Le Vigne di Zamo Venezia Giulia Bianco 2020
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James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Golden yellow in hue. The nose reveals a light, appealing fragrance of crusty bread, apple and straw. The attractively fresh-tasting palate has restrained fruit and aromatic herbs.
Blend: 30% Chardonnay, 20% Friulano, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Ribolla Gialla, 10% Riesling
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh pears, sliced apples, waxed lemons and wet stones on the nose. It’s medium-bodied with a supple, creamy texture. Fresh and flavorful.
Le Vigne di Zamò is a family owned winery located in Manzano (UD) in one of the most renewed winemaking areas of Friuli Venezia Giulia, North East of Italy, close to Venice and Trieste and on the border with Slovenia.
The two brothers Pierluigi and Silvano have inherited the estate from their father Tullio, and together with Brigitte, SIlvano’s wife, have made Le Vigne di Zamò one of the greatest names of the area and the first winery from Friuli to win the "Tre Bicchieri del Gambero Rosso" award for a red wine, Ronco dei Roseti, back in 1988. In fact, besides the traditional white varieties that dominate the hills of Friuli Colli Orientali, such as Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio, Le Vigne di Zamò is one of the few wineries of this area with 40% of the production focused on red indigenous varieties, some of them very rare, such as Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Schioppettino.
In 2021, Le Vigne di Zamò has also completed the restoring of the old winery house, that is now an elegant "agriturismo" (guesthouse) where tourists can enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the iconic taste of the wines in a familiar atmosphere.
2021 harvest has been the first organic certified harvest for the winery, that has always been focused on sustainability both in the vineyards and the cellar.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
The source of some of Italy’s best and most distinctive white wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is where Italian, Germanic and Slavic cultures converge. The styles of wines produced in this region of Italy's far north-east reflect this merging of cultures. Often shortened to just “Friuli,” the area is divided into many distinct subzones, including Friuli Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio Goriziano and Carso. The flat valley of Friuli Grave is responsible for a large proportion of the region’s wine production, particularly the approachable Pinot grigio and the popular Prosecco. The best vineyard locations are often on hillsides, as in Colli Orientali del Friuli or Collio. In general, Friuli boasts an ideal climate for viticulture, with warm sunny days and chilly nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and evenly.
In Colli Orientali, the specialty is crisp, flavorful white wine made from indigenous varieities like Friulano (formerly known as Tocai Friulano), Ribolla gialla and Malvasia Istriana.
Red wines, though far less common here, can be quite good, especially when made from the deeply colored, rustic Refosco variety. In Collio Goriziano, which abutts Slovenia, many of the same varieties are planted. International varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are also common, but they tend to be Loire-like in style with herbaceous character and mellow tannins. Carso’s star grape is the red Teranno, notable for being rich in iron content and historically consumed for health purposes. It has an earthy, meaty profile and is often confused with the distinct variety Refosco.