In exceptional vintages Nicola Manferrari bottles a single vineyard of very old vines Malvasia separately, instead of blending into the standard "Collio Malvasia." He calls it a "Selezione" though it could also be thought of as both a "Grand Cru" and a "Riserva," but alas neither of these designations are official or even allowed in the Collio DOC. These special cuvées sport a green label, and in the case of the Malvasia he also adds the name of the former vineyard owners, Italo & Bruno (two brothers). With long aging in barrels and bottle, this wine easily competes with the very best Riesling GGs, culty Chenin Blancs, and yes Premier and even Grand Cru white Burgundy.

Nicola Manferrari originally studied to be a pharmacist, but when his father passed away in 1981, he found himself with a few hectares of family vineyards—and not just any vineyards, but some prized old vines in the celebrated wine town of Cormòns, in the Collio DOC zone. Cormòns, as I’ve no doubt said before, is Ground Zero for Friuli’s best whites, situated as it is in the foothills of the Julian Alps—but also just 25 kilometers or so from the Adriatic Sea. This push-pull of cool mountain air and warm sea breezes is one of the keys to the region’s success with white wines: Vines are refreshed every evening, which lengthens the growing season to heighten aromatics and preserve acidity, but there’s also enough warmth and sun to deliver ripeness and depth. The soils of the area are dominated by a sandstone/clay marl mixture known locally as ponka, lending the wines a palpable minerality.

Serve cool, not cold, in Burgundy stems and whole array of aromatics will pour forth: Fresh cut pineapple, white peach, guava, Key lime, star jasmine, lavender, wild fennel, white pepper, and hints of baking spice. The lush, medium-full body is sumptuously textured and mouth filling, but the clean, long, mineral drenched finish balances that initial heft perfectly. A truly memorable bottle of white wine awaits!