Venica & Venica farms a handful of hillside plots in Collio, the wedge of Friuli Venezia Giulia that pushes into Slovenia, and Ronco delle Mele is one of them. The name means "apple hill," and the vineyard sits high enough that the Adriatic air arrives cool. Sauvignon Blanc here is not the grassy, loud version. It is quieter, stonier, built to last.
- Sauvignon Blanc, the only grape in the bottle.
- Collio DOC, Friuli Venezia Giulia, on the Slovenian border.
- 2023, a warm, generous vintage across the region.
- Dry, medium body, high acidity.
- 13.5% abv, 750ml.
How it is made
The Collio hills are made of ponca, a layered marl and sandstone that drains fast and forces roots deep. That is the whole reason the wines taste like stone. Ronco delle Mele is a single vineyard rather than a blend of plots, which is why the fruit reads as one clear line from start to finish.
How it tastes
Elderflower and peach leaf come first, then a green note that sits closer to capsicum than to grass. Citrus and green apple run through the middle, with flint and wet mineral underneath. The acidity is high but the texture is full, so the finish is silky rather than sharp.
Where it comes from
Collio is a small appellation, and one of the few in Italy that has always been treated as white wine country first. The hills face south and south-east, sheltered by the Alps to the north and opened to the Adriatic to the south. Vineyards sit on slopes, not flats, and the diurnal shift between warm days and cool nights is what preserves acidity in the grape.
Good to know
Sauvignon Blanc is grown all over the world, but the Friulian version is often the one that ages. The combination of ponca soils and cool nights gives a wine that holds its structure for years instead of fading after one.
