About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
Milleponche explores vineyards distributed across the wider Ponca landscape. This geological belt extends from northeast of Udine to southern Istria and crosses present-day Italy and Slovenia, encompassing Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Brda and Vipava.
The underlying formation originated around 50 million years ago in a shallow marine lagoon. Sediments accumulated as Cormòns flysch, a succession of alternating marl and sandstone layers ranging from a few centimetres to several decimetres thick. Tectonic collision later raised these deposits from the seabed; exposure and weathering of the marl subsequently formed the local soils.
Borgo del Tiglio’s investigation of site character began in 1987 after acquiring vineyards at Ca’ delle Vallade and Ruttars. Three distinct expressions of Ponca were identified across the estate’s properties, encouraging a broader study of how geology, climate, altitude and exposure shape wine. Similar rock formations were then sought outside Collio, with selected vineyards on other Ponca slopes included in the project.
Vinification
The work began informally with grapes supplied through Slovenian colleagues and later developed into an organized project. Grapes from selected vineyards are cultivated using Borgo del Tiglio’s agronomic approach, harvested and vinified in its own cellar, allowing wines from different sites to be compared as expressions of their terroirs.
Label / history
The project arose from a desire to understand the full potential of the Ponca landscape after the political border between Italy and Slovenia was removed. The winery regards the boundaries of the existing denominations as administrative divisions that do not reflect the continuity of the underlying geology.
Some of the experimental wine was initially sold in bulk. The remaining research evolved into a production line named “Milleponche,” a name that evokes the many questions and combinations generated by differences in rock, climate, altitude and exposure. The project also expresses the hope that bureaucratic boundaries may eventually cease to prevent wines from being marketed under the names of the places where their grapes were grown.
