Mixed Case of wine From Friuli

2020 Drius Friulano DOC Collio (100% Tocai) - Friuli

Pale straw yellow with greenish highlights. Friulano’s subtly understand signature aroma is redolent of nuts. The vibrant, fresh-tasting palate is dry, well rounded and veined with almondines. An excellent aperitif and a fine companion for starters or fish but also very satisfying with soups or grilled white meats. 

For centuries, the Drius family has been farming grapes in the extreme north-east of Italy.

The DOC zones here are the Collio and Isonzo, both noted for the outstanding quality of their wines since ancient times.

The Drius family farms fifteen hectares planted to vine on the verdant slopes of Mount Quarin, which dominates Cormòns, and on the upper flatlands of the blue Isonzo river.

This is a territory whose wines acquire astonishingly complex sensory profiles from an ideal growing environment. The lofty Alps provide shelter and breezes from the nearby Adriatic warm the vines.

In the Collio, the gently rolling sandstone and marl hillslopes yield stunningly good dry, richly fragranced whites.

The mainly limestone-based and alluvial soils of the Isonzo DOC zone produce elegantly refined, refreshingly savoury whites and full-bodied, sumptuously flavoured reds.

The Driuses focus on production, which means vineyard management using techniques that respect the environment. Organic methods and alternative energy sources are extensively employed with an eye to keeping any chemical intervention to an absolute minimum.

2022 Babo Pinot Grigio - Friuli It.

Friuli, in the far northeast of Italy, has a justified rep for making the country's best white wines. Justin Bubb (winemaker) explains, “The key to this region is the difference in diurnal temperature. In the growing season the days are very warm but the nights freezing. This allows a nice, long ripening and wonderful aromatics for the white wines”. So it’s good news that Babo’s Pinot Grigio is sourced from this region—specifically from a 30-year-old site in San Martino al Tagliamento, near Pordenone. The now 29-year-old vineyard sits at the base of the Alps and the soils are a mix of clay and alpine gravel from alluvial deposits. 

Pinot Grigio from Friuli generally has more fleshy layers than, say, those from Veneto and Trentino, a feature Justin Bubb underscores by allowing eight hours skin contact in the press. The fruit was de-stemmed, crushed, and sat in the press for about 8 hours prior to the start of pressing. Ferment was then carried out in steel tank and the wine remained on lees for eight months prior to bottling.

2021 Carpino ‘Vigna Runc’ Malvasia - Friuli

Il Carpino is run by husband and wife Franco and Anna Sosol. Together they manage a modest but highly sought 17 ha of organically farmed vineyards. Located in the village of San Floriano del Colli, a hilly region on the border of Slovenia. The site is further Inland and at higher altitude than most producers and is known for its sustainable farming. Il Carpino Winery refuses to use chemicals, only utilising organic products where necessary and applying biodynamic practices at the source of their best parcels.

2021 Zuani Vigne (Friulano, Chardonnay, Grigio, SB – unoaked) - Friuli

The Zuani Collio Bianco ‘Vigne’ beautifully exhibits the characteristics of classy Collio fruit. This blend of Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is a rich yellow hue with a broad palate showing apricots, ripe peach, melon, and tomato leaf over a refreshing, crystal-clear framework. Collio in Italy’s extreme North-east Friuli region is the recognised standard bearer for quality white Italian wines

2020 I Clivi Schioppettino - Prepotto Friuli

Tasting Notes
The color is brilliant ruby red, with a moderate transparency. The nose reveals scents of cherry and strawberry, with a slight peppery-spiciness. In the mouth it shows a prominent acidity, a medium body and a delicacy reminding of red-fruit pulp.

2020 LA TUNELLA REFOSCO - Friuli

Refosco is an ancient family of dark skinned Italian grape varieties native to Northern Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The La Tunella Refosco is broad, rich, and intense, anchored by fruit and spice notes, wild blackberry, raspberry, cocoa, and tobacco. A full, dry body with substantial structure and a slightly bitter aftertaste.