Another Fine Collio Experience

By Michael Godel

The year 2024 will mark the 60th anniversary of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio. This important milestone of commitment, promotion and valourization of Collio wines and territory will surely be well celebrated. Last July, I returned to the northeastern Italian wine region bordered by Austria, Slovenia and the Isonzo River. The Collio DOC vineyards must be on hillsides to qualify for appellative status and these sites on Ponca terroir are what separate the Collio wines from Friuli as a whole, but more specifically the most proximate DOCs of Friuli Colli Orientali and Friuli Isonzo. It takes its name from Friulian dialect, from a particular sandstone with alternating layers of marl, the composition of which originated millions of years ago. The low-level organic (but rich in mineral elements) Ponca is coloured blue-gray beneath the earth’s surface but turns yellow-brown after exposure to air. The mix of of marl and sandstone can be equated to Flysch and many producers prefer this less parochial term to describe the unique geology.

I had previously visited the hills of the Collio DOC in late spring of 2019, a few kilometres from Slovenia and also the Adriatic coast. It’s no wonder that its white wines are highly aromatic and unique to a shared concentration of mito and geography. They stand alone in European character from out of soils variegated by sand, clay and rock to give them their distinct personality. What is certain about Collio wines is their distinctive phenolic quality. They are intrinsically tied to their villages which dot the landscape that forms a half-moon around Slovenia, though with not a lot of variety in the soils. Climate is highly variable however and if a line were drawn from east to west you would pass from warmer to cooler.

Chardonnay and sauvignon are grown to the west, ribolla gialla to the east, malvasia and friulano in their particular pockets and pinot grigio everywhere. The overall territory’s connectivity encourages the production of appellative blends. I for one have made new space for them. Collio is in fact one of Europe’s most fascinating wine regions, a white wine specialist located in the Gorizia Hills of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The amphitheatre of Collio vineyards follow a line along the western border of Slovenia in the northeastern corner of Italy. It is here where centuries of a mélange of multicultural histories meet in a Venn diagram of multifarious Italian, Slovenian and Austro-Hungarian mythology.

The 2023 July visit began at Castello di Spessa in Capriva del Friuli. There are places that alone express the deep historical and human value of a territory. The Spessa Castle is one of those places and Collio is that territory. Dinner with the board of Consorzio Tutela Vini Collio took place at Tavernetta al Castello.

The first full day at Borgo Gradis’ciutta was introduced by PromoTurismo FVG, followed by a Collio DOC tasting that led by Richard Baudains that focused on native grapes; Ribolla Gialla Collio DOC, Friulano Collio DOC and Malvasia Collio DOC. Dinner with the producers took place at Locanda all’Orologio in Brazzano di Cormòns. The second day focused on three more DOCs; Pinot Grigio Collio DOC, Sauvignon Collio DOC and Collio Bianco DOC. Lunch followed at Hosteria da Monia and dinner with producers at Casa delle Rose winery. We paid estate visits at Tenuta Villanova, Tenuta Borgo Conventi, Villa Russiz and Gradis’ciutta.

Richard Baudains is THE master Collio educator. “Go inside the area and the tradition and don’t worry so much about the grapes,” tells Baudains. Cuvées or field blends can fall within the DOC, or not. There are a total of 1,500 ha planted, as opposed to 1,700 in Soave and 1,900 in Macon and a production of 6.5 million bottles, as opposed to 10 in Soave. This is an indication to lower yields and significantly so. In fact it represents 11 per cent of Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and three per cent of total Italian production. There are 16 DOC mono-varietals and two DOC blends. More than 95 per cent are white wines, made by 350 growers, 180 bottlers and one cooperative on an average 4.0 ha of planted space. The lead is pinot grigio at 26 per cent, followed by sauvignon (19) and friulano (15). The latter endemic grape declined dramatically and was in fact at 50 per cent just a couple of decades ago. The rest include ribolla gialla (7.5), chardonnay (9), pinot bianco (4) and malvasia (2.5).

In May 2019 I tasted through upwards of 100 examples of various Collio DOC with nine “neighbourhoods” as their collective source; Brazzano Di Cormòns, Capriva Del Friuli, Cormòns, Dolegna Del Collio, Farra d’Isonzo, Gorizia, Mossa, Oslavia and San Floriano del Collio. Sauvignon and Collio Bianco were most concentrated upon. In July of 2023 we began with those two wildly diverse first Consorzio Collio tastings led by the legend Baudains. The tastings were well orchestrated by our Sommeliers, the Consorzio’s Lavinia Zamaro and La Fede, a.k.a. Federica Schir. On this trip I tasted 116 examples of Collio DOC (and two Venezia-Giulia IGT). They are broken down as follows: (10) malvasia, (12) ribolla gialla, (23) friulano, (22) sauvignon, (22) pinot grigio, (17) Collio Bianco, (10) other varieties and (2) IGT. Here are the notes.

