Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
As Susumaniello has only recently been
brought back to life, monovarietal wines are
still rare. Agricole Vallone owns some beautiful
and extensive Susumaniello vineyards, which I
had the pleasure of almost getting lost in one
summer day, fi nding myself immersed in a
seemingly never-ending sea of green. As these
vines are still young, the must from the grapes
is blended with Negro Amaro in the very good
Vigna Castello wine. Technical director Donato
Lazzari is not sure he'll ever make a pure
susumaniello, but as they're just getting to
know the variety at the estate, he plans on stud-
ying Susumaniello more before making a fi nal
decision.
past, Tazzelenghe was considered a member of
the
Refosco
family, identifi ed with the variety
then called Refosco del Boton. Tazzelenghe has
a medium bunch and berry (the latter is some-
times medium-large), and its loosely packed
grape bunch has a characteristic truncated
cone shape. One clone is available today, ERSA-
FVG 435.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The only DOC wine is Colli Orientali del Friuli
Tazzelenghe, otherwise the wine is included in
blends. It's a shame that Tazzelenghe is falling
out of favor: many producers I have talked to
are considering uprooting it and sticking with
more popular and better-known varieties. As is
all too often the case, it's not the grape variety
that doesn't cut it, but the lack of appropriate
vineyard and cellar techniques that work
against the cultivar. True, the high acidity,
strong tannins, and light to medium frame are
about as far removed from the chocolaty soft,
high-alcohol wine prototype that was all the
rage in the last decade of the twentieth century,
but mercifully that fad is on its last legs. Fur-
thermore, the chiseled, precise, and light aroma
and fl avor profi le of well-made Tazzelenghe
wines makes them ideal sparring partners at
the dinner table with most foods.
One encouraging sign is that the wine is
still being made by lesser-known producers
such as Beltrame in the DOC Aquilea, while
Anselmi (Giuseppe and Lino) makes an IGT
Tazzelenghe delle Venezie. Another is that
some of the monovarietal tazzelenghe produc-
ers have agreed, at my urging, to band together
to form an association to promote their grape
and wine. Unfortunately, the Dorigo estate has
fallen on very hard economic times and has had
to sell off or rent out its vineyards; I remember
an amazing Ronc di Juri 2001 (still spectacu-
lar), and hope that the people taking over will
give Tazzelenghe a chance.
When properly grown and vinifi ed (some
producers purposely harvest it as late as possible
in order to naturally decrease acidity levels),
Tazzelenghe yields a very elegant red wine that
wines to try:
Racemi** (Sum), Cantina Due
Palme* (Serre), Lomazzi & Sarli* (Nomas),
and Tenute Rubino* (Torre Testa).
Tazzelenghe
where it's found:
FVG.
national registry
code number:
293.
color:
red.
Tazzelenghe is one of Friuli Venezia Giulia's
many native red grapes, but the one that in
these tougher economic times is at risk of dis-
appearing, as cash-strapped estates look to cut
costs everywhere. Unfortunately, the wonder-
fully crisp and clean high-acid reds made with
Tazzelenghe have a hard time competing with
softer, high-pH wines that are all about creamy
fruit and ripe fl avors and usually more sought
after by novice or everyday wine drinkers.
The name Tazzelenghe derives from
tàce-
lenghe,
which in the local dialect means “cuts
the tongue,” a reference to this variety's amaz-
ingly high acidity levels and not-shy tannin con-
centrations that literally make your palate
pucker and the rest of you cringe. It is native to
the area around Udine, where it was fi rst docu-
mented in 1863, and has always been grown
mainly around the towns of Buttrio and Man-
zano in Friuli Venezia Giulia's Colli Orientali
del Friuli. Today it is still only grown in Friuli
Venezia Giulia, in the countryside around But-
trio, Manzano, and Cividale near Udine. In the
