The 2009 Chardonnay Ciampagnis Vieris bursts from the glass with tons of varietal fruit. There is plenty of up-front generosity, but the warmth of the year comes through in the wine’s intense and, at times, heavy personality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. Proprietor Gianfranco Gallo has a preference for rich, textured wines. In 2009, a year that saw a long heat wave at the end of August, many of his wines are even bigger than they usually are. The best selections, though, possess terrific overall balance. Vie di Romans has a fabulous website (www.viediromans.it) full of technical information on recent vintages and the estate’s wines, among other topics. Readers should be aware that Vie di Romans is owned by members of my wife's extended family. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property.Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200

The 2008 Chardonnay Ciampagnis Vieris emerges from the glass with generous layers of ripe tropical varietal fruit, flowers and sweet toasted oak. The Ciampagnis Vieris shows marvelous inner perfume and richness in a style that is totally convincing. The wine's textural richness, balance and polish are all first-rate. Most producers would be thrilled to have the Ciampagnis Vieris as their top label, but here it is the second Chardonnay. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2018. This is a beautiful set of wines from Vie di Romans and proprietor Gianfranco Gallo. Vintage 2008 wasn't easy, which makes these wines all the more commendable. At press time I was notified that the estate's importer would change with the 2009 vintage. Readers should be aware that Vie di Romans is owned by members of my wife's extended family. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200

The 2007 Chardonnay Ciampagnis Vieris is a big, full-bodied white bursting with ripe tropical fruit, smoke, licorice and minerals. This is a fairly intense, weighty Ciampagnis Vieris with plenty of concentration but not quite the verve of top years. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2013. Proprietor Gianfranco Gallo is one of the leading producers in Friuli. His wines typically seek a rich, lush expression of fruit. In 2007, though, many of the wines come across as overly heavy. Readers should be aware that Vie di Romans is owned by members of my wife’s extended family. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property.A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119