Grand Cru Selections

Ronco del Gnemiz (new)

Ronco del Gnemiz

Rosazzo, Colli Orientali , Italy

 

Christian Patat

 
 

Despite its often mispronounced name, perhaps no other estate embodies “artisanal” as best as Gnemiz. The ambiance is steeped heavily in “vigneron”, honing in on a philosophy that seeks to valorize the various shades of each individual vineyard, capable of crafting different expressions despite their often close proximity. The wines are pure renderings of nature with as little impact from man as possible. Sauvignon is the darling at Gnemiz, and the vineyard parcels are each vinified separately, considered and handled like authentic crus.

  • Owned and managed by Serena Palazzolo and her sons, with the support of her husband - winemaker Christian Patat - Ronco del Gnemiz and its ten hectares sit atop the hill of Rosazzo in the Colli Orientali region of Friuli near Udine. In this area, history is rich: the Abbazia di Rosazzo dates back to 1200, where there are records of winemaking from the year 1000 by Augustinian monks. It has always represented the world’s point of connection between Occidente e Oriente, or the East and the West. The Palazzolo family bought the Rocco del Gnemiz estate in the 1960s, but it was Serena who brought it to life in the ‘90s using an organic approach destined for quality. The philosophy at Gnemiz embodies total respect for the land and local heritage, avoiding chemicals at all cost and cultivating both local varieties like Friulano and international ones like Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot, which have long had a place in Friulian winemaking. The focus is on varietal, single-vineyard expressions which, when in the hands of experienced oenologist, Christian Patat, result in beautiful wines with remarkable integrity.

  • The slopes of Rosazzo in the hilly Colli Orientali boast an exceptional exposure to light and the sun’s rays, protected from harsh winters by the Alps. Cool, dry winds from the nearby Adriatic tend to lend a slightly salty, sea brine to the wines. The 16.5 hectares of vineyards at Gnemiz lie on Friuli’s signature ‘Ponca’ soils that alternate from marl to sandstone.

  • Each vineyard is managed individually, from pruning to treatments to harvest. They are tended without the use of chemical fertilizers or insecticides, and in recent years a homemade compost mixture concocted using local herbs is applied to individual sites as needed. Intervention is generally kept to a minimum, allowing for pure expressions of each plot.

  • In the cellar, longevity and elegance reign. White grapes are gently pressed, insoluble components are cold-separated and fermentation takes place almost exclusively in barrels with no malolactic. Red grapes are fermented in stainless and go through a long maceration with skins before the best wines are transferred to French oak for an extended aging.

Wines

CHARDONNAY RONCO BASSO

This Chardonnay is made from a parcel planted in 2001 with selection massale. The yields are low and vary according to the vintage but average 30 hl/ha. Grapes are pressed whole cluster and fermented entirely in barrel on their lees. One third of the barrels are new and the rest are second and third passage. Batonnage is done, but rarely.

CHARDONNAY SOL

This wine’s history goes back to the early days of the estate. It was first bottled in 1981 and was the wine that put Ronco del Gnemiz on the map. The vineyard is 60 years old and east-facing, with low yields that average 20 hl/ha. Grapes are pressed whole cluster and fermented entirely in barrel on their lees. One third of the barrels are new and the rest are second and third passage. Batonnage is done, but rarely.

CHARDONNAY CORRADO DI MANZANO

From a vineyard that the Palazzolo family has worked consistently in the past, this is considered to be the oldest Chardonnay vineyard in the Colli Orientali having been planted between the two World Wars. The soils are rich in organic substance and the vineyard enjoys an enviable vigor, especially considering its age. The wine is decidedly softer and less full-bodied compared to the Ronco wines, but stands out for its elegance.

SAUVIGNON PERI

Peri is made from Gnemiz’s oldest Sauvignon vineyard. The vines are now over 45 years old and are planted on marl soil, known locally as ‘Ponca’. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented entirely in used barrels and 650 liter wooden vats. There is no malolactic or battonage.

SAUVIGNON SALICI

Salici comes from a vineyard planted in 1997 in a lighter soil on the lower part of a hill. The yields are low and vary according to the vintage but average 30 hl/ha. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented entirely in used barrels and 650 liter wooden vats. There is no malolactic or battonage.

SAUVIGNON SOL

Sol comes from a 30 year old vineyard planted in calcareous soil using selection massale from their older vineyards. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented entirely in used barrels and 650 liter wooden vats. There is no malolactic or battonage.

SAUVIGNON LOZETA

This vineyard site sits across the road from the house, adjacent to Sol, but with very different soil composition: a perfect mix of Marl/clays which brings out the must exuberant of Gnemiz’s Sauvignon expressions. It was replanted in 2009 with Massale cuttings from older vines on the Ronco.

