Borgo San Daniele

Family land and a new generation

Borgo San Daniele grew from agricultural land inherited by siblings Alessandra and Mauro Mauri from their grandfather. They evaluated the inherited holdings, retained the plots they considered best suited to viticulture and established new vineyards. The siting of each planting was considered individually, with particular attention to location, orientation, elevation and the composition of its substrate.

The family chose to remain a relatively small producer. The restricted number of labels is deliberate: the siblings see limited production as a discipline that requires selection and careful decisions, while allowing them to pursue their own interpretation of Friulian varieties.

1990: high-density planting and environmental priorities

In 1990, the estate adopted a high planting density per hectare. The purpose was to limit environmental impact while maintaining effective phytosanitary protection. Sustainable farming practices, permanent or managed grass cover, green pruning, thinning and individually timed manual harvests became defining elements of the work.

Development of the vineyards

New vineyards were planted on selected family parcels. Grass was retained between the vines to moderate vine vigour and preserve the biological equilibrium of the soil. The fragmented vineyard pattern was treated as an asset: each small plot was approached through its own position, elevation, orientation, substrate and local history.

Old vines at Giassico remained part of the estate's identity and became the basis of the Jiasik project. Other identified production areas include Bosc di Sot, associated with Pinot Grigio, and Ziris, associated with Pignolo.

Cellar identity and Santòn

In the cellar, the estate developed an approach centred on indigenous yeasts, long fermentations, malolactic fermentation and bottling without filtration. A small solera-like system preserves a portion of the native yeast population from one cycle to the next; the retained material serves as a starter or “nurse” for new must.

Mauro Mauri directs the practical work of vineyard and cellar and studied both the single-variety wines and blends. He also developed Santòn, the estate's Blanc and Ròs vermouth project, combining Friulian grapes with selected botanicals.

The vineyards are managed according to organic and sustainable viticulture principles. Synthetic products are excluded. Copper and sulfur are used, together with infusions of horsetail, dandelion and nettle applied at appropriate stages of the growing season.

High-density planting was adopted in 1990 to reduce environmental impact while ensuring adequate phytosanitary protection. Green pruning and crop thinning form part of canopy and yield management.

Grass cover has always been retained in the vineyards. Spontaneous grasses and herbs are periodically cut rather than eliminated, helping to control vine vigour, counter the ecological simplification of monoculture and preserve the soil's biological balance. Crimson clover is sown with other species: it fixes nitrogen, contributes nutrients and fertility, and provides food and habitat for bees, bumblebees and other pollinating insects.

Biodiversity is treated as an operating principle extending from cultivation into vinification. Native varieties are retained, while the surrounding woods, meadows and fauna form part of the agricultural ecosystem.

Harvesting is manual and “dedicated” to the needs of each grape. Rather than collecting every variety at once, the harvest schedule is organized around the point of optimum ripeness for each grape, with the aim of retaining freshness and a characteristic crisp quality. Ripening is monitored through periodic analysis of the berries so that harvest timing can respond to varietal development and seasonal conditions.

The cellar approach is based on long fermentations with indigenous yeasts, malolactic fermentation and bottling without filtration.

A small solera-like system is used to recover and preserve part of the indigenous yeast population. Material remaining from one fermentation is retained to act as a starter or “nurse” for new must, maintaining microbial continuity from one production cycle to the next. This practice expresses the estate's view of wine as a form of memory.

Harvest lots arrive according to a variety-specific manual picking schedule, with each grape collected at its own optimum point of maturity. Cellar work is intended to respect the timing and original character of the fruit rather than impose a uniform treatment.