We are in a tasting session, invited by MG Logos for one of the stops of Doc Friuli & Friends, organized by the Consorzio DOC Friuli together with MG Logos itself. Joining the tasting are Stefano Carboni, Matteo Bellotto, Gianmarco Nulli Gennari, and Luca Sessa.
And of course—just outside the reach of my webcam—there is also my son Federico, preparing for his WSET exam… 🙂
The grape variety is Tocai Friulano, though the wine had to give up the word “Tocai” following a long-standing dispute with Hungary. Today, therefore, we simply refer to it as Friulano. A grape different from the Hungarian one, and apparently related—at least according to current hypotheses—to the French Sauvignonasse.
The wines on the table come from geographically close areas, near the Slovenia border, yet with distinct characteristics. Despite the proximity of their origins, the differences among the wines in the tasting are clearly noticeable. Wines that introduce themselves with a beautiful floral bouquet, aromas that unmistakably invite you to move quickly beyond the purely olfactory stage.
I open them together with my son Federico—as mentioned, now clearly on the road to perdition as well—and we share the tasting. Four Friulano wines, four very different personalities, to the point of sparking moments of reflection—starting with a lively exchange of opinions about the order of tasting.
But now, let’s move on to the wines.
ERMACORA Friulano 2019
A family active in the territory since 1922. Four generations now working across 46 hectares on the border with Slovenia, in the municipality of Premariacco, on soils rich in sandstone and marl, with a particularly attentive approach to sustainability, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. A wine that welcomes you in the glass with a very rich and immediate bouquet. Pleasant on the palate and equally immediate, to the point that it can easily be imagined as a wine capable of appealing to very different types of drinkers.
It is a wine that invites you to return to the glass again and again, with white fruit in the foreground and a pleasant sharpness. A subtle herbaceous note hints at its kinship with Sauvignon. Federico, my son, points out a bitter finish that leans more toward orange peel than the typical almond note usually found in Friulano.
VIGNA PETRUSSA Friulano 2019
We move a little further east, to the winery led by Hilde Petrussa, known for her strong attention to indigenous grape varieties. We are in the lands of Schioppettino, in a terroir characterized by Eocene marl soils (ponca) and exposure to air currents, with significant temperature variations that help favor the development of aromas in the grapes. Aromas that are all present in the wine, which opens with a very impactful aromatic profile, featuring floral notes, citrus, and a pleasant hint of honey.
A wine with good structure, where one can perceive a moderate use of large oak barrels. Well balanced, with a pleasantly bitter finish that is just right.
TENUTA BELTRAME Friulano 2018
An estate that had been abandoned for a long time, until 1991, when the Beltrame family decided to intervene with a restoration project aimed at bringing the property back to its former glory and enhancing the winemaking vocation of the territory.Here we are closer to the sea, with loam-clay soils and a climate characterized by cold winters and warm summers, conditions that favor a slow and gradual ripening of the grapes.The wine—made from the blend of different clonal selections of the same grape variety—is one that I found myself returning to several times, and that expressed itself better on the second tasting.
The first approach was marked by a rich floral note, but on the palate the sensation of pseudo-warmth from the alcohol seemed to dominate the rest. Quite different on the second tasting, where the alcohol stepped back, giving way to a slight residual sweetness and a light astringency on the finish.I must confess that I also tried it the following day, carefully sealed under pressure, and found it decidedly more balanced.
LIS FADIS Sbilf Friulano 2013
We are south of Cividale del Friuli, on gently rolling hills whose slopes guarantee excellent sun exposure. In these lands of marl and sandstone, fairies are known as “Lis Fadis”, and besides being the name of the winery, “Sbilf”—the name of this wine—is also the name of a little goblin from local folklore. Almost eight years old, this is the final wine of the tasting. On my notebook, after a few notes, I went back to the top of the page and wrote: “long in its subtle elegance.” I did not expect to find such balance. Still fresh, elegant, full of character, with a thread of astringency that never becomes excessive. A wine that wins you over gradually.
At the end of the tasting, Stefano raises an interesting question: how should a wine like Sbilf 2013 be presented to a restaurant customer?A question that intrigues me and brings me back to something I have felt strongly since the first day I approached the world of wine: the need to communicate wine in a simple, engaging, and compelling way.The need for clear and accessible communication now seems widely recognized, though often with little practical application. According to my tasting companions, this is mostly due to a lack of time—especially in the dining room.I understand the point. But I also believe that a small effort can always be made.