SAUVIGNON SERENA PALAZZOLO E FIGLI

This vineyard of Sauvignon is located in the nearby village of Buttrio, which has a warmer microclimate. The grapes are whole cluster pressed and fermented entirely in used barrels and 650 liter wooden vats. There is no malolactic or battonage.

MALVASIA SERENA PALAZZOLO E FIGLI

Made from a rented vineyard that Christian and Enzo Pontoni from Miani share, this is a straightforward, floral expression of Friulian Malvasia.

RIBOLLA GIALLA SERENA PALAZZOLO E FIGLI

This vineyard is also shared by Christian and Enzo Pontoni from Miani, with very old vines, low yields and barrel fermentation. There is loads of natural glycerin.

SAUVIGNON “IRIS” SERENA PALAZZOLO E FIGLI

Previously incorporated in the Sauvignon Serena e Figli, the family ultimately decided that this parcel detracted from the harmony of the Sauvignon, thus it was bottled separately and named after Serena’s mother, who was equally as austere and finicky as this vineyard can be!

FRIULANO SAN ZUAN

San Juan is the local name for the village of San Giovanni. Gnemiz has three small parcels of Friulano here, ranging age from 20 to 60 years old. The plots are harvested and vinified separately, and is the only wine where they blend vineyards. Friulano doesn’t like a lot of new wood, and there is likewise no malolactic to preserve the grape’s freshness.

FRIULIANO BURI BELLARIA

From a site formerly owned by Miani in Buttrio (note that “Buri” is the local nickname for Buttrio), the Bellaria vineyard is very old and planted over poor, rocky, calcareous soils. The vines here struggle and have long produced limited yields, but the resulting wine is akin to a northern Rhone white, aged 20% in new oak. Very dense and fruity with low acidity, the saline character shines.

ROSSO BURI BELLARIA

From the same site as the Friulano, Merlot vines have been rooted here for over 100 years. The site is coplanted with a bit of Refosco (10%) and both varietals are harvested at the same time and co-fermented. Aged in 50/50 used/new oak barrels for 20 months, the wine has extraordinary texture and softness thanks to the old vines. Christian often marvels about the great complexity and noble tannins that result from the “tormented” vines.

ROSSO DI JACOPO

Gnemiz has parcels of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The Rosso di Jacopo is a selection made from the youngest vines of all three varieties. Percentages of the blend vary vintage to vintage according to the vintage character and also to the quantity added of declassified barrels from the old vine-based Rosso del Gnemiz. In the cellar, the approach is reminiscent of a classic Bordeaux blend with low yields and a long fermentation. There is very infrequent pumping over in order to avoid over-extraction. Despite being a wine made up of young vines, it maintains the classic austerity of wines from Rosazzo and it requires long aging in barrel before being released. Like all Gnemiz reds it is not fined or filtered.

ROSSO DEL GNEMIZ

The Rosso del Gnemiz was among the first wines bottled under the label Ronco del Gnemiz in 1981. It comes exclusively from their oldest parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon (about 30%), Cabernet Franc (about 50%), and Merlot (about 20%). The vines range in age from 60+ to 35 years old. The parcels are perfectly situated with a great exposition and yields are kept to a minimum, around 18 hectoliters per hectare. Each plot is vinified separately. The macerations vary according to the vintage but their extraction philosophy is more based on pumping over than punching down. The wine ages in oak barrels, 50% of which are new.

ROSSO DOTT. PALAZZOLO

Sourced from the family’s oldest parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon (60+ years average), this plot typically makes up about 30% of the Rosso blend but is bottled separately in exceptional Cabernet vintages. The wine’s name is a tribute to Serena’s father, who preferred Cab over all of their red grapes. Maceration varies according to vintage but their extraction philosophy is based more on pump overs than punch downs. Aging is in oak barrel, of which 50% are new.

SCHIOPPETTINO

Gnemiz farms two plots of Schioppettino in Rosazzo, one over 60 years old and another planted in 2001. Both parcels are vinified together using some whole cluster and aged in neutral oak barrels

CABERNET FRANC

The Cabernet Franc comes from a vineyard the Gnemiz team manages in Buttrio, one of the warmest villages in the Colli Orientali appellation. They are in charge of all of the farming so they can manage the pruning and green harvesting in order to achieve the balance that they want. The vines were planted in 1997 with selection massale.

The fruit is fully de-stemmed and the style of vinification is more based on punching down than pumping over. Aging is in oak barrels for about 20 months, 1/4 of which are new and the rest of second or third use.