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What We Say 2007 Sauvignon
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Today’s Colli Orientali del Friuli D.O.C. is only available in the U.S. through The Wine Spies. A fun, ripe and food friendly white, this wine is the perfect start to any Italian meal.
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Mission Codename: Flysch di Cormòns
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Secure an exclusive Colli Orientali del Friuli D.O.C. for our operatives
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Comelli Paolino
Wine Subject: 2008 Sauvignon Colli Orientali del Friuli D.O.C.
Backgrounder:
The Colli Orientali del Friuli is located in Italy’s northeastern location and specifically in the Venezia Giulia. Home to some of Italy’s finest white wines, the region is well known for Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and, Friulano (Tocai Friulano or Sauvignon Vert). The region is perhaps best know for its unique soils, the so-called “flysch di Cormòns” which consist of alternating strata of marl and sandstone.
Sauvignon Blanc finds itself at home all over the world from Bordeaux to New Zealand. Today’s selection from Italy’s northeast shows the varietal’s classic character with a distinctive Italian style. While Pinot Grigio is referred to Tokay d’Alsace in France, it is not related to the Friulano varietal nor is it related to Hungarian Tokaji. The EU is now prohibiting the use of the name Tocai Friulano and thus this wine is simply known now as Friulano.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – A clear straw yellow with slightly pale greenish hues in its clear core. Along the edges the color fades and when swirled, random widely spaced legs descend to the wine below.
Smell – Clean and fresh aromas of bright tropical and ripe stone fruits with a touch of citrus. Grassy herbal notes as well as chalky/steely minerality and hints of fresh green pepper adds to the pleasant aromatics of this wine.
Feel – Lively and fresh, this medium bodied wine is smooth, dry and crisp with a slight tingly sensation that hits at the mid palate and dances over the tongue into the finish. Bright acidity, a touch of minerality hold on to the fruit and herbal notes.
Taste – Tart and fresh with fresh stone, bright citrus and plush tropical fruit layered over subtle herbal and grassy notes. A touch of spice, fresh green pepper and minerality emerge as you explore this wine’s approachable palate.
Finish – Clean, fresh and medium long in length with lingering minerality and a characteristic stone that invites another sip.
Conclusion – The 2007 Comelli Paolino Sauvignon Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC is a clean, fresh and light wine with lovely aromas, a classic medium bodied and crisp palate and bright but balanced flavor profile. A perfect wine to start off a meal, this wine’s bright acidity and minerality perfectly complements a fresh salad, grilled vegetable or whitefish.
Mission Report:
Dateline: Trieste, Italy – March 2010
Agent Baco Noir had long gone missing… every now and then, the crackpot command center, what I call my office, had received an unlabeled box with some spectacular wines and detailed intel reports. Those reports, always unsigned, had the distinguished characteristics of Baco.
I was in Italy, and got a call from my Ms. Money Penny saying that a box had just come in. Perfect timing, I though, I was in Italy when something arrived, perhaps I could get back on the trail. The wines were from the small boutique farm of Comelli Paolino in the Colli Orientali del Friuli.
Hot on the trail, I quickly arranged transport up to Faedis. From there I would hunt down leads. I new where to find Baco. The first place I looked was the cafes and the second was there shoe stores. She had a passion for wine, coffee and tall Italian shoes…. No luck at those locations (there was only two shoe stores in this small town), so I headed up to the winery. Once there, I was greeted by the family who informed me I was about a week behind. They indicated that they thought she had headed back to the Piedmont.
It wasn’t a total loss however, I had a chance to taste their delicious Friulano and also their Sauvignon Blanc (look for that wine in the near future).
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of the Comelli Paolino north of Trieste, Italy can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Comelli Paolino
About This Wine:
A wine with great personality and an exceptional and intense spirit. It is straw-yellow with green reflections. The bouquet contains notes of sage, green pepper, hazelnut and white peach. The intense and fragrant overtones of tropical fruit, mint and pepper reiterate on the palate.
Food Pairing: It pairs with traditional Friuli dishes such as omelette with herbs, vegetable soups, wild asparagus and Adriatic fish.
Winemaking:
Area: Parco della Vite e del Vino in the Colli Orientali del Friuli in Colloredo di Soffumbergo (Faedis), vineyard: “Sotto Casa”.
Land ype: Marly-arenaceous rock of eocene origin rich in calcium and potassium containing discrete levels of phosphorus, magnesium and many other micro-elements.
Cultivation Method: Guyot.
Grape Harvest: Harvested by hand in the second/third week of September.
Vinification: Destemmed grapes are placed in stainless steel tanks with separating grills for 24 hours at low temperature (cryomaceration) and are then gently pressed.
The must then undergoes spontaneous decantation for 8-12 hours which is then followed by controlled fermentation (16-18 °C). After fermentation, the wine is kept within total yeast limits for a short period and then kept under light yeast limits until spring when it is bottled.
About Thie Winery:
Our winery is located in the “Colli Orientali del Friuli” Controlled Denomination of Origin area. It stretches over 14 hectares of vineyards in the hills, protected by the Prealps to the north and exposed to the positive atmospheric effects of the Adriatic Sea to the south, creating a ventilated and dry climate.
The soil consists of marly-arenaceous rock with Eocenic origins, therefore it is ideal for growing vines in the hills. It is rich with lime, potassium, a discrete amount of phosphor, magnesium and many other microelements.
The average density per hectare of 5,000 vines, allows us to obtain the right ratio between quantity and quality of the product.
We use some of the most modern equipment in the cellar for vinification, from ageing to storing of the wines, but we are aware that the most advanced technology can never replace nature, inasmuch as good wine finds the high clone selection of our vines, the quality of the soil, the particular microclimate as definite presuppositions, but also, if we may permit ourselves, our utmost commitment and passion and that of our collaborators.
Our production currently consists of about 65% of white grapes and 35% red. However, we are planning on gradually reaching an equal production of whites and reds.
Growing system: Guyot and runner system
Plant order: 2.5 m between each row; 80 cm between each vine.
Hand harvesting. These cultivating choices limit the quantity of grapes produced per vine, there by favouring a higher concentration of the quality, increasing the sugar content, creating a more intense colour, enhancing the typical perfume and flavour of each variety.
Technical Analysis:
Region: Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC
Varietals: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol: 13%