*The view from Casa delle Rosa Estate, Dolegna del Collio*

Malvasia

Bracco 1881 Malvasia La Mont-Brach 2021, Collio DOC

Gradis’ciutta Malvasia 2022, Collio DOC

Livon Malvasia Soluna 2021, Collio DOC

Pascolo Malvasia 2022, Collio DOC

Podversic Malvasia 2019, Collio DOC

Pighin Malvasia 2022, Collio DOC

Subida di Monte Malvasia 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Stella Malvasia 2021, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Malvasia 2021, Collio DOC

Vosca Malvasia 2022, Collio DOC

Ribolla Gialla

The Ribolla Gialla is probably the only truly local variety, first cited in 1299. Thick skinned, low sugar, high acidity, late picked and prefers the higher, stony sites. Has lost favour because of competition by sauvignon but it’s under a revival. Even some experimentation in sparkling iterations. Hardy and vigorous, later budding and so less prone to frost. Sugars move slowly and acids remain forever. For the variety there are 100 bottlers, 1300 hectares which makes the average holding only 13! The largest is approximately 40.

Attems Ribolla Gialla Trèbes 2021, Collio DOC

Cantina Produttori Cormòns Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Castello Di Spessa Ribolla Gialla Yellow Hills 2021, Collio DOC

Gradis’ciutta Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Humar Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Livon Ribolla Gialla Roncalto 2022, Collio DOC

Podversic Ribolla Gialla Damijan 2019, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Tenuta Stella Ribolla Gialla 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Villanova Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Ribolla Gialla 2021, Collio DOC

Vosca Ribolla Gialla 2022, Collio DOC

Friulano

Then there is friulano, the opposite of ribolla gialla, thin skinned, low acidity and not fussy. Will grow anywhere. Harvest gap times are much wider and yet a wet September can be challenging. In dry conditions it will usually hang well into September.

Branko Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Cantina Produttori Cormòns Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Castello di Spessa Friulano Rassauer 2021, DOC Collio

Draga Friulano Miklus 2018, Collio DOC

Fantinel Tenuta Sant’Helena Friulano Rijeca 2022, Collio DOC

Fruscalzo Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Gradis’cutta Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Humar Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Kurtin Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Livon Friulano Manditocai 2021, Collio DOC

Pascolo Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Pighin Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Podversic Friulano Nekaj 2019, Collio DOC

Ronco Blanchis Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Russiàn Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Subida di Monte Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Stella Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Villanova Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Friulano 2019, Collio DOC

Vosca Friulano 2021, Collio DOC

Zorzon Friulano 2022, Collio DOC

Sauvignon

“In Collio the blanc is omitted and the commitment to brevity allows for their prized and undemocratic sauvignon to co-exist in a über particular vacuum occupied by friulano, malvasia and ribolla gialla. These Gorizia Hills so proximate to Slovenia and the Adriatic coast make for whites of the highly aromatic ilk, unique to a shared concentration of mito and geography. They stand alone in European character from out of soils variegated by sand, clay and rock. These thoughts and claims do justice to sauvignon with both equal and in relation to the aforementioned coveted grapes, opposing justice.

“The biggest variable is site,” told Richard Baudains, a consideration in astute support of his earlier prelude for Collio Bianco when he said “go inside the area and the tradition and don’t worry so much about the grapes.” Somewhere in the mechanism of Collio sauvignon there is a device that simulates the gestalt of a storm. A switch, however personal, that reacts to and perhaps assimilates after tasting to find oneself stunned, as if spun in that vacuum that forms in the immediate wake of an historic turn. Or in this case, a varietal one.”

