Vintage Tunina© Venezia Giulia IGT 2013

Jermann Winery is tucked into the green hills of Friuli-Venezia Giulia below the Dolomite Mountains and is internationally renowned for producing some of Italy’s most acclaimed white wines. Jermann balances tradition and innovation, pushing the winery to new horizons while maintaining an enduring respect for the unique terroir of the Collio and Isonzo zones. The Jermann family, led by third generation winemaker Silvio and his son, Michele, holds an esteemed position as the benchmark producer of Friuli and a leader in Italian white wines.

About the Wine: Tunina is named for both the first owner of the vineyard and a woman, once a housekeeper for a Venetian family, who was also Casanova’s poorest lover. It is a unique field blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and the rare native varietal Picolit. The straw yellow wine offers golden reflections and an intense, persistent nose filled with country flowers. The dry, velvety palate is full-bodied and elegant, layered with fruit and honey notes that lead to an ample finish.

About the Region: Jermann's two estates are just eight miles apart but have markedly different terroirs. The Ruttars estate is in the Collio sub-region that is flanked by the Slovenian border to the east. Its rolling hills are composed of chalk and clay marl banded with sandstone. They are cooled by the Bora wind off the Adriatic Sea and offer wide swings in day-to-night temperatures, endowing wines with deeply-perfumed aromatics and zesty acidity. To the south, the Villanova estate lies in the sub-region named for the Isonzo River that splits the zone. The land fans toward the Adriatic and has more permeable soils of gravel, clay and sand. Temperatures are moderated here by proximity to both the sea and the lower Alps.

Viticulture Notes: The 2013 season produced unusual weather and very high quality of grapes. Winter and spring were uncommonly rainy and cold, followed mid-June by a hot and dry period that lasted all summer. This combination created perfect conditions for vine growth and the gradual ripening of grapes. Harvest conditions were ideal. We began September 2 and finished October 5, bringing in fruit that produced rich, complex and well-structured wines.

Winemaking Notes: The grapes were handpicked and soft pressed before fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation started in stainless steel tanks, then partway through, the must was divided, with three- quarters continuing fermentation in stainless steel tanks and one quarter completing fermentation in large Slovenian oak casks. The lots remained in these containers to age for 11 months, then were blended, bottled and aged another 6 months in bottle.

Varietal Content: 25% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon, 23% Ribolla Gialla, 22% Malvasia Istriana & 5% Picolit Appellation: Venezia Giulia IGT Alcohol Level: 13.5% Titratable Acidity: 5.06g/l Residual Sugar: 4.6g/l pH: 3.4 Vine training: Guyot and cappucinna Vine density: 2.600 vines per acre Soils: Marlstone and sandstone