Verduzzo

Vineyard and terroir

The 1.5144 ha vineyard lies at Corona, a hamlet of Mariano del Friuli in Gorizia province. It occupies cadastral parcels 1387, part of 1389/1 and part of 1389/4 on maps 3 and 4. The site faces south, with rows running northwest–south.

The predominantly stony soil has a strong presence of iron sesquioxides and little organic matter or other nutrients, restricting vegetative growth. Planted in 1990, the vineyard has 4,630 vines per hectare at 2.70 × 0.80 m spacing. Unilateral Guyot training leaves four or five buds per vine, while light summer trimming balances leaves and bunches. No fertiliser is used.

Grapes

100% Verduzzo Friulano from the Isonzo del Friuli DOC zone. The vines use SO 4 Kl. 31 Op. rootstock and a Verduzzo Friulano selection. Yield is 3.5 tonnes per hectare, or 0.8 kg per vine.

Vinification

The exceptionally late harvest allows the variety’s notable tannins to mature fully. Picking is exclusively manual. The grapes are destemmed and crushed, followed by spontaneous fermentation with naturally occurring yeasts and approximately four weeks of skin contact. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is separated from the skins, which are squeezed gently only to finish draining them.

Ageing

The wine enters artisan-made 2,000 L casks assembled from several woods traditional to the area. Malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally and may take place all at once or gradually over several years. Ageing continues on the lees for three to four years, with periodic bâtonnage.

Once sufficiently mature, the contents of the different casks are transferred to one stainless-steel vessel for at least three months of natural settling. The wine is bottled without filtration, placed in wooden containers holding 500 bottles and matured further in constant-temperature storage.

Technical data

Alcohol: 12.5–13.5% vol. Total acidity: 7.50–8.50 g/L.

Tasting profile

Deep yellow with amber nuances. Initially delicate floral and fruit aromas develop into mugwort and bread-crust notes. Ageing in large wooden casks brings accents of rare herbs, woodland floor and dried fruit. The wine is emphatically dry, robust and tannic, with apple, pear, nectarine and apricot, an almond-toned finish and suggestions of wild flowers.

Serving and pairing

Its broad gastronomic range includes fatty fish such as salmon, oysters and other raw seafood, substantial cheeses and artisanal cured meats.

Label / history

Verduzzo Friulano was already identified in the mid-19th century as one of Friuli’s representative native varieties and appeared in Acerbi’s Viti Friulane ne’ contorni di Udine. Once much more widespread, it is vinified here in a rigorously dry style.