I’m continuing to explore Italian wine regions and native varieties. This time we’re looking at Friuli in the northeast corner of Italy bordering Slovenia and Austria. I tasted some classic varieties along with the rare Vitovska and Cianorie varieties.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The Friuli-Venezia Giulia DOC, or often just Friuli, covers several other DOCs, DOCGs and IGPs. By far, it produces mostly white wines. Most are familiar with the widely distributed Pinot Grigio delle Venezie and Prosecco (along with Veneto) produced within this region. This is where you can also find local varieties like Friulano, but they also make international varieties. In terms of climate, you can have Mediterranean influence but also the Alps to the north providing cooler higher altitudes in some areas.
For this tasting, I found a Pinot Grigio from Collio Goriziano (or just Collio). This region borders Slovenia, and produces mostly Friulano and Pinot Grigio. I’m expecting it to be a step up from the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio delle Venezie though.
The others I tasted are classified in larger designations, but are beyond the cheap, everyday wines that often come with such designations. Jermann is one of the most highly-touted producers from the region, so I got their top Chardonnay. This region and Slovenia are also known for their skin-contact white (orange) wines (like the iconic Radikon, which is dominated by the Ribolla Gialla variety), so I made sure to include one in this tasting. As usual, I found one made from a rarer variety though. Lastly, I found a red wine even though only a quarter of the grapes here are red. Even more interesting is that it’s made from the variety, Cianorie, which only has 1.3 hectares designated to it according to data from 2016.
Tasting Notes
2022 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio Collio DOC
Stainless steel fermentation and lees aging. This is not your run of the mill, crisp but simple Italian Pinot Grigio. There’s more body, fruit ripeness, and leesy creamy feel. The acid is a lot lower too. White peach and floral notes. Some stony minerality and even a hint of petrol, which is weird for this varietal. I should let it warm up some to get more on the nose, but the style is definitely more sophisticated than typical cheap, simple Italian Pinot Grigio. 90
2022 Jermann Where Dreams Have No End Venezia Giulia IGT
11 months in French oak barrels. Screw cap. 97% Chardonnay and 3% other grapes. Takes time for it to warm up and let the reduction blow off-typical of screw cap wines. Then you get a nice balance of yogurty lees, mild oak spice, fruit and steely salinic acidity. 91 Kept well after 8 days. More secondary and some tertiary notes with still good acidity. At least an extra point or so. Let’s say 93 now. Around 5,000 cases are made annually.
2020 Zidarich Kamen Vitovska Venezia Giulia IGT
100% Vitovska grown on the rocky Carso plateau. Vitovska can only be found in this region of Italy and Slovenia. It’s a natural cross between Glera and Malvasia Toscana. It’s usually a high acid wine with mineral and herbal notes. Native yeasts vinified in stone vats are made from the stones in the region. This is an old tradition to keep the wine with its terroir even longer. Around 18 days maceration. 22 months in large Slavonian oak on lees. Unfiltered. Unfined. Light orange in color. Not much nose at first. Perhaps too cold. Not a ton of dry leafy notes I often get in orange wines but it’s more savory and floral. Ripe peachy stone fruit on the palate. Super clean for a skin contact wine which is often made by natural wine producers with some funk. Light for an orange but structured, but round tannins. You get fullness but elegance. Spicy. Medium acid on the back end with some minerality but more about spice. Some honey. Alcohol medium+. There’s a sweetness to it but it’s not residual sugar. Think this needed to warm up some to show more. 92+
2024 Emilio Bulfon Cianorie Friuli DOC
Cianorie was once widely planted in the region, but it’s now rare. Bulfon revived it from near extinction in the 80’s. They also produce other rare grapes revitalized by Emilio Bulfon like Cordenossa, Cividin, Sciaglin, Forgiarin, Piculit Neri, and Ucelut. This is super fruity and floral on the nose. The palate is a crowd pleaser. Fruity cherry, round, low-ish acid. Soft tannins. Good length and potency. Low alcohol. Tastes like a cherry candy but still natural and not synthetic. Not the most complex but it’s expressive, open, easy and tasty for what it is. 90