white
Collio Pinot Bianco
Schiopetto
Vintage & Drinking Window
🍷
Drinking Window
2021 - 2029
Perfect time to enjoy!
Vintage Notes
The 2019 vintage across Friuli and Collio was a return to classic, balanced viticultural conditions after the hot, early 2018 cycle. Winter was mild with adequate water reserves. Spring began cool and wet, with rain throughout May delaying budburst and flowering by nearly two weeks, naturally restricting yields and keeping berry sizes small. A warm, dry summer followed with intense heat arriving in late June and July, but without debilitating drought stress thanks to deep spring subsoil moisture. Crucially, late August and September brought radiant sunshine paired with chilly alpine nights, fostering ideal physiological ripening and steady phenolic maturity without burning away natural acidity. Pinot Bianco harvest concluded cleanly under dry skies in mid-September.
AI Confidence: 95%
$26.00 - $36.00 USD
92/100Outstanding
Sophie's Take
Listen to Sophie talk about Collio Pinot Bianco
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Grape Varieties
100% Pinot Bianco
Style: A brilliant masterclass in architectural, un-oaked Northern Italian white winemaking evaluated firmly on BLIC principles. Balance is impeccable: the 13.0% alcohol integrates invisibly into an energetic, medium-bodied framework carried by electric, mouthwatering acidity. Intensity is precise rather than loud, focusing pure orchard fruit and saline tension squarely along the palate center. Complexity reveals itself in disciplined tiers, layering crisp Bartlett pear, honeysuckle, raw almond, and flinty reduction over 8 months of fine-lees richness. Length is admirable, extending for a prolonged saline and citrus-pith persistence. Typicity is quintessential Collio Pinot Bianco, honoring the crystalline, mineral-cut benchmark established by Mario Schiopetto. Trade-off: This wine is not designed for lovers of voluptuous, buttery, oak-laden California Chardonnay or tropical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Choosing this bottle means trading hedonistic oak sweetness and immediate fruit forwardness for mineral linearity and savory cut. Drinkers seeking plush, tropical immediate gratification will find far more generous comfort in a warm-climate barrel-fermented white.
Alcohol: 13%
Tasting Notes
Aromatics broaden with aeration, releasing white peach, crunchy Bartlett pear, quince, and Meyer lemon pith.
Finish shows lingering persistence and saline snap with a refined, bitter almond twist that cleanses the palate.
Phenolic grip is tactile and silken, lending architecture without coarse astringency.
Pale luminous straw yellow with vivid greenish-gold reflections and bright clarity.
On opening, flinty reduction yields to gunmetal, crushed oyster shell, wet stones, and cool mountain stream minerality.
Faint herbal and floral lift of honeysuckle, elderflower, chervil, and shaved raw fennel.
Professional Ratings
Wine Spectator: 90/100
Robert Parker: 91/100
James Suckling: 95/100
Vinous: 92/100
Decanter: 91/100
Serving Recommendations
Temperature: 10-12°C (50-54°F)
Decanting: 30 to 45 minutes
Food Pairing:
Seared sea scallops over smooth sunchoke purée
Unexpected pairing: roasted pork tenderloin with apple mustard reduction, where wine acidity slices through sweet pork fat
Carnaroli risotto with white asparagus and aged Montasio cheese
Unexpected pairing: dim sum shrimp and pork siu mai with ginger-scallion oil, balancing savory umami and crustacean sweetness
Pan-seared Adriatic branzino with lemon, capers, and crushed herb potatoes
Prosciutto di San Daniele with sweet fresh figs
Avoid pairing: heavy tomato-based ragĂą or spicy arrabbiata, which completely strips the delicate orchard fruit and accentuates bitter phenolics
Winemaking & Vineyard
Production Notes:
Manual harvest into small crates in early September 2019. Gentle whole-cluster pressing followed by cold static settling of the must. Fermentation took place entirely in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks using an artisanal pied de cuve derived from indigenous yeasts selected directly from the Capriva vineyards. The wine underwent complete malolactic avoidance to maintain tension and energetic acidity. Aged for 8 months exclusively on its fine lees in stainless steel with gentle battonage to build textural mid-palate density without timber aromatics. Cold stabilized, gently filtered, and rested in bottle for a minimum of 5 months before commercial release. Production reached roughly 2,000 cases. Honest verdict: Distinguished 16.5/20 cellar work delivering laser-sharp Collio ponca typicity at a very fair market price.
Vineyard Details:
Grown in the rolling hills surrounding the historic episcopal palace of Capriva del Friuli within the Collio Goriziano DOC. Vines average between 25 and 45 years of age, situated on south and southeast-facing slopes at 80 to 120 meters of elevation. Soils consist of the iconic Collio 'ponca' (Flysch di Cormòns), alternating layers of Eocene calcareous marl and sandstone formed over 50 million years ago. Topsoils are friable, poor, and exceptionally well-drained, forcing deep root penetration. Microclimate benefits from protective shelter against cold northern alpine blasts provided by the Julian Alps, contrasted with warm, drying marine breezes sweeping up from the nearby Adriatic Sea, ensuring broad diurnal temperature swings that preserve aromatic tension.
Awards & Accolades
• James Suckling 95 points
• Gambero Rosso Due Bicchieri Rossi
• Vinous 92 points
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