Skin Fermented Whites from Friuli-Venezia Giulia with Richard Baudains Skin Fermented Whites from Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Contents • What’s in a name ? • A bit of history • Evolution of winemaking styles in FVG • Maceration protocols • Grape varieties • Terroirs • Tasting skin femented wines • Producer profiles What’s in a Name ?

ORANGE ? AMBER ?

Natural

MACERATED? SKIN FERMENTED A Bit of History

«…The old Vipava method … (maceration) from 24 hours to 30 days… improves the flavour and durability of the wine and ensures it ferments to dryness»

Matija Vertovec, Vinoreja zo Slovence (1844) Quoted in Woolf, Amber Revolution (2018) A Bit of History

«My grandfather macerated his white wines for practical reasons. The wine was easier to press and it lasted longer»

Sasa Radikon (Osalvia, Collio) A Bit of History

Question: «When did you begin to macerate your white wines?»

Answer: «I’ve always macerated. It’s how my father worked and I just carried on in the same way»

Benjamin Zidarich (Prepotto, Carso) Evolution in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

• 1950s Post war, rustic winemaking • 1960s-1970s Schiopetto and the «Friuli Method» • 1980s The barrique era • 1995-2000 The Oslavia symposium • 2010- Skin-fermented whites come out Skin Fermentation Protocols

1. De-stem/No de-stem 2. Crush 3. Spontaneous fermentation • Complete alcoholic with the skins (30 days-60 days) • Complete alcoholic + malolactic with the skins (60 days-6 months) • Partial alcoholic with the skins (4 days to 15 days) 4. Punching down the cap 5. Press 6. Ageing • Wood-vat-bottle • Vat-wood-bottle Focus Varieties

Friulano: The Local Favourite

• Collio and Colli Orientali • Vigorous, abundant yields • Thin skins • Early-mid ripening • Adaptable to soils/climate • High sugar/low acid • Semi-aromatic Focus Varieties

Ribolla Gialla – The Ancient One

• Collio and Colli Orientali • First cited 1299 • Naturally vigorous • Thick skins, subject to botrytis • Mid-late ripening • Needs stony, well ventilated hills • Low sugar/medium-high acid • Delicate-neutral aroma Focus Varieties

Malvasia Istriana – The Traveller

• Collio and Carso • Present since 14th century • Vigorous • Resistant • Mid-late ripening • Best on loose, well-drained soils • High sugar/medium acidity • Semi-aromatic Focus Varieties

Vitoska, Frontier Variety

• Carso • Vigorous • Abundant yields • Thin skins and juicy pulp • Medium acidity/Low sugar • Delicate-neutral aroma Terroirs - Oslavia

• Eastern wing of the Collio DOC zone • Slopes at around 150 metres above sea level on either side of a long ridge, with south/south-west and north-east facing vineyards. • Soils: calcareous marl with layers of sandstone, fresh, low fertility, good drainage • Focus varieties: Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Ribolla Gialla • Vineyard area: < 150 ha (Ribolla 20ha) • Total production c. 500,000 bottles (Ribolla 100,000) Terroirs - Oslavia Terroirs - Oslavia

Associazione Produttori Ribolla di Oslavia (Producers association of Ribolla di Oslavia)

Producers: • La Castellada • Fiegl • Il Carpino • Primosic • Dario Princic • Radikon (not associated: Josko Gravner) Terroirs - Oslavia

Associazione Produttori Ribolla di Oslavia

Voluntary protocol

• 100% Ribolla Gialla • Yields 90 q/ha • Min 15 days maceration • Min 12 months in wood, no smaller than 500l • Min 6 months bottle • Release at 24 months Terroirs – Carso (Kras)

• A high limestone plateau overlooking the bay of , on the border with • Shallow, red ferrous top soil • Windswept, maritime climate • Focus varieties: vitoska, malvasia (chardonny, sauvignon blanc) • Micro plots • Vineyard area (DOC) : 33 ha • Production c. 200,000 bottles Terroirs – Carso (Kras)

Skin fermentation producers

• Milic (Sgonico) • Ostrouska (Sgonico) • Skerk (Prepotto) • Skerlj (Sgonico) • Zidarich (Prepotto) Other Skin Fermentation Producers

Collio • Silvano Ferlat (Cormons) • Renato Keber (Cormons) • Kurtin (Cormons) • Paraschos (San Floriano) • Damjan Podervisic (Calvario)

Colli Orientali • Ronco Severo (Prepotto) • Vigne del Malina () • Visintini () Tasting Skin Femented Wines

Appearance • Cloudy or bright ? • Varietal chromatics ?

Nose • Frank or wild or defective ? • Fresh-varietal or evolved-phenolic ?

Palate • Light, medium or full-bodied ? • Fruit or terroir ? • Souplesse or tactile ? Skin Fermented Whites: The Producers IL CARPINO

Location: San Floriano (Collio) Owner/winemaker: Franco Sosol Vineyard area: 17ha Production: 70,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: Runc range(white and red varietals) ✓ Macerated: Chardonnay; Exordium (Friulano);Malvasia; Ribolla; Sauvignon; Vis Uvae (Pinot Grigio) www.ilcarpino.com Il Carpino, Malvasia Selezione 2016

• From 70-year old vines at Oslavia, picked late September with full phenolic ripeness • Two weeks maceration, one year in medium size barrels, one year in inox, racked, a second year in inox, bottled with light S02. • Bright golden straw, rich ripe fruit, round, full-bodied, youthful • 4,000 bottles, release 2020 La Castellada

