2022 Vie di Romans Friuli Isonzo Chardonnay Ciampagnis

The Chardonnay wines of Vie de Roman are not in a hurry. This 100% Chardonnay comes from the Ciampagnis Vieris vineyard, which is completely planted with Chardonnay. The soil of this vineyard consists of pebbles and iron-rich (red) clay and the vines are on average 20 years old. After the harvest there is a cold maceration at 8 degrees, followed by a 22-day fermentation. The wine stays on the lees (on its yeast) for 8 months and no malolactic fermentation has taken place.

In the nose we smell ripe fruit like pear, but also chamomile and floral notes. In the mouth this beautiful wine has beautiful layers with good acidity and a fine balance. The wine is creamy and rich in buttery almond, stone fruit, honey, orange peel. At the same time the wine is surprisingly light, fresh and silky in texture. In terms of Chardonnay this wine offers the full package. According to Monica Larner of the Wine-Advocate you should not miss this Vie de Romans Chardonnay if you are a lover of a nice Chardonnay

Gianfranco Gallo of Vie di Romans was one of the first winemakers to see the potential of the Friuli alluvial plain. He took over the estate from his father more than 30 years ago and in 1978 he launched his first wine. Since 1990, almost all of his wines have been mono-cépages (made from the same grape variety), each from a single vineyard. Gianfranco has a unique style of winemaking. He is very closely involved in every part of the process: from the work in the vineyard to the cellar. He keeps the yields per hectare as low as possible and works as organically as possible. His wines are first cold macerated, after which they are fermented in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels (tonneaux and barriques). In order to preserve the freshness (a good acidity) in the wine, he does not carry out malolactic fermentation. After alcoholic fermentation, the wines are aged for 8-9 months in stainless steel tanks or barriques on their 'lie'.