2010 Sauvignon Selezione

The 2010 Sauvignon Selezione is one of the great wines from Friuli in this vintage. Varietal aromatics are beautifully balanced with ripe fruit and vibrant minerality in this nuanced wine. Here, too, the combination of fruit and structure is compelling. A polished, expressive finish rounds things out in style. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. My wife and I sat down for a late summer dinner at L’Androna, the best restaurant in Grado, a gorgeous seaside town in Friuli. I had just returned the day before from two weeks in Burgundy, where I tasted just about every great 2009 white Burgundy, including virtually all of the benchmarks. Within that context, the next white I tasted should have been disappointing. Instead it was a revelation. The wine? Borgo del Tiglio’s 2009 old-vine Friulano Ronco della Chiesa. On this night, the Ronco della Chiesa was every bit the equal of the vast majority of the wines I tasted in Burgundy, and frankly far better than the average. Proprietor Nicola Manferrari is one of the leading lights in Friuli. His wines deserve far more recognition than they typically receive. Make no mistake about it, these are some of the most compelling whites being made anywhere in Italy. Various American importers, including: Volio Vino Imports, Denver, CO; tel. (720) 284-7301; Free Run, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 669-9757, ?? Petit Pois, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644, PWM Wine Merchants, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 525-3826