About this WINE
Miani, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Enzo Pontoni is arguably Italy's finest white winemaker, responsible for the uncompromisingly taut, minerally precise wines of Miani.
Drawing on the famous 'ponca'/marl & limestone soils of the Colli Orientali del Friuli, a continental viticultural DOC sandwiched between Udine & the Slovenian border, north of Trieste, Enzo has tended 10 hillside hectares of high-density (6-7,000 plants/ha) organic vineyards near the village of Buttrio since 1985, producing a range of quivering whites & statuesque reds.
Yields are critically low at approx 20 hectolitres/hectare while vinification typically consists of barrel fermentation in 40% new french oak, no malolactic fermentation (for the whites, except for the Chardonnay) or temperature control. He also produces two reds: a rich but suave Merlot from fifteen separate parcels and the flagship of the estate, 'Calvari', made from 100% Refosco, densely packed with crunchy blackberry fruit & aged in 100% new oak. Recently he has begun consulting at the Az. Agr. Davino Meroi estate, also based in Buttrio.
Colli Orientali del Friuli
Along with Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli is the finest DOC zone in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. Situated in the Julian Alps on the border with Slovenia, much of its quality is down to its calcareous and sandstone landscape and 400m altitude. High planting densities, older vines, poor soils (especially compared to the flood plains below) and a challenging continental climate all assist in achieving lower yields and greater concentration in the wines.
Perhaps surprisingly, Sauvignon Blanc is the king of the whites here, producing fuller bodied but also taut and minerally examples. Indigenous varieties Ribolla Gialla and (Tocai) Friulano follow hot on its heels. The reds are led by the Refosco grape which achieves blackberry richness alongside a minerally poise. Next best is Pignolo, the region’s answer to Nebbiolo, while Merlot runs a close third.
Recommended producers: Canus, Davino Meroi and Miani
Friulano
The Friulano wine grape was formerly known as 'Tocai Friulano' up to the 2006 vintage, whose origins date back to the early 17th century and the province of Gorizia in Friuli-Venezia-Guilia, north-eastern Italy.
Friulano is a notable white wine grape in the DOCs of Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio, Isonzo, Grave del Friuli. It produces restrained wines with delicate apricot, honeyed aromatics and a light-medium bodied, minerally and almond palate, for early to medium term drinking, often complemented by oak ageing.
Miani, Canus and Lis Neris are responsible for fine examples. Interestingly, Tocai is also a synonym for Sauvignonasse or Sauvignon Vert, often erroneously labelled as 'Sauvignon Blanc' in S.America.
Friulano is noted for giving light/medium bodied dry wines with characterful orange & marzipan fruit aromas, elevated levels of alcohol & relatively low acidity. It does not readily take to oak ageing.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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