A superlative white from Friuli

WHY Wine

This is possibly the best wine from the Gallo family I've ever had. Gallo? Yes, but not from the Gallos of Mendocino, California, but from Gianfranco Gallo of Mariano del Friuli, Italy.

As far as I know there is no family connection between the two. But when Gianfranco wanted to use his own name on the label of his wine the American giant company objected. Maybe it is better as it is to avoid any confusion.

A very young Gianfranco took over the Isonzo Estate from his father more than 30 years ago. He is a master winemaker and the wines are among the best in Italy. The 40 hectares of the Gallo family are all located in the town of Mariano, near the Isonzo river.

From 1978 on, Gianfranco took major steps to improve the quality of the wine and modernise the equipment while paying great attention to the terroir, the soil and climate in the northern Italian state of Friuli which touches Slovenia on the east.

Since 1990 and following the construction of a new three-storey winery, all whites are released only two years after harvest. There is high density planting but low yield to achieve maximum concentration of the grapes.

The winery, called Vie di Romans in the local dialect, is named after an antique road. His "Piere" and "Vieris" sauvignon blanc are celebrated as on par with the very best of France or New Zealand. His chardonnay, unoaked, is excellent, according to many wine experts.

The 2000 Flors de Uis I drank recently was truly impressive in its complexity and finesse. The Flors de Uis, which I assume means "flower of grapes" in the local dialect, is a blend of 45 percent malvasia istriana, 35 percent Rhine riesling and 20 percent tocai friulano.

The malvasia comes in many forms, and can be red or white. It is found mainly in Italy and Spain, and gives a rather soft wine. It has no connection with the French malvoisie. The riesling is, of course, the sublime grape of Germany and is enjoying a well-deserved revival all over the world. I know quite a few wine amateurs who place it higher than the popular chardonnay. The tocai has nothing to do with the celebrated Hungarian tokai, and given EU regulations is now preferably called only friulano.

The "melange" is irresistible. It produces a wine that is full bodied, with elegant tropical fruits, a touch of flowers and a long finish. It is vinified in stainless steel and could be ranked as a super white by people fond of the adjective "super Tuscan" reds. It has a cellar life of up to 12 years, and reaches its peak after seven years of good cellaring.

This is a Isonzo-Friuli Denominazione de Origine Controllata, and is available in Bangkok. Don't expect it to be cheap. This is not your everyday little white that goes well at the end of a tropical day. This is a beautiful wine, made from grapes grown in a rich top soil of alluvial marl, abundant in organic substances with pebbles below, offering the grapes a chance to struggle and gain definition.

The vineyards are located between the Adriatic and the Alps. The climate benefits from the cold eastern wind, the Bora, and the warmer southern Sirocco. They alternate with the seasons.

This is certainly the best Italian white I tasted in a long time and I would recommend that you drink water for a few days in order to afford it. I found a website in the US which sold it at $25 per bottle.

Take into account our impressive tax system and you get the idea. If you like a really superb white wine, that's it. Eco lo!

Email: chateaudo377@gmail.com