Mixed Case Rare Native Italian Grapes

Tasting Notes

Friuli is one of Italy’s “hotbeds” for developing native, indigenous varietals, many of which were all but lost without the intervention of dedicated winemakers who thought to elevate these varietals from near extinction! There is an extensive list of such varietals in Friuli, and Tunella has been committed to several. Whites include Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Verduzzo…and Picolit for dessert wine; reds include Pignolo, Schioppettino and Refosco. It is the latter two wines which make up our focus today.

The region itself has been invigorated by a renewed interest in traditional varietals that were pushed away for a time as international varietals gained prominence. Frankly, we get excited when having the chance to test our palettes against less well-known grapes such as Schioppettino and Refosco. We suggest you do the same!

This mixed case showcases two wines; 3 bottles of each.

Refosco 2018 (aka Refosco dal peduncolo):
A wine with an intense ruby red colour, with violet reflections. A distinctive bouquet, broad, rich, and intense, anchored by fruity and spiced notes of underbrush, wild blackberry, raspberry, cocoa, and tobacco. On the palate the wine is dry, full bodied with substantial structure and a slightly bitter aftertaste. It shows firm tannins, good acidity with and intense fruit and leathery flavours. Subtle vanilla scents intermingle pleasingly with the ensemble of sensations on the palate and nose. The finish is impressively long.

Schioppettino 2017:
This wine has a characteristic deep red colour that stains the glass and creates dense, consistent legs. Swirling the glass releases an elegantly full and decisive bouquet with notes ranging from raisins and walnut to balsamic scents of wood with a slight undertone of small black berries. The palate is generous and decisive, filling the mouth with a velvetiness, yet compact and determined with perfectly amalgamated noble tannin components, reiterating the wine’s entire aromatic spectrum in orderly succession. This wine has benefited from resting in 500 litre French oak tonneaux for almost two years

This is a stately wine for meditation and to accompany strongly flavoured dishes: excellent with roasts, rich red meats, wild feathered game and strong cheeses.