Two More Bright Stars From Tenuta Stella

Two More Bright Stars From Tenuta Stella

I wrote an article on Tenuta Stella in the Collio Gorizia in June 2024. This featured their excellent Malvasia Istriana wine. You can read about that here. I also promised a further article about two other wines from this excellent organic winery at that time. These are equally bright stars, namely their Friulano 2022 and Ribolla Gialla Riserva 2020. I like to keep my word, so without further ado, here they are! These Gambero Rosso Tre Biccheri wines went down well when served to friends at a recent celebratory dinner at home.

 

Friulano, Collio DOC, 2022. 13%

Technical

100% Friulano from vineyards with Ponca soil facing southeast at 200-260 metres asl. Whole-bunch pressed with the stems. Spontaneous fermentation with Indigenous yeasts in stainless steel.  Ageing was for ten months in stainless steel before bottling in a Collio DOC bottle under a cork.

Tasting

Served chilled, it’s lightly golden, with aromas of elderflower and broom overlaying pear. The freshness of the broad, mouth-filling palate incorporates conference pear, green apple, and lemon. There’s a delightful slippery texture, and the absence of wood ensures the subtlety of aroma and flavour to show well. It’s all about balance, with a harmonious structure that suggests this will continue developing over five years or more. Finally, a savoury sensation on a persistent clean finish. A gastronomic, food-friendly wine.

Food

This Friulano was served with two different starters. The first was scallops with black pudding and za’atar*. The second was a vegetarian alternative: green asparagus baked in grated parmesan-style cheese**. Both were excellent pairings and showed the versatility of this Friulano.

UK stockist

Passione Vino, £28.00 (for the 2020).

 

Ribolla Gialla Riserva, Collio DOC, 2020. 12.5%

 

Technical

100% Ribolla Gialla, made as a skin-contact orange wine. Vineyards with Ponca soils face southeast at 250-270 metres. The destemmed grapes ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. The wine then ages in tonneau in two steps: 12 months in French oak and ten months in large barrels. (NB, white Collio DOC Riserva stipulates a minimum ageing of twenty months). Finally, it’s bottled in a Collio DOC bottle under a cork with an additional wax seal.

Tasting

Refrain from over-chilling this wine. Serve at 14-16 degrees, and this wine will sing. Serve colder (like a white wine), and you’ll wonder what the fuss is about. It’s made in an “orange wine” style, which suits Ribolla Gialla particularly well. This example is a beautifully made subtle orange style that retains varietal aromas and flavours. There’s (thankfully) no volatile acidity, funk, bruised apple, over-oxidation or clumsiness.

Instead, it shows what skin contact can do with skilful and thoughtful handling. Yes, it’s copper/amber in colour, and the aromas contain a tangerine note, but there’s also complexity from hay, dried flowers and candied fruits. The palate has a full body, creamy yet waxy, and with an intriguing walnut and vanilla complexity. There’s sufficient broad acidity to keep it clean. That’s balanced with enough alcohol and tannin to give texture without astringency. An extended, dry (but not drying) finish features a morish wintergreen tang. I imagine this will keep for a decade if desired.

Food

This wine was accompanied by marinated Cumbrian lamb and roasted vegetables cooked in a Middle Eastern style. This was followed by organic Yorkshire Blue (a creamy blue-veined cheese). This wine took all these solid and piquant flavours in its stride.

UK Stockist

Passione Vino, £59.00 (for the 2018).

 

And Finally

Tenuta Stella’s Ribolla Gialla and Friulano are authentic and fascinating wines. They show the excellence of the winery and the Collio DOC terroir. These wines are ideal for special occasions with friends and family. In addition, their versatility allows them to accompany various cuisines, not just Italian food.

 

*Za’atar is a fragrant Middle-Eastern spice mix comprising oregano, sumac, sesame and cumin.

**The “Parmesan-style cheese” used was vegetarian because it doesn’t use rennet. Authentic Parmesan uses rennet and is not vegetarian.