Location: Oslavia (Collio) Owner: Bensa Family Winemaker: Stefano Bensa Vineyard area: 10ha Production: 25,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: Collio Bianco della Castellada ✓ Macerati: Friulano; Bianco Ris. VRH (Chardonnay/Sauvignon); Pinot Grigio; Ribolla www.lacastellada.it La Castellada, Friulano 2014

• From 2ha in various sites at Oslavia, 50 year-old vines, picked week-3 September with 50% botrytis • Four days maceration in open wooden vats with pied de cuvée, one year in used barrique with batonnage, two years inox, two years bottle • Bright pale straw, great finesse on the nose, long delicate fruit palate. 12.5% • 3,200 bottles (potential 8,000) Gravner Location : Oslavia (Collio) Owner/winemaker: Josko Gravner Vineyard area: 15ha Production: 34,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Breg (sauvignon/pinot grigio/chardonnay/riesling italico); Ribolla; Ribolla Riserva Gravner, Ribolla 2011

• From densely planted alberello vines at Oslavia and Hum in Slovenia, picked late October • No de-stem, light SO2, six months spontaneous fermentation in buried qvevri with daily punching down, racked into second qvevri for five months, six years in large Slavonian oak. • Pale amber, complex, tactile, incredibly fresh, unique, memorable Paraschos

Location : San Floriano (Collio) Owner/winemaker: Evangelos Paraschos Vineyard area: 6.5 ha Production: 20,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: Pinot Grigio ✓ Macerated: Amphoreus Bianco; Amphoreus Malvasia; Kai; Not; Orange One; Ponka; Ribolla Gialla www.paraschos.it Paraschos, Kai 2016

• Friulano from single vineyard planted in 1936, picked week-3 September, <1 kg x vine • Grapes rest 24 hrs with stems, de-stem, one week maceration, two days decantation in inox, three years in medium barrels. No added SO2 at any stage. • Old gold shade, floral nose, peach and almond, fresh but with great depth and length • 3,000 bottles Damijan Podversic

Location: Calvario(Collio) Owner/winemaker: Damijan Podervisic Vineyard area: 10 ha Production: 30,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Kaplja; (Chardonnay/Malvasia/Friulano); Malvasia; Nekay (Friulano) www.damijanpodervsic.com Damijan Podversic, Ribolla Gialla 2015

• South-facing vineyards planted 1991 on Monte Calvario, picked week-2 October, with removal of bottom half of the bunch, 40% botrytis • Two months complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation with the skins, two days decant, three years in large barrels • Round and juicy, full-bodied, soft tannins, long and deep, mineral finish. Youthful. • 8,000 bottles Radikon

Location : Oslavia (Collio) Owner/winemaker: Sasa Radikon Vineyard area: 15 ha Production: 50,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Jakot (Friulano) Oslavje (Chardonnay/Sauvignon); Ribolla; Slatnik (Chardonnay/Friulano); Sivi (Pinot Grigio) www.radikon.it Radikon, Jakot 2014

• From vines between 75 and 60 years old at Oslavia, picked over two weeks in early September. • De-stem and light SO2, two months maceration in oak, three years in medium sized Slavonian oak. Two years in bottle. This vintage released ahead of 2013. • Pale amber-old gold, complex dried fruit and herbal nose, intense succulent palate, long salty finish • 4,000 bottles (50cl) Ronco Severo

Location : Prepotto (Colli Orientali) Owner/winemaker: Stefano Novello Vineyard area: 11 ha Production: 30,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Friulano; Pinot Grigio; Ribolla; Severo Bianco (Friulano/Chardonnay/Picolit) www.roncosevero.it Ronco Severo, Pinot Grigio 2017

• From fresh, stony calcareous marl slopes in the northern, cooler climate part of the Collio Orientali, late picked. • Thirty days, complete spontaneous fermentation in conical oak vats, 24 months on the lees in medium size Slavonian barrels • Bright, cherry shade, wild herbs, exuberant sweet ripe fruit and soft round tannins. Youthful. • 7,000 bottles, release 2020 Skerk Location : Prepotto (Carso) Owner/winemaker: Sandi Skerk Vineyard area: 7 ha Production: 22,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Malvasia; Ograde (Vitovska/Malvasia/Sauvignon); Vitovska www.skerk.com Skerk, Malvasia 2017

• From south-facing terraces, with yields of 35q/ha, picked late September in hot dry vintage. • Maceration in medium sized oak vats for two weeks, 12 months in small and medium size barrels, light SO2 on bottling • Golden straw shade,fresh, complex floral-herb nose, ripe fruit, round, with tangy finish. • 6,000 bottles Skerlj

Location: Sgonico (Carso) Owner/winemaker: Matej Skerlj Vineyard area: 3 ha Production: 9,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated: Malvasia; Vitovska www.skerlj.it Skerlj, Vitoska 2016

• From micro plots of high density alberello on ferrous limestone soils • Three weeks maceration in oak vats, two years on the lees without racking and one year bottle • Bright, bone dry, white fruit,essential, long and mineral • 4,000 bottles Zidarich

Location: Prepotto (Carso) Owner/winemaker: Benjamin Zidarich Vineyard area: 8 ha Production: 28,000 bottles Wines: ✓ Conventional: none ✓ Macerated : Malvasia; Malvasia Kamen; Prulke (Vitoska/Malvasia/Sauvignon); Vitovska www.zidarich.it Zidarich, Vitovska Kamen 2017

• From selected old vines, picked late September in warm dry vintage • One month maceration in small stone bins hollowed out by hand, two years in 700 hl Slavonia oak barrels without racking • Pale straw, herbs and honey nose, round textured palate with long mineral finish. Refined elegance. • 1,800 bottles Skin Fermented Whites from Friuli-Venezia Giulia with Richard Baudains

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