Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the most important pieces within the Italian wine landscape: Friulian style is known and appreciated worldwide, a well-conceived mix of technical expertise and identity. The work done by the region's wineries and winemakers is truly remarkable if we just think that a good part of the Friulian vineyard was severely damaged during the events of the Great War, which had one of its main fronts here.
If we narrow our focus and zoom in on the various territories, we realize that a prominent place within the regional production is occupied by the Colli Orientali del Friuli. It is a strip of territory about sixty kilometers long and no more than fifteen wide, where the vineyards mostly rest on marly-limestone soils but with climates that sometimes differ significantly. In fact, if to the south the mitigating action of the Adriatic Sea is felt, in the northern part of Cividale only the most robust grape varieties, such as verduzzo and refosco, resist, thus constituting the backbone of viticulture in those areas. The general vocation of the Colli Orientali remains, however, focused on white wines, not unlike that of the nearby Collio. And it is precisely on a great white from the area that we focus here: Schioppettino, also known as black ribolla, which is obtained from the homonymous black grape variety. This results in wines with good structure that lend themselves very well to aging.
The best Schioppettino wines from Friuli Venezia Giulia
Here are the best Schioppettino wines according to Gambero Rosso, which this year have obtained Tre Bicchieri or Due Bicchieri Rossi in the Gambero Rosso 2024 Vini d'Italia guide.
It is always a matter of territorial pride to see that the Schioppettino 2019 from Vigna Petrussa tops the ranking; this year it has indeed obtained Tre Bicchieri. It releases enticing aromas of raspberry juice, milk chocolate, black pepper, and walnut; on the palate, it is perfectly corresponding. New life feeds this now established brand created and managed by Hilde Petrussa since 1995. Now her daughter Francesca has joined the team, and, as often happens when there are changes, energies and enthusiasm for future challenges multiply. The vineyards, which almost thirty years ago Hilde found in a state of abandonment, are now lush and mature. The Prepotto valley is often whipped by strong winds from the East which, in addition to keeping the grapes dry, give rise to significant temperature fluctuations that favor the formation of aromas.
The Schioppettino 2020 from Il Roncal smells like violet, raspberry syrup, rhubarb, cigar tobacco, and black pepper, while on the palate it flows smoothly with a lively yet discreet tannin. Il Roncal is the company of Martina Moreale who, in addition to being the owner, is also the factotum in the entire production chain. With courage and determination, in a short time, she completed the project started by her husband Roberto Zorzettig, who died prematurely in 2006, finishing the construction work of the new cellar which, together with the master's villa, stands on the hill of Montebello, from which one enjoys a splendid panorama that is lost on the horizon, rich in vegetation and woods that surround the geometric shapes of the vineyards. The overall collective performance is becoming increasingly convincing, with impactful and personality-driven red wines and white wines with great fragrance and drinkability.
The Schioppettino di Prepotto 2020 from Colli di Poianis, year after year, proves to be more convincing, winning international awards as an ambassador of the territory. In the Prepotto area, Colli di Poianis is increasingly asserting itself for its high quality level. Gabriele Marinig since 1991 has been committed to the recovery of native grape varieties, especially Schioppettino, but has also paid great attention to the safeguarding of the territory, maintaining its original and historical configuration without ever distorting the natural landscape peculiarities. He worked hard to safeguard the coexistence of slopes, paths, and vineyards that over time have created vital micro-balances, generating and preserving biodiversity. The hills of Prepotto are notoriously crossed by cold and dry winds that generate significant temperature fluctuations important for the concentration and aromatic development of the grapes.
The Schioppettino di Prepotto 2019 from Vigna Traverso envelops the palate with velvety tannin. Stefano Traverso has been piloting the company founded by his father Giancarlo in 1998 when, together with his wife Ornella Molon, owner of the homonymous company in nearby Veneto, he decided to expand into Friuli and bought a farm in the Prepotto area, which at the time was called Ronco del Castagneto. Innovative but also traditionalist, Stefano has restructured the company, safeguarding the old vineyards and planting new high-density crops. For some years now, he has been working in the new cellar, nestled on the steep slope of the hill.
The Schioppettino di Prepotto S. Elena 2020 from Petrussa emits fresh notes of tamarind and hibiscus together with black pepper, cinnamon, and wild rose; on the palate, it is refined, soft, with velvety tannin. In 1986, brothers Gianni and Paolo Petrussa, who at the time had different professions, decided to take over their family's business. Convinced supporters of the potential of the Prepotto territory and animated by the firm will to enhance its characteristics, they leveraged the values of their ancestors' millennia-old farming culture, imprinting their wines with their own frankness and personality. The vineyards are divided into small plots located in the northern part of the Friuli Colli Orientali denomination, close to the Julian Prealps.
Of notable level is the Schioppettino Minò Ris. 2020 from Pitticco, a beautiful reality led by Sergio Pitticco and his wife Erika, which joins the crowded group of family-run companies that populate the Prepotto valley.
The Schioppettino di Prepotto Rieppi 2019 was particularly appreciated during our tastings and also stood out in the finals for the Gambero Rosso 2024 Vini d'Italia guide. When Alessandro Bellio founded the company in 2009, he chose the name as a tribute to his partner Margherita, whom he met among the rows. Many vineyards extend into the heart of the Magredi, in the municipality of Maniago, while others surround the operational headquarters in Pinzano al Tagliamento, an area renowned for the production of rare indigenous varieties such as forgiarin, sciaglin, piculit neri, and ucelùt, which Alessandro and Margherita wanted to recover and enhance. In 2019, the company underwent further development with the acquisition of the Rieppi vineyards in Albana di Prepotto.
The Schioppettino Ris. 2019 from Monviert is enveloping and long-lasting. With the Monviert brand, elegant wines resulting from careful selections are proposed, the flagship of a company that in over seventy years of history has written many pages of regional oenology and which has now been totally renewed, making room for the fresh energy of the new generation. The rest of the production makes up the line called Martagona which, in the tradition, offers a series of fragrant and easy-to-read wines, respectful of the characteristics of each individual grape variety, remarkable for their quality and price.
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