia 34170 Gorizia

tel. 0481 30882

info@gravner.it
gravner.it

 

***

Dear friends of wine and Divine Wine. This last article has taken me an unpardonably long time to write. Another project outside wine has become very time intensive in my life. So, dear friends, it is time to say good-bye, and thank you all for reading Divine Wine blog. I wish you all the best wines now and in the future! Cin cin!  

Livon Friulano 2014 Collio, Friuli, Italy

 

Livon Friulano 2014.

Wine review

4 of 5 stars

A very good wine 

Taking a glance at the almost watery, pale, lemon color of this wine you wouldn’t necessarily expect the abundance of aromas that meets the nose. Elegant and fresh floral notes are followed by clear pear and citrus aromas only to be complemented by sage-like herbal notes and, so typical of Friulano, a magnificent almondy softness. Although this wine has only received stainless steel treatment, its buttery character, most probably due to Friulano as a varietal (and not malolactic fermentation), gives more complexity to the aroma profile than expected for such a young and fresh wine.

What about the palate, then? For such a pale colored and fresh wine, there is substantial body to it. Almost approaching full body, the structure is well balanced with high acidity, plenty of fruit and well-integrated, medium alcohol. The mouth-filling weight carries the almond aroma typical of this variety at its core, while the fresh floral, pear and citrus notes create a paradoxically light impression. Exiting with a delightfully long and bitter almond-peel aftertaste, this very Friulian wine leaves a pleasant impression.

A well-balanced, aromatically somewhat complex, yet refreshing and young wine. Thanks to its high acidity and plentiful fruit pairs beautifully with fish and prosciutto – and plenty of dishes – especially Nothern European Christmas fish dishes and even the Christmas ham. Recommended.

Info in a nutshell

Price examples:

EUR 16.98 Alko wine and spirits shop, Finland

USD 9.55 webshop Bernabei.com

GBP 6.39 webshop Bernabei.co.uk

Country and region: Italy, Friuli, Collio

Grapes: 70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alc vol: 12,5%

Producer: Livon

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009, 2010 and 2011 Friuli, Italy

Stroppolatini's court yard reflects Italian sense of beauty.

Stroppolatini produces 100% Pignolo

While Pignolo is the most glorious of Friulian local black grapes, it is also the toughest one to handle. It produces very low yields (only 50% of the yields of Merlot), is messy to work with due to its staining pigments, and demands extensive maturation to show its potential. It is no surprise that producers tend to be slightly apprehensive about planting Pignolo, and it is not widely produced in its home area. On top of that, drinking and selling young wines have always dominated the Friulian wine culture. Hence, Pignolo has been either drank too young, while astringent and still hiding its aromatic potential, or it has been ”cut” with other grapes to soften it, but also loosing its varietal beauty in the process.

Fortunately, there are exceptions to these rules: Stroppolatini produces 100% Pignolo. At the moment they sell out the 2010 vintage, and still, Federico Stroppolatini considers the wine to be very young - it is only starting to show its potential.  We were privileged to be able to vertically taste three consecutive vintages of Stroppolatini Pignolo, and to experience in practise the evolution of this exceptional wine.

 

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2011

This wine being still in the process of maturation, Federico kindly offers us tasting samples straight from the barrel. The intensely deep ruby red colour and the finesse of the aromatics on the nose immediately communicate how very big this wine is. The aromas are different from anything I have smelled before: there are wild forest berries, mostly red berries such as wild raspberries and cranberries, and an elegant and very feminine perfume aroma. This aroma of face powder or talcum powder is extraordinary, and in my experience completely unique to Pignolo. The red berry and powdery nuances are supported by deeper red, almost black fruit character of plums, and black pepper spice.

