Friulano Tenute Tomasella (DOC Friuli Grave) 2013 Wine Review

Friulano Tenute Tomasella (DOC Friuli Grave) 2013

Friuli Grave, Italy

Community Score:91/100

Community Reviews: 1

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Alcohol: 12%

Wine Type: White Wine

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Reviews and Ratings

Stephen Beaumont CSW CWE rated this wine as 91/100 with the following review:

Tasted at a fascinating seminar in Toronto organized by Simply Italian, this was quite a revelation.

The Friulano grape is closely related to the the Sauvignon Blanc and is occasionally called Sauvignon Vert. In Northern Italy where it is best known, the grape used to be known as Tocai, however it became illegal to use that name on labels in 2007 because of the confusion with the Hungarian wine Tokaj. But regardless of the name, this grape can produce some remarkable wines when in the hands of a skilled winemaker and the climatic conditions are favourable as they were in Friuli Grave in 2013. (2014 was a different story, with a lot of rain, making it hard to get the concentrations necessary for a wine of layered complexity)

The winery of Tenute Tomasella just celebrated its 50th anniversary and while the wine has yet to appear in Canada, the odds are good that it will arrive here soon. The foreign ambassador for the wine, Annette Lizotte is married to a Quebecois and pushing hard to have it appear on our shelves. I hope she succeeds because the wine is delicious!

There are many paradoxes present: the light straw colour is tinged with green (remember the Friulano grape is also known as Sauvignon Vert, so perhaps that is why?) There are subtle notes of wild flowers and blossoms which but also green apples and pears that are also present on the palate. There is plenty of acidity and yet this wine goes through the malolactic fermentation process that is not typical of crispy, more acidic examples. This softens the acidity yet it is still amply present making it a great food wine, especially for the Alpine cuisine of nutty cheeses and salamis in particular. I was craving almonds while tasting it too - in fact I can imagine nothing better than a lunch of just those ingredients!

Look out for this wine when it arrives here. Highly recommended.

If you liked the Friulano Tenute Tomasella (DOC Friuli Grave) 2013, you might also like these wines:

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Friulano Tenute Tomasella (DOC Friuli Grave) 2013 Wine Review