As I’ve learned from my colleague Ian Cauble, a white wine from the Friulano grape would not be considered “testable” for an aspiring Master Sommelier—i.e., it would not be considered fair to include a Friulano in the blind tasting portion of the exam.
I’m obviously biased, but I think Friulano is not only world-class but “classic,” at least when presented in the style of today’s 2016 from Sara & Sara. Fresh, floral, mineral, and unoaked, this is the signature white of Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region; long known as “Tocai Friulano,” it is a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc with its own distinct personality and, to my mind, not enough recognition. This wine has depth, texture, mineral backbone, freshness…it’s classic Friulano through and through. I sure hope I could identify it blind, but regardless, it’s world-class white wine.
I still call it Tocai Friulano, even though its name was officially changed by the EU in 2008 (giving Hungary sole use of “Tocai” on any labels). It has been genetically identified as a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc called Sauvignonasse, or Sauvignon Vert (‘green’ Sauvignon), and while some Friulanos can resemble Sauvignon Blanc in style, it’s usually only vaguely: The best Friulanos are not overtly ‘green,’ either in color (they typically have more of a silvery cast) or in flavor (there’s much less, if none, of the pyrazine/herbal influence that characterizes Sauvignon Blanc). Friulano is typically more richly textured and marginally lower in acidity than Sauvignon Blanc, with the fruit component leaning more toward peach/apricot.
The minerality of whites from the grape is attributed to the marl and sandstone mix, known locally as ponka, that characterizes the soils in the Colli Orientali del Friuli (where Sara & Sara is located) and Collio appellations. Both of these zones hug Friuli’s border with Slovenia (and, in Collio’s case, spill over into it), in the shadow of the Julian Alps. Producers such as Sara & Sara perch in rolling hills that are effectively equidistant from the Adriatic Sea and those Julian Alps, resulting in wide day-night temperature variations and an extended growing season that enables white varieties to develop complexity.
The Sara & Sara estate, a small, family-run property in the hamlet of Savorgnano del Torre, spans just seven hectares of vineyards planted to a wide range of native varieties; in addition to Friulano, they grow Ribolla Gialla, Refosco, and both Verduzzo and Picolit, both of which are best-known in their sweet incarnations. Current proprietor Alessandro Sara has made it a priority to farm organically and do everything by hand, and in the case of this Friulano, he draws on a long-established family plot of Friulano boasting 90-year-old vines. The wine is crafted very simply: it is pressed immediately to tank where it ferments on indigenous yeasts and rests for eight months. Then it spends about four months in bottle before release.
The result is a wine the shows both great purity and detail as well as real old-vine concentration—this is not some zippy beach quaffer, but rather a white which, while unoaked, shows real substance. In the glass it’s a deep yellow-gold moving to silvery green at the rim, with aromas of apricot, white peach, citrus blossoms, crushed stones, and a hint of almond skin. It is nearing medium-plus in body, with a luscious, almost chewy texture backed by bracingly fresh acidity and a twinge of minerality on the finish. It’s balance suggests it will continue to improve with age (another case I’ve been trying to make in our offers), but it is delicious and plenty accessible now: Simply pull the cork about 15 minutes before serving at 45-50 degrees in all-purpose white wine stems. My go-to pairing for Friulano, especially at this time of year, is grilled whole fish (branzino; sea bream; snapper) stuffed with lots of lemon and herbs. And while I consider it a year-round choice, summer is this wine’s time to shine. Check it out, and enjoy!
