I Clivi, Friulano

From 70-year-old vines of the San Pietro vineyard, in the Gramogliano Hills near the Slovenian boarder. Fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel for six months. Lightly filtered. Minimal SO2. Slightly aromatic, herbal aromas with nutty, mildly almond-y finish. Good acidity, balanced by marked minerality.

Ferdinando Zanusso founded I Clivi when he returned to Italy after thirty years and three different careers in Africa, including a stint in the United Nation’s World Food Program. His son Mario joined just after its inception and is involved in all aspects of the farm. Together they seek the fullest expression of their highly reputed terroir in Friuli’s esteemed Colli Orientali del Friuli and Collio growing districts.

What distinguishes I Clivi from their peers are their devastatingly low yields, steep terrain, and old vines that range from sixty to eighty years of age. It is not surprising that their soils of calcareous clay, or ponca in local dialect, have been noted for their similarities to Burgundy’s Côte d’Or and organic farming goes without saying for vineyards of this caliber and rigor. All work in the cellar follows similar principles and attention to detail. Hand-harvested bunches are pressed very gently at Champagne levels so to squeeze only the purest must, a philosophy that sets the stage for the superb quality of the finished wines. Using only stainless steel vats for the white wines, the Zanusso’s produce wines of precision and definition without the interference of maceration or prolonged contact with the skin.