The wines of the legendary producer Mario Schiopetto have been a special favorite of mine since Michele and I visited Friuli in the 1980’s. So I was very happy when I was invited to a tasting of the wines by their distributor, Nunzio Castaldo of Panebianco Wines.
The speaker was Alessandro Rotolo, representing the Rotolo Family who now manage the Mario Schiopetto legacy. The estate passed into the hands of the Rotolo family in April of 2014.
The Mario Schiopetto winery is located in Captiva del Friuli in the province of Gorizia. The DOC is Collio. They also have vineyards in the Colli Orientali in the Province of Udine.
Alessandro said it all began in 1965 when Mario produced his Tocai, the first modern white wine of Friuli, and brought international recognition to the region. In the 1970’s, he travelled across Europe with noted Italian wine and food writer, Luigi Veronelli, and even visited California with other prominent Italian producers.
Ponca, the typical Friuli terrain composed mainly of clay and limestone, is the unique terroir that defines Schiopotto wines. Alessandro said that all the wines are vinified and aged in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation does not take place
Friulano, formerly known as Tocai, is indigenous to Friuli. Alessandro said the name was changed from Tocai to Friulano (a much harder name to pronounce) after a long EU dispute with Hungary. Today it is the most popular white wine in Friuli and if you ask for a glass of white wine they will give you Friulano.
The Wines:
Collio DOC Friulano 2021 Magnum made from 100% Tocai Friulano first produced in 1965. The soil is mainly clay and limestone and the training system is guyot and double overturn. Manual harvest is the last week of August and the first week of September. Fermentation is for 10/12 days in steel tanks at a controlled temperature.There is an additional pied de cuvee at the start of fermentation. The wine is aged in steel tanks for 8 months and a minimum of 8 months in bottle before release. This is a complex wine with hints of pear, apricot, wildflowers, a touch of grapefruit and a note of almond. Note: This rare magnum came from Alessandro’s personal cellar. He asked that we taste the wine and then taste it again later to see how it evolved in the glass. $ 30
Collio Friulano 2018 Made from 100% Friulano (Tocai). This is a complex wine with hints of pear, apricot, citrus fruit and a hint of almonds and touch of flint.
Alessandro then spoke about Pinot Grigio. The vines ares grown in medium marly soil and produce small bunches with round grey berries. Like Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio derives from the bud mutation of Pinot Noir.
All of the wines are made from 100% Pinot Grigio and are Collio DOC The training system is guyot and the grapes are hand picked the second and third weeks of September. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and the a brief period of decantation in the total absence of sulphur dioxide. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature for 10/12 days. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 8 months and a minimum of 5 months in bottle before release.
Collio Pinot Grigio 2022. Flavors of banana, passion fruit, lemon, peaches, and citrus fruit $28.
Next we tasted the following older vintages of this wine. As the wines got older, the flavors and aromas became much deeper and more pronounced with more honeysuckle and tropical fruits. None of the wines showed any sign of age. The 1999, a 25 year wineThe, was more than amazing.
Collio Pinot Grigio 2018 $28
Collio Pinot Grigio 2015 $49
Collio Pinot Grigio 1999. $?
After tasting the wines I was very happy to see that the Rotolo family have been true to the legacy of Mario Schiopetto.
Schiopetto also produces another line with the label which was first used by Mario Schiopetto back in 1965, known as Del Pompiere “to the fireman.” These wines were not included in the tasting. The historic label was introduced with the 2019 vintage. Mario’s family owned Osteria al Pompieri, and at one time, he was a fireman and truck driver and he used his fire truck to deliver his wines.
For more information on the wines and where to by them contact
Panebianco Wine. (212) 685-7560. 1140 Broadway NY, NY
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