Attems is a name that encompasses the history of wine in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Indeed there is documentation that confirms ownership of land dedicated to viticulture in Collio by the Attems dynasty dating as far back as 1106. The story of Attems is thus interwoven with history: from the Patriarchate of Aquileia to the County of Gorizia, from the First World War to the present day – it is owned by the Frescobaldi family since the year 2000. The estate extends over 44 hectares of south-facing terraced slopes to the west of Gorizia, protected both from the cold northern winds and the characteristic “bora” wind of Trieste.
The vineyards are located among the plains and hills of the province of Gorizia at an average altitude of 60 meters asl.
The soil is composed by Eocene marls and sandstones created by seabed uplifting 50 million years ago and partly well-drained alluvial soils rich in stones and sand.
The harvest was conducted by hand, from the end of August to the first ten days in September.
A small portion, about 15%, of the pressed product benefits from a brief, cold temperature maceration away from air drafts. The must obtained from the soft pressing of the grapes is left to rest for 24-48 hours. Subsequently, on clear must, alcoholic fermentation is allowed to take place in steel vats at 18-20°C or 15 days. The vinification is carried out in steel containers, keeping the wines at low temperatures, thus avoiding malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine rests for 4 months on the noble lees, which are frequently placed in suspension.
Winter 2022 was dry, with little rainfall and fairly mild temperatures, which gradually increased into spring, seeing the Sauvignon vines begin budding in mid-April. We were able to delay the opening of the buds by about 10 days compared to the local average using late pruning techniques, which we adopted several years ago.
Spring was characterised by mild temperatures and generally good weather, ensuring constant vegetation growth.