Borgo Conventi Friulano 2018
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Aromas of yellow stone fruit, spring wildflower and Alpine herb lead the nose. Elegant and linear, the vibrant, savory palate offers yellow peach, apricot and a hint of graphite alongside bright acidity. It closes on an almond note.
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2021-
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The name Borgo Conventi, which translates to "hamlet convent", was inspired by a legend and a plot of land in the ancient hamlet of Farra d'Isonzo, located in Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. In the 17th Century, a noble landowner, Count Strassoldo, donated the land to a friar named Basilio Pica, on which the province's first monastery was built. Established in 1975, Borgo Conventi took its name from this legendary land in Farra d'Isonzo and was founded on the promise to produce elegant wines which respect the land and the province's history. Today, Giancarlo Polegato and his family remain committed to that promise.
Borgo Conventi owns 20 hectares of prime vineyards in the Collio DOC, which covers the hills of Gorizia in the prestigious wine growing region of Friulia-Venezia Giulia. Collio borders Italy's Veneto region and the neighboring countries of Slovenia and Austria. Geographically, Collio is influenced by the Alps to the north, the Adriatic Sea to the south and the Friulian Plain in between, and the DOC is known for producing complex and aromatic white wines which exhibit Slavic, Germanic and Italian traits. The reigning white-wine grape varieties include the indigenous Friulano as well as the international varieties of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon. Borgo Conventi's estate vineyards range in age from 15 to 45 years old and the soil is composed of layers of marl and sandstone which impart a unique minerality to the wines.
Winemaker Paolo Corso has been making wines for Borgo Conventi since 1989, and believes great wine is crafted in the vineyard. The passionate team at Borgo Conventi is devoted to their vineyards and their ecosystem and the use of sustainable farming practices, such as the elimination of chemical weed control and the use of weather stations in the vineyard - it's their way of saying, "thank you", to the land.
Thriving in the NE Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia near the border of Slovenia, Friulano makes a uniquely high-pitched and vibrant white with a delicate perfume. Extensive in the area by the early 1930s, today Friulano grows in all of the best zones and is usually, but not always, bottled as a single-varietal wine. Somm Secret— The Friulano grown today, while named for its present home of Friuli, is actually the Sauvignonasse grape, a minor cultivar that came from Bordeaux.
Collio is a crescent-shaped sub region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia that hugs right up against the Slovenian border. It is perfectly situated for growing wine grapes, especially of the white variety.
The Julian Alps to Collio’s north allow the influx of cool, nighttime breezes, while the Adriatic Sea to its south regulates the region’s temperatures. The area contains flysch soils,locally known as, ponca, a layered, sedimentary rock that formed millions of years ago as continents collided under the sea. Today the flysch soils that dominate the hills of Collio provide an interesting substrate for vine roots, with measurable mineral variations within small areas. The fractured layers of flysch soils also facilitate drainage and deepening of vine roots.
The region boasts a unique set of indigenous white varieties including Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia and the rare, Picolit. International whites—Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon (Blanc) and Chardonnay—have also been in the area for well over 100 years. Today Collio is often associated with crisp, clean, floral and fruity whites. But in recent years, there has been a resurgence in popularity of the ancient Slovenian style of fermenting white grapes on their skins. This process retains additonal colors and phenols, producing a complex finished wine with an orange hue, warranting the term, "orange wines."
Reds are far less common but the indigenous Pignolo makes an age-worthy red, and the international varieties Merlot and Cabernet grow here as well.