Ronco delle Betulle - Friulano, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy (2022)

TASTING NOTES

Musky aromas of green pea, ripe peach, melon and pith. Despite its freshening acidity, the palate has a creamy texture, with the melon and peach notes joined by minerality and bitter almond. There is also a saline character that adds complexity. Late harvesting gives this wine a touch of viscosity.

Ronco delle Betulle nestles in the hilly eastern part of Friuli in a sub zone called Rosazzo, an estate of approximately 17 hectares, of which 10 are under vine. The hills of Rosazzo benefit from a special microclimate set by several geographical factors: its closeness to the sea, its altitude and the presence of elevated parts. The nearby sea (which is approximately 30 km away) and the vicinity of the hills of Salta Caterina mitigate the climate; it is more breezy,more sunny and less rainy here than in surrounding areas.

 double-arched cane trellising system. The harvest is strictly manual. Ronco delle Betulle benefits from mixed soil made of marl, calcareous clay, sandstone and calcified sand. This soil, referred to as “Ponca”, originated approximately 50 million years ago. It is rich in mineral salts and other nutrients that yield high quality grapes, and hence fine wines.grapes are left to fully ripen, then are hand-harvested, sorted and de-stemmed. The juice macerates on the skins in stainless steel for three days at cool temperatures to extract more phenols and complexity. The grapes are then pressed for a long, cool fermentation using native yeast. The wine sees no oak, but is left to rest on its lees for six months to add mouth-feel. Bottled unfined, with no sterile filtration.