What about the palate then? Well, as expected, this young Pignolo wine is definitely aggressive on the palate. Drying and mouth pinching tannin combined with bold acidity promises aging potential for years and decades to come. Also the concentrated fruit and well-integrated alcohol promise a glorious future for this wine. However, drinking it now would be utter waste of a beautiful product, because its structure is only starting to develop and its flavour potential is still mostly hidden. Nevertheless, this young wine has an intense and long finish that lingers for minutes.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2010.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2010

Although vintage 2010 can drink now, Federico thinks it would benefit from many more years of aging to show its best qualities. I absolutely agree. Compared to the 2011 vintage, this wine shows more raspberry fruit as well as more development. Tertiary aromas of cedar and tobacco are intertwined with the delightful powdery, floral pignoloish perfume. What a bouquet! While the tannin still dominates on the palate, there is now more roundness to its quality. But make no mistake; there is still definite muscle and aggression to the structure! And the finish, oh, the finish. A complex aromatic sequence keeps opening up for ages. 

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009.

Stroppolatini Pignolo 2009

This wine is where the potential of this grape is truly revealed. It is an outstanding wine. The intense colour is now already turning towards garnet, and the nose has more fruity, raspberry intensity, nevertheless remaining still very floral, powdery and elegantly feminine. Federico brings up the peculiar way Pignolo typically ages: while wines usually become less and less fruity with age, Pignolo appears to reveal its fruit more and more! Somehow its berry aromas are liberated while the tannin becomes softer. 

This is absolutely true. I find 2009 vintage to be even more abundant in raspberry and cranberry flavours compared to the previous wines. Notably, the palate is now showing a beautiful balance. The plentiful tannin has become integrated and remarkably rounder, only slightly pinching the tongue. I can only imagine where this wine would go in ten years of time: it would probably become powdered raspberry velvet supported by a cascade of developed aromas. Already now, the aftertaste is exceptional. I greatly enjoy the paradox this wine offers: on one hand it is feminine and elegant in its flavours, on the other hand it is shamelessly powerful and tannic. Pignolo is an iron princess!

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!

***

 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!

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

The main building of Stroppolatini winery.

All this beauty! The main building, magnificently glowing in every shade of pink imaginable, and Mrs Barbara Stroppolatini’s fiery red roses as well as the emerald vineyards are equally competing for my admiration, until Tom, the (nearly) one-toothed cat, arrives. Not really interested in me, he is just checking whether San Daniele ham is already being served to the guests? Sorry Tom, not yet, priorities first (although, I suppose, ham really is Tom’s priority). It is time to talk about wine. 

And there comes Federico Stroppolatini, our brilliant host, who is together with his father and boss, Il Capo, Giuliano Stroppolatini, responsible for the entire process of viticulture and winemaking at Stroppolatini winery. As Federico narrates the history of the farm, everything around us becomes alive. In the 18th century there were only observation posts on this hill, up until the 1820’s, when a relative of Stroppolatini, Luigi Francesco Spezzotti, bought the place. 170 years ago the first vineyards were planted making this farm one of the oldest in the area.  Simultaneously, the tradition of excellent hospitality was established only to be continued today at Stroppolatini’s attractive B&B Casali del Picchio. As a part of our tour, we got to take a peek at its beautiful, classic Riviera style decorated rooms that, I have to say, are a dream accommodation for a wine lover travelling in Friuli.

170 years old vines in front of violinist's house are featured in 1850's art work.

So impressive was the hospitality here also in 1850’s that a well known artist, Giuseppe Liusso, after an extended stay, painted a picture of the scenery as a thank you gift for his hosts. Astonishingly, what we see on the painting is practically identical to the scenery we witness today: the very same pink main building, the small white violinist’s house (built to spare others’ ears from the family’s violinist practising) and, most precious of all, the actual Friulano and Merlot vines that still grow in the hillside vineyard in front of the violinist’s house, still as healthy and productive as ever. 170 years old, these vines are as old as the winemaking tradition of this house. Treasuring the tradition and beauty of their farm, Stroppolatinis have printed the painting on their label.

The historical scenery of the farm is printed on Stroppolatini label.

  

Il Capo, Giuliano, and his viticulture and oenology studying university student son, Federico, continuously explore how to best combine today’s knowledge with the local, artisanal winemaking tradition. Aiming at high quality first and foremost, Giuliano Stroppolatini decided in 1999 that the farm’s wine production should be expanded and made a public activity on the contrary to making wine solely for family consumption. More vineyard area from a neighbour was purchased and local varieties planted, amongst them Pignolo - even if Giuliano Stroppolatini’s close friend, also a producer, first reacted along the lines of: ”Oh, no, no Pignolo, that grape juice can only be used for writing, as ink!”.

