The 2006 Ronco della Chiesa is old-vine Tocai made from a hillside vineyard on the property. This awesome, richly-textured wine is bursting with a beguiling array of minerals, mint, sage, wild rosemary, peaches and apricots. Initially the wine is rather linear, but it blossoms beautifully on the palate with a seamless yet vibrant personality that is difficult to capture in words. The Ronco della Chiesa saw 50% new oak, which is barely perceptible. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014.
Borgo del Tiglio is located off a small square in Cormons. This rustic county estate captures the essence of rural Italy. Proprietor Nicola Manferrari farms 8 hectares from which he bottles a minuscule 23,000 bottles. These artisan wines are subtle, and perhaps easy to overlook, but make no mistake about it, Manferrari makes some of Friuli’s most inspired wines. Readers who enjoy the mineral-driven wines of Chablis and the Loire will delight in these offerings. Winemaking decisions vary from vintage to vintage but in 2006 most of the whites did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Manferrari favors French oak for aging.
Importer: Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644