Description
Dario Guerra is a third-generation winegrower who farms 10 hilltop hectares in Friuli’s revered Colli Orientali DOC. When asked about his approach to winemaking, he responds, “we are students of the leaves.” Working up to 15 hours a day in the vineyard, the Guerra’s are tending individual vines all season long. Each vine yields an average of just two pounds of fruit (less than 1 bottle of wine) per plant. “Wine is made in the vineyard, not the cellar,” Dario adds, with the belief that what happens post-harvest should only have a minimal influence on the finished wine. Guerra Albano tends to their vineyards organically and practices dry farming. With vines that are on average 40-years-old, it’s not unusual for them to have roots that descend 30–50 feet straight down into the hillside, resulting in complex, terroir-driven wines steeped in Friuli’s telltale minerality.
100% Ribolla Gialla, the grapes were picked by hand before being gently pressed. The resulting juice underwent fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, using a gentle peristaltic pump, which helps produce less astringent wines and better-integrated tannins. This brut sparkling wine was achieved via the Charmat method, in an autoclave, and held on the lees over several months to achieve the elegant and persistent bead. After bottling, it was aged an additional four months before being released.
Bright yellow hue. Delicate aromatics, with scents of tropical fruit, pear and jasmine. The palate shows flavors of tart green apple, passion fruit and lemon curd; it is vibrant and mouthwatering with a hint of salinity on the lingering finish. A vino spumante wine with considerable charm and complexity.