Nevertheless, Giuliano was to stick to his guns, and today Federico thanks his father for his bold choices. Now Pignolo is Stroppolatini’s capolavoro, or as Federico puts it: ”This wine is our firework”. Stroppolatini’s Pignolo is one of the few 100% Pignolo varietal wines produced in this area where the grape is autochthonous, which makes it one of the few 100% Pignolo wines in the entire world. Regardless of its unpredictable and low yields, its utter messiness in the winery (in this sense Giuliano's friend was indeed right) and the prolonged aging it demands, Federico maintains that Pignolo produces results that make it all worthwhile. Tasting the resulting wines will be the topic of my winery visit part II blog post, when Federico takes us to the cellar. But we will get there, to taste Pignolo, I promise! For this part I post, my focus is on Stroppolatini’s winemaking philosophy, to highlight the background of their products and thus enable the full appreciation of the tasting experience ahead.

The wonderfully inviting Stroppolatini family (from left): Barbara, Giuliano, Marianna, and our brilliant host, Federico. (Image: stroppolatini.it)

  

Stroppolatini’s viticulture and winemaking practices are focused around sustainability and uninterventionist philosophy. Driven by the objective of producing varietally expressive, local tradition reflecting, and Colli Orientali area’s uniquely mineral ponca -terroir communicating wine, everything that could disturb the vine’s own voice is avoided. Stroppolatinis choose not to use pesticides or fertilisers (apart from humus from composting plants), and minimize machinery usage in the vineyard, harvesting manually. For disease prevention, only following the plants’ health with a keen eye and, when necessary, traditional sulphur and copper oxide based sprays are used. Systemic interventions are avoided to the greatest extent possible, and used only if they are imperative. Fortunately, the last such occasion took place over five years ago, and since then systemic interventions have not been used. The oldest, 170 years old vines don’t need much help staying healthy as they have built a strong immunity surviving throughout the centuries. This is exactly the direction towards which Federico would like to see all of their vines developing through sustainable disease prevention. 

I was in awe of Mrs Barbara's roses.

When it is harvest time, Stroppolatinis invite the locals to work with them, manually picking only the healthy grapes, being careful not to damage them. Federico wouldn’t want to use machinery for the harvest even if he could, because ”machine harvesting takes the magic out of the wine”. He enjoys the feeling of community that the shared experience of harvest brings to their vineyards. Besides, the most important human skill, the careful selection of only the ripe and intact grapes, and their gentle picking, can’t be taught to a machine. For a small, artisanal winery of six hectares, the guarantee of quality is the precision of human touch.

Colli Orientali's mineral ponca soil consists of eocene marl.

Moreover, in the winery, the current knowledge is combined with traditional, uninterventionistic winemaking as a modern, pneumatic press only gently breaks the skins of the grapes before fermentation, releasing just right proportion of colour an tannins for the traditional, long macerations. Natural fermentations of the yeasts on the grape skins are allowed, boosted only by using locally isolated, hence terroir reflecting, yeast strains. The fermentations take place in stainless steel, and the natural yeasts would struggle without the addition of selected yeast strains. Further, the resulting aromas of wine are better controlled using selected yeasts that will dominate the fermentation, while the complexity of the aromas is preserved by allowing the presence of natural strains in the mix.

Friulano matures 18-20 months in stainless steel.

After exceptionally long macerations and maturations of minimum of 18 months for white wines and 2 years for red, there are plenty of stabilizing agents in the wines, and, simultaneously, the deposits have had plenty of time to settle. Hence, Stroppolatinis don’t use fining agents at all, and need only to use minimal levels of SO2 (sulphites) to ensure the preservation of their wines. All of the above taken together, Stroppolatini’s production is practically organic, although they have not gone through the certification process. However, it is safe to say that they take pride in sustainable and carefully preventive vineyard practises as well as uninterventionistic winemaking.

