Pinot Grigio has a reputation problem, and Friuli is where it gets fixed. Ca Bolani works the flat, gravelly plain between the Tagliamento and Isonzo rivers, in the far northeast of Italy, where the grape is picked riper and treated more seriously than anywhere else it grows.
- Pinot Grigio, the grape behind the wine.
- Friuli Aquileia, a DOC of the Friulian plain.
- 2017, a warm vintage in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
- Dry, light-bodied, high in acidity.
- 13% alcohol, 750ml.
How it is made
Friuli Aquileia sits on the low ground near the Adriatic, where alluvial gravel and sand drain fast and the vines ripen slowly. The DOC covers a spread of varieties, but Pinot Grigio is the one the zone is known for. Unlike the pale, neutral versions made further north, the grape here is often left to hang longer, which is where the colour and the weight come from.
How it tastes
Green apple and white peach first, then citrus, then a clear almond note on the back end that is the grape's own signature rather than anything added. The acidity is high and the body is light, so the fruit stays sharp instead of round. A mineral, stony thread runs underneath. Dry throughout.
Good to know
Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same grape. In Alsace it is grown for weight and honeyed richness; in Friuli the same vine gives something leaner and more savoury. The colour difference is real: left on the skins even briefly, Pinot Grigio turns a faint copper, which is why a well-made Friulian bottle is rarely water-white.
Contains alcohol.
