Home Winners > Winners 2015 > ITALY: North-East - Trentino, Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, white

Winner Details

 

ITALY: North-East – Trentino, Alto Adige & Friuli Venezia Giulia


2015: Gold 3 Silver 5 Bronze 3 Commended 3
2014: Gold 1 Silver 6 Bronze 6 Commended 2


A big increase in entries from the north-eastern valleys of Italy meant that this year we could separate off the Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli wines from their more workaday Verona cousins. It made for a fascinating mix of wines, from winsome Sauvignon Blancs, to delicate Pinot Grigios and Blancos, and more full-flavoured yet elegant Chardonnays. Big tick from the tasting teams.
 

From the Tasting Teams


‘A very impressive flight. Lovely wines, starting with fresh, aromatic and uplifted wines, moving on to complex, sometimes oaked, creamier styles, but some really good wines throughout. The quality here means that you can push up in terms of price.’ Richard Brooks, Caroline Catering

‘These are gourmet, Michelin star-level wines; real food wines to go with complex dishes. There’s a lot of minerality – layered wines, wines that sommeliers love to play with and that help the sommelier in their role.’
Andrea Fasan, La Petite Maison

‘Instead of all its Pinot Grigio, New Zealand should be planting these varieties and looking at these wines to see where aromatics can go!’ Richard Bampfield MW, team leader

‘There were some very high-quality wines, comparable with the best Burgundy in terms of what these wines deliver. Definitely hand-sell wines, but these will impress customers that try them. Good with Asian food, but the richer styles would be good with creamier fish dishes, lobster, buttery seafood dishes.’
Jonathan Kleeman, The Ritz Hotel

Award winners

Found 14 wines

Italy: North-East - Trentino, Alto Adige & Friuli Venezia Giulia – White

Attems, Venezia Giulia, Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Gold medal winner Critics Choice

A complex array of flavours scored Gold for Attems.

'Ripe green fruits, nice florality and a shot of minerality,' said Louise Gordon of Lime Wood Hotel. ‘Intriguing flavours of herbs and peppermint,’ said team leader Richard Bampfield MW, adding: ‘Really distinctive, like a dry vermouth.’ ‘Lively wine with great balance of fruit and acidity, and pleasing mouthfeel,’ added Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering. Perfect with Asian food.

£13.30 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Collavini, Broy, Collio, Bianco 2011, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Gold medal winner

A tantalising blend of Chardonnay, Friulano and Sauvignon Blanc that team leader Richard Bampfield MW described as: 'Intense, deeply coloured. Toasty, like a mature Hunter Valley Semillon, with honeyed notes. Complex and really exciting.'
'Apricot jam, orange and hints of lime on the nose. Match with seared scallops or sushi,' said Louise Gordon of LIme Wood Hotel.

£22.93 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Ponte del Diavolo, Friuli Grave, Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Gold medal winner

‘Plenty of character at the price,’ said team leader Richard Bampfield MW, summarising why Ponte del Diavolo kicks off the Golds in this fascinating category. ‘Attractive fruit, lightly honeyed on the nose,' he continued, saying: 'Good fruit flavours with notes of stewed apple and spice.’ 'Asparagus, lemon, grapefruit and flint on a well-balanced, medium body,' added Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel. Match with oysters.

£7.30 Liberty Wines

Bastianich, Vespa Bianco 2012, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Honey and lemon zest on a very fresh nose,’ began team leader Richard Bampfield MW, continuing: ‘Good intensity of flavour and lovely texture, making it food-friendly. Dry, compelling finish.’ Try with Thai.

£16.95 Bibendum

Jermann, Vintage Tunina 2012, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Clean and open, with fresh fruit character,’ began team leader Olivier Marie, continuing: ‘Apple and pear notes with white flowers, honeysuckle. Candied fruits with dried nuts and candied lemon. Great minerality, if high alcohol.’ 'Complex and young, but harmonic, to drink or to keep,' added Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel. Match with sea bream with samphire.

£30.43 Enotria&Coe

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Pinot Bianco 2012, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

Jonathan Kleeman of The Ritz Hotel was impressed with this example: ‘Complex nose with yeast hints, followed by rich, rounded flavours with traces of oak and butter to support the fruit structure.’ Match with goats' cheese with honey.

£18.44 Eurowines

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Sauvignon 2013, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

'Aromatic, with a pleasant nose of lime blossom, citrusy character and light saline nautical minerality on the palate, with great texture, oiliness and waxy length,' said team leader Olivier Marie.

'Subtle nose, but full of fresh, intense fruit and minerality on the palate,' agreed Jonathan Kleeman of The Ritz Hotel. Arguably too youthful, we'd love to see it again in a few years.

£18.44 Eurowines

St Michael-Eppan, Sanct Valentin, Pinot Grigio 2012, Alto Adige, Italy

Silver medal winner

‘Fresh and fruity but with a lovely complexity,’ said Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, adding: ‘Has a touch of bitterness and a slightly liquorice mouthfeel. Lovely.’ Team leader Richard Bampfield MW said: ‘Oaked, but gloriously so. Full of flavour with lovely balance.’

£18.44 Eurowines

Borgo Conventi, Collio, Sauvignon 2013, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Interesting nose, with floral notes that carry on to the palate, followed by an intense mineral finish,’ said Jonathan Kleeman of The Ritz Hotel, with Vittorio Gentile of Theo Randall at The InterContinental Hotel adding: ‘Very mineral, Pouilly-Fumé-like style, with body and a long finish.’

£12.90 Alivini

Tramin, Moriz, Pinot Bianco 2013, Alto Adige, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Lots of zingy fruit, fills the mouth and develops well, with an appealing intensity of flavour,’ said Richard Brooks of Caroline Catering, adding: ‘A food wine of broad appeal.’

£11.32 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Mezzacorona, Castel Firmian, Chardonnay 2014, Trentino, Italy

Bronze medal winner

‘Nice and clean, with crisp, lively fruit aromas. Lemony acidity, candied lemon fruit, pear and apple on the palate, alongside herbal notes with a hint of tarragon,’ noted team leader Olivier Marie.

£6.52 Berkmann Wine Cellars

Cavit, Terrazze della Luna, Nosiola 2014, Trentino , Italy

Commended medal winner

£5.75 Boutinot

Livon, Braide Grande, Collio, Pinot Grigio 2013, Friuli-Venezia Giulia , Italy

Commended medal winner

£13.62 Eurowines

Colterenzio, Classici, Pinot Grigio 2013, Alto Adige, Italy

Commended medal winner

£10.56 Enotria&Coe