In Friuli, the long maceration and maturation times for whites are traditional, but today more an exception than a rule. Most whites are quickly pressed off their skins and bottled to be sold the year following their vintage, producing a light, crispy, fruit-driven style. However, Giuliano Stroppolatini does not follow the whims of fashion but believes in structured whites he produces from the local Friulano grape. Keeping the juice in skin contact for ten days extracts colour, flavour and even tannin to the white wine. Moreover, he has recently started to experiment further into traditional wine making, bringing in oak. Now two versions of long matured Friulano are being made at Stroppolatini: the fruity, yet structured, 18-20 months stainless steel matured version, and the creamy, full-bodied oak matured version, that has undertaken malolactic fermentation. All the oak barrels used, also for red wines, are used, neutral tonneaux made of French or Slavonian oak. The result of oak aging is gentle, controlled effect of oxygen without noticeable oak flavour influence. Reaching this sentence, dear readers, makes me realise that I’m heading straight to the wine cellar. So, it is time to restrain my fingers running on the keyboard and start wrapping up. 

Highly productive Friulano vines getting better with age!

Upcoming on the II part of Stroppolatini winery visit: a legion of tasting notes from the Stroppolatini wine cellar featuring their excellent varietal wines of both international and interesting and fantastic local, Friulian grape varieties such as Pignolo. Plenty of laughter and fun with our excellent host Federico, one of our entertaining themes being Beetle, who indeed likes prosciutto. Or as Federico says: ”The cat arrives, when the ham arrives.” But why does Tom have (almost) only one tooth left? Also that will be revealed in the part II. Until then, dear readers!

Coordinates

Azienda Agricola Stroppolatini

Strada di Prepotto, 21

Gagliano

33043 Cividale del Friuli, Italia

stroppolatini.it

stroppolatiniazagri@hotmail.it

casalidelpicchio@virgilio.it

Staying at B&B Casali del Picchio is a wine lover's dream.

Recommended in Cormons, Friuli, Italy - Enoteca di Cormons wine bar

Colourful old buildings surround the piazza where underneath the yellow sunshades you can hear the laughter of locals, many of them wine producers, as well as see couples and even a few tourists enjoying the fruits of Cormons and broader Collio area vineyards. A group of friends sitting in the table next to us cheers and applauds as one more arrives on a buzzing Vespa. Spontaneous and cheerful, the mood on this wine bar terrace is contagious.

Plates of delicious local prosciutto and formaggio, of which Friuli is famous for, arrive alongside with wine glasses that conveniently have clothespins attached as a reminder of the producer in question. This labelling is very appropriate, as going forward with the tasting the table gets more and more crowded with wonderful glasses of wine. These treasures are not to be mixed! At Enoteca di Cormons a wine lover is at a true risk of getting stuck to the chair  - there is always one more interesting Merlot to taste from a different producer, and surely you can’t leave before trying that producer’s Schioppettino since their Bordeaux blend was so marvellous!

Enoteca is a cooperative wine bar owned by local producers.

Enoteca di Cormons is a co-operative wine bar of local producers situated on the attractive main piazza of the 7000 strong village of Cormons. The co-operative was established in 1984, and today the wine bar is the heart of Cormons wine village. Over thirty producers from areas of Collio and Friuli Isonzo are represented on the wine list. Alongside with offering their production for tasting, the objective is to inform visitors of the area’s wines as well as their producers. On the contrary to a conventional wine bar, this place wishes to bring the customers and the producers in contact, and advance the awareness of the local wine culture.

Ideally structured, the wine list serves this purpose magnificently: each producer has their own page listing their products. Most of the wines can be bought by the glass for a couple of euros. Also, it isn’t improbable at all to get acquainted with the producer himself at the bar counter and get an improvised round of tasting there and then! And even if you didn’t meet a producer, there is plenty of knowledgeable staff around to tell you about the wines in detail.

The adorable view over Cormons from our room at Subida di Monte.