Ascevi Luwa Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Attems Cicinis Sauvignon 2021, Collio DOC

Branko Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Castello Di Spessa Sauvignon Segrè Capriva Del Friuli, 2021, Collio DOC

Fantinel Tenuta Sauvignon Sant’Helena 2022, Collio DOC

Gradis’ciutta Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Humar Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Kurtin Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Livon Sauvignon Valbuins 2022, Collio DOC

Marcuzzi Sauvignon 2021, Collio DOC

Ronco Blanchis Sauvignon Mossa 2022, Collio DOC

Russian Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Sturm Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Subida di Monte Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Tenuta Villanova Sauvignon 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Sauvignon 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Sauvignon 2017, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Sauvignon 2013, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Sauvignon 2021, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Sauvignon De La Tour 2008, Collio DOC

Zorzon Sauvignon 2022, Collio DOC

Pinot Grigio

In Collio, pinot grigio is surely at the lowest end of varietal importance and while trying to take it as seriously as the top grapes is not a thing, no one is going to make a bad pinot grigio, even for commercial purposes. Across the river in Isonzo it’s a different story and the variety has been very good to many producers. Back in Collio the top vineyard sites are given to ribbola gialla, friulano, malvasia and too an extent also sauvignon. The thing is pinot grigio is not fussy and will grow just about anywhere

Angoris Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Ascevi Luwa Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Branko Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Cantina Produttori Cormòns Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Castello Di Spessa Pinot Grigio Joy 2021, Collio DOC

Draga Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Fantinel Tenuta Sant’Helena Pinot Grigio Rocciaponca 2022, Collio DOC

Fruscalzo Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Gradis’ciutta Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Humar Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Kurtin Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Livon Pinot Grigio Braide Grande 2022, Collio DOC

Marcuzzi Pinot Grigio 2019, Collio DOC

Pighin Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Ronco Blanchis Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Russian Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Subida di Monte Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Sturm Pinot Grigio 2022, Collio DOC

Tenuta Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio 2021, Collio DOC

Tenuta Villanova Pinot Grigio 2021, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Pinot Grigio 2021, Collio DOC

Villa Russiz Pinot Grigio 2010, Collio DOC

Collio Bianco

The Collio Bianco is surely the place where each producer finds its artistic and territorial expression, but it also determines their expertise at blending. At Gradis’ciutta in San Floriano del Collio we practiced as “Apprentice Winemakers” for a morning and made our own Collio Bianco blends. Godello’s was coined “Stranieri” for obvious reasons, number one being that he was an interloper in this Collio Bianco game. His blend was led by ribolla gialla at 40 percent, followed by friulano (30), pinot grigio (18) and finally malvasia (12). It seems his conceptualiztion differed greatly than that of the Gradis’ciutta 2022 Collio Bianco. Their’s was based on pinot grigio, chardonnay and sauvignon with some riesling and so the indigenous varieties like ribolla gialla and friulano are neither anchors nor supporting cast members. Other grapes allowed from those grown on the estate can be müller thurgau, picolit, riesling italico, riesling and traminer aromatico. The first and last of those cannot exceed a total of 15 percent of the blend.

A producer’s top varietal expression can be labeled as Collio Bianco, including with the use chardonnay though there is a trend towards only using endemic varieties to make the Bianco. “Collio Bianco is both business card and calligram. Though the autochthonous varietal triumvirate of ribolla gialla, friulano and malvasia are the bones of Collio’s body politic, international grape varieties like pinot bianco, sauvignon and chardonnay add much to act as representatives of the heart, head, mind, body and soul of the producers. Ultimately it is the Collio Bianco that have emerged as front runners for spokes-wines of the place. The appellative white blends unite and really tie the territorial room together. An immersive week spent in the small Friuli-Venezia-Giulia outpost of Collio will change you, that much is true. The primary takeaway concerned wines of performance without obstacles, fluid achievements free of interruption, representing the vital energy and élan of their territory. Unbeknownst to many they are filled with an unfamiliar blissfulness, for how all will be realized.”

Angoris Langòr Collio Bianco DOC 2019

Bracco 1881 Collio Bianco DOC La Mont Brach 2022

Bracco 1881 Collio Bianco DOC La Mont Brach 2021

Cantina Produttori Cormòns Collio Bianco “Da Uve Autoctone” 2021, Collio Bianco DOC

Gradis’ciutta Bràtinis Collio Bianco DOC 2022

Gradis’ciutta Bràtinis Collio Bianco DOC 2018

Gradis’ciutta Bràtinis Collio Bianco Riserva DOC 2017

Korsič Collio Bianco DOC 2021

Livon Collio Bianco DOC Solarco 2021

Pascolo Collio Bianco DOC Studio Di Bianco 2019

Picech Jelka Collio Bianco DOC 2017

Ronchi Rò Collio Bianco DOC Bon Frut Blanc De Blanchis Riserva 2019