Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
BastianichFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The estate's flagship red, blending the three indigenous Friulian reds (Refosco, Schioppettino, Pignolo). Black plum, tobacco and graphite over a fine grainy tannin and a long finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
Bressan Mastri VinaiFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Bordeaux-blend Friulian red from Bressan. Cabernet Franc-led blend matured in large Slavonian oak botti in the traditional house style.
Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Bressan Mastri VinaiFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Native Friulian Pignolo from cult Bressan at Farra d'Isonzo. Pignolo was nearly extinct before Carlo Bressan and Alessandro Dorigo led the revival; the variety is among Italy's most tannic native reds.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Rustic · Savoury
Bressan Mastri VinaiFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Native Friulian Schioppettino from Bressan. The signature black-pepper bite of the variety is amplified by the cellar's long Slavonian-oak elevage.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Racy acidity · Rustic · Savoury
CastelvecchioFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€Still Red
Native Carso Terrano from Castelvecchio. The cellar's red on the iron-rich karst soils.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Damijan PodversicFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The estate's Bordeaux blend from the Gorizia hillside, with no added yeast and four years in Slavonian botti. Black plum and leather over an iron mineral dusty tannin.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Rustic · Savoury
FoffaniFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€Still Red
Native Friulian Refosco from Foffani at Clauiano in the Friuli Aquileia DOC. Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is named for its red stem; the wine shows the variety's signature violet-and-pepper profile.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
Franco TorosFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Franco Toros's serious Collio Merlot with 18-24 months in barrique. Black plum and tobacco over a fine grainy tannin and iron mineral finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
GravnerFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Pignolo from Oslavia, fermented in qvevri and aged six years in Slavonian botti. Dried black cherry and leather over a graphite, firm-tannin core with the distinctive amphora signature.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
GravnerFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Merlot-led Bordeaux blend vinified in qvevri the Gravner way. Black plum and violet aromatics with leather and iron mineral over a firm tannin spine.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Contemplative · Bold
La CastelladaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The Bensa family Bordeaux blend from the Oslavia ponca slopes. Black plum and leather over an iron mineral core and dusty firm tannin.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Bold
La TunellaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Schioppettino with the variety's signature white-and-black-pepper aromatics. La Tunella's Schioppettino is one of the modern references for the revived Friulian indigenous red.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Le Vigne di ZamòFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Pignolo from the family's Rocca Bernarda holdings, aged 36 months in barrique. Black plum and leather over the variety's signature firm grainy tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
Livio FellugaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The estate's flagship Friulian red, a three-variety blend (Refosco, Merlot, Pignolo) with extended barrique ageing. Black plum and leather over a firm grainy tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Elegant
MianiFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Single-vineyard Merlot from the Calvari plot at Buttrio. Miani's flagship red, considered by critics one of Italy's reference Merlots for its structure and ageworthiness.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Savoury · Funky
RadikonFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous-style Merlot from the Oslavia ponca slopes, vinified the Radikon way with no added yeast and three years in Slavonian botti. Dried red cherry and leather over a dusty, saline-edged finish.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
RadikonFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Pignolo from the Oslavia ponca slopes vinified the Radikon natural-wine way. Dried black cherry, leather and graphite over a firm grainy tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
Rocca BernardaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso aged 18 months in barrique. Black plum and violet over a firm grainy tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
Ronchi di CiallaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso from the Rapuzzi family's Cialla holdings, aged in large Slavonian botti rather than barrique. Black plum and tobacco over a fine grainy tannin.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Savoury
Ronchi di CiallaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The Rapuzzi family's flagship Schioppettino di Cialla. The Rapuzzi rescued Schioppettino from near-extinction in the 1970s, planting the first new Schioppettino vineyards at Cialla (Prepotto) since the variety nearly died out. Their work led to the Schioppettino di Prepotto sub-denomination.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Rustic · Savoury
Ronchi di ManzanoFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Native Friulian Schioppettino from Ronchi di Manzano. Schioppettino was nearly extinct in the 1970s before the village of Prepotto saved it; the wine's signature is its black-pepper bite.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · Medium acidity · Bold · Savoury
Ronco dei TassiFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
The estate's Bordeaux blend named Cjarandon (Friulian for the local plum). Black plum, leather and graphite over a fine grainy tannin.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
Ronco del GnemizFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
The estate's Bordeaux blend (Merlot + Cabernet Sauvignon) with 18 months in barrique. Black plum and leather over a fine grainy tannin.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Racy acidity · Rustic · Savoury
SkerkFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Native Carso Terrano from Skerk. The cellar's red on the iron-rich karst soils.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Bold
SpecognaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Still Red
Specogna's Pignolo from the Rocca Bernarda holdings, aged 36 months in barrique. Black plum and leather over the variety's signature firm grainy tannin.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Rustic · Savoury
Tenuta di BlasigFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€Still Red
Native Friulian Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso from Tenuta di Blasig. The cellar's red anchor.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
Venica & VenicaFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso aged 18 months in barrique. Black plum and violet over a firm grainy tannin, the estate's serious Refosco statement.
Dry · Full-bodied · Firm tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Funky
VodopivecFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€€Orange
Single-parcel long-skin-contact Vitovska from Vodopivec. Solo is the cellar's top cuvée from a single Carso parcel.
Dry · Full-bodied · Medium tannin · High acidity · Contemplative · Funky
VodopivecFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€€Orange
Long-skin-contact Vitovska from Paolo Vodopivec on the Carso. The cellar buried its first qvevri amphorae in 2005 and built around them an orange-wine line that critics rate alongside Gravner and Radikon.
Dry · Medium-bodied · Medium tannin · Racy acidity · Rustic · Savoury
ZidarichFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Native Carso Terrano from Zidarich. Terrano is the Carso's signature red and the wine retains the variety's iron-mineral signature from the karst's red soils.
Dry · Full-bodied · High tannin · High acidity · Bold · Savoury
ZorzettigFriuli-Venezia Giulia€€€€€€€Still Red
Indigenous Tazzelenghe (literally tongue-cutter in Friulian, a reference to the variety's high tannin) from the Spessa di Cividale holdings. Aged 18 months in barrique.