On the Enoteca’s website there is a map of the wineries of the producers involved, which demonstrates in how very compact geographical area they actually can be found. As we walked the less than two kilometre from the Enoteca member winery Subida di Monte, where we stayed (they also have a small B&B, highly recommended) to the Enoteca, we managed to pass another member winery, Barbara Bastiani, who’s wines we also tasted at the Enoteca. It is worthwhile to keep in mind that the Enoteca of Cormons is exactly that, a very local establishment, not covering the entirety of Collio wines and styles. Aware of these limitations, however, a wine lover will find Enoteca di Cormons a wonderful starting point to explore the surrounding wine region. This place offers an especially rich opportunity to get introduced to the richness of Friulian local grape varieties, and to learn to understand them in an instant, through comparatively taste e.g. Schioppetino varietal wines from several producers.

Cormons as well as its Enoteca are welcoming and charming, and in Northern Italian style, tranquil and uncomplicated. On top of this, Cormons is still completely free of any touristic influence. Furthermore, in this wine-appreciating village there are particularly fine restaurants, which I’m convinced a culinaristically oriented wine traveller will value. Finding an accommodation is extra enjoyable fo a wine lover as many of the area’s wineries have a B&B alongside with their core function, winemaking. With all these qualities, Cormons serves as an ideal base for delving into high quality Friulian wine scenes of Collio and Colli Orientali after you have been initiated to Friulian wine at the lovely and informative Enoteca di Cormons. Highly recommended.

Coordinates

Enoteca di Cormòns

Piazza XXIV Maggio 21

34071 Cormons GO, Italy

cormons (at) gmail.com

www.enoteca-cormons.it

Refosco - Friulian autochthon black grape varieties part II

The finest Refoscos have floral character.

Refosco (and Teran)

Undoubtedly one with a complicated pedigree, Refosco is the kind of black autochthon grape from Friuli that deserves to be brought to the wine lovers attention. Actually, rather than a single grape variety, Refosco is a family of grape varieties that (supposedly) originates in Friuli but has over the centuries mutated into several related varieties. There is plenty of dispute around whether certain grape varieties belong to the Refosco family and, if they do, to which extent they are related to Refosco variety. Let’s see.

Before we get to Friuli, it is worth mentioning that there are number of Refosco related grape varieties that are important for Slovenian and Croatian wine industry. The most important variety is Teran of which there is particularly contrasting information around regarding its relationship to Refosco. Some sources use Teran synonymous to Refosco; others consider Teran a completely independent variety. In Friuli, Teran is cultivated in Friuli Carso DOC, which shares a border with Croatia. Here Teran has its own DOC - Terrano DOC. Probably it is safest to say that Teran is a sub variety of Refosco. I’ll come back to Teran when looking at wines of Croatia, but now let’s return to Friuli.

Friuli is the home of the greatest expressions of Refosco anywhere, and it is Colli Orientali in particular that gets the credentials. Here the most important sub variety is the red-stemmed Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. This noble variety is a slow ripener and gives green tannin if harvested too early. On the other hand, there is no hurry to harvest anyway - Refosco is very resistant to rot.

Traditionally Refosco was made into simple table wine - the kind of wine that was consumed while it was young, fresh and fruity. However, being high in both acid and tannin, Refosco has a great potential for aging, as it is capable of producing also dense, full-bodied wines of great structure. During the last years the quality of Refosco wines has greatly improved in Friuli. Temperature controlled fermentation and usage of new oak has steered Refosco wines more towards the international style.

Colli Orientali, the heart land of Refosco, knows the grape’s true potential. Here wonderfully complex expressions of Refosco show its attractive aromatic spectrum of forest berries such as blackberries and blueberries. Diverse aromas of currants, herbal notes as well as plentiful spice are a part of Refosco’s aromatic nature. In the finish, an almond aroma comes to the foreground leaving a bitterness of almond peel on the tongue. The finest Refoscos retain their floral layers, which usually are violet notes. And as if all this wasn’t enough, Colli Orientali Refoscos typically show minerality, which gives elegance to the otherwise dense and fruity wine.

Personally I find both Friulian Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso as well as Croatian Teran very pleasurable grape acquaintances. To my palate they share a lot in common in terms of structure and aromatics. Whether or not they actually are independent varieties will, for now, remain uncertain. What is certain, however, is that there will be juicy wine reviews posted on Divine Wine thanks to both of these delicious, local varieties.