Winemaker Notes
Often served in Friuli as an aperitif, this wine is a magnificent match for typical cold-cuts from the region, especially San Daniele prosciutto. It pleasantly accompanies fresh, fatty cheeses, omelets with herbs, flavorful risotto dishes and fish-based specialties. It’s traditionally matched with eggs and asparagus.
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Torre Rosazza was acquired in 1979 by Genagricola, who immediately embarks on a process of study and zoning of 90 hectares of vines, to identify the quality of each individual land parcels and find that for exposure and geological properties are better able to interpret the vineyards of the area. For guiding the choices in the cellar, it is in these years Filiputti Walter, who embarks on a journey that is still Torre Rosazza along.
It was he, for example to introduce (probably for the first time in the whole Friuli) the use of barrels for the long aging of red wines, and it was he who gave the "beyond" the line of Ronchi, Cru Torre Rosazza. In these years, was born Altromerlot, wine emblem of Torre Rosazza, and identifier already in the name of a production concept different from the current one at the time, and inspired by the finest French winemaking techniques. Currently, the management of the Company is entrusted wine winemaker Luca Zuccarello.
Viticulture has thrived in Colli Orientali del Friuli since the reign of ancient Rome and today its verdant, rolling hills support a long list of autochthonous varieties, each playing a unique and important role in the modern Colli Orientali wine scene.
The region is primarily recognized for its white wines. Its indigenous varieties of Ribolla Gialla, Verduzzo, Picolit and perhaps most importantly, Friulano are made into single varietal wines or blended, and often blended with the international varieties of Sauvignon blanc, Pinot grigio and Pinot bianco. The latter have been flourishing in the area since the 1800s. But it wasn’t until the 1970s when producers started using cold fermentation techniques to produce fresh, fruity, crisp and aromatic whites that this area began to attract international attention.
While reds only make up about a third of the area under vine, Colli Orientali is home to some of Italy’s most exciting and rare red wines. Refosco, Schioppettino, Tazzelenghe and Pignolo are among the autochthonous varieties while Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir also have a stronghold.
Colli Orientali holds much in common with its neighbor, Collio; the only thing dividing them is a political line. Both are influenced by the cooling effects of the Julian Alps and moderated by the Adriatic Sea. A unique soil of alternating marine layers called flysch also dominates Colli Orientali, providing a mineral-rich environment for vine roots and optimal water drainage.
Thriving in the NE Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia near the border of Slovenia, Friulano makes a uniquely high-pitched and vibrant white with a delicate perfume. Extensive in the area by the early 1930s, today Friulano grows in all of the best zones and is usually, but not always, bottled as a single-varietal wine. Somm Secret— The Friulano grown today, while named for its present home of Friuli, is actually the Sauvignonasse grape, a minor cultivar that came from Bordeaux.