2019 I Clivi 'A Tessa' Ribolla Gialla

Mario Zanusso is a man with a mission in northeast Friuli. His winery, I Clivi, focuses almost exclusively on the white indigenous varietals of the region. The only red grape they grow is merlot, which has actually been grown in Friuli for close to a century now.

All of Zanusso's wines are made from gentle whole-cluster pressing with no maceration, yielding what is called the "fiore", the finest and richest juice of the grape, which is the first released from the berry upon pressing. A lot of ribolla gialla is made with extended skin-contact, so having none at all is a bit unique. The loss of structure that comes from no skin contact is made up partially by aging the wine on its lees.

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This 2019 is very aromatic with lots of floral notes, bright citrus and chamomile on the palate with some toasty, baked bread notes from the lees contact, and a lively crisp finish. Great with nutty cheeses, grilled vegetables with thyme and sage, creamy pastas, and fowl of all types.

Producer: I Clivi

Name of Wine: A Tessa

Vintage: 2019

Region: Friuli, Italy

Appellation: Venezia Giulia IGP

Varietal(s): 100% ribolla gialla

Agriculture: organic and biodynamic

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Vineyard/Winery Location: Corno di Rosazzo, Udine, Friuli, Italy
Vineyard Size: 2 hectares

Soil Type(s): marl and sandstone flysch

Altitude: 100 m / 328 ft
Exposure: south

Trellis system: Guyot

Age of Vines: 10 years

Graft Selection: massal
Harvest: hand harvested / early October

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