Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC Pignolo 2018 (750 ml.) La Tunella

THE WINE

The Pignolo from La Tunella is an intense and structured wine, obtained from the vinification of the homonymous native red grape variety. In recent decades, with the renewed interest in native varieties, it has found its place in the vineyard, with clones recovered from some old vines of the Abbey of Rosazzo. The long aging in wood, at least 4 years and an additional year in the bottle, allows the wine to soften and present an intense, rich sip, with evolved and complex aromas. The bouquet expresses aromas of soft spices, red fruit jam, preserved fruit, hints of humus and underbrush, notes of bitter cocoa and tobacco. It has a significant body, dense and complex aromas that accompany the sip towards a fresh and very persistent finish. An excellent accompaniment to meat dishes.

THE COMPANY

Between past and future, perfectly integrated into contemporary times. This is how one could define one of the most representative wineries in all of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and in particular in its Eastern Hills. A story in continuous evolution, which began over fifty years ago with little bulk wine, and continues today with the construction of the new winery, a functional place for a unique production in terms of quality consistency.

From Friulano to Ribolla Gialla, from Malvasia to Schioppettino, up to Pignolo and Picolit, passing through Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, “Biancosesto,” and Sauvignon, there is no wine from “La Tunella” that isn’t worth tasting.

So let's go back to the origins, when first Grandpa Min and then Dad Livio Zorzettig started the agricultural business now led by brothers Massimo and Marco Zorzettig, the latter assisted by their mother Gabriella.

Currently, there are about seventy hectares of vineyards, of which 30% are planted with red grape varieties, while the other 70% is planted with white grape varieties. On soils composed of sandstones and marls, in a unique microclimate particularly favorable to viticulture, protected to the north by the Julian Prealps, acting as a shield against the coldest winds, and warmed by the southern breezes from the Adriatic Sea, plants are cultivated that yield exceptional fruits, rich in every little nuance. Bunches that, after being harvested only at the right ripeness, are transformed in the modern winery distributed over two levels and perfectly functional for all production processes: on the lower floor, there are fermentation rooms, drying rooms, the barrel cellar, and aging rooms, while the ground floor hosts the warehouse and the bottling system.

Wines labeled “La Tunella,” in which history, memory, and traditions coexist with new and creative energies, to give life to a solid and intriguing range, capable of spanning from classic whites and reds to blends, passitos, and single-varietals: bottles that are the result of careful enhancement of the territory and all its best characteristics.