About this WINE
Marco Sara, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Marco Sara is a young Friulano producer whose family and 7 hectares of vines and 4 hectares of woods are located just north of Udine at Savorgnano del Torre, on the western of the Colli Orientali del Friuli – a pre-Alps range of hills that separate Friuli from Slovenia.
Here, at between 75 – 300 msl, the marne (‘ponca’) and sandstone slopes favour Marco Sara’s white and red indigenous grape varieties Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Picolit, Verduzzo, Schioppettino, Refosco, along with some Cabernet Franc.
Marco took over the reins of his family cantina in 2000, making the switch from selling off in bulk to bottling the fruit himself. In 2005 the estate became organic; it was also the year when he first bottled sweet wines Picolit and Verduzzo. He makes small quantities of hand-made wine, using organic fruit and wild yeast. These are authentic fine wines that speak of an indigenous grape, that respect and reflect local tradition and territory.
Schioppettino/Ribolla Nera
Schioppettino, also known as Ribolla Nera, is a red wine grape native to the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is believed to have descended from Slovenia. There are records of Schiopettino wine being served in marriage ceremonies that date back to 1282.
The grape was threatened with extinction following the ravages of phylloxera in the 19th century when vineyards were replanted with higher-yielding, more robust French wine grapes like Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc and Merlot. Plantings are still limited and concentrated in the Colli Orientali appellation. This is a grape with rich potential, typically vinified in stainless-steel and matured in used barriques. Schioppettino is deeply coloured, medium bodied, with charming violet aromatics and a certain Northern Rhone (Syrah ) peppery quality, Alpine-fresh acidity, and few tannins to speak of.
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Description
Marco Sara is a young Friulano producer who took over the reins of his family cantina in 2000, the first generation to bottle the fruit himself. He makes small quantities of hand-made wine, using organic fruit and wild yeast. These are authentic fine wines that speak of an indigenous grape, respecting and reflecting local tradition and terroir.
Schioppetino is a bit of a tongue-twister to say, but Marco’s example is a delicious mouthful: dark ruby red, the nose is delicately perfumed with menthol and wild-rose notes. Suave and medium-bodied at 13 percent, the wine is brambly, with a mineral, elegant, complex fragrance, supported by time in tonneau and barrique. For those who like a Syrah/Shiraz style of wine perhaps? Drink now to 2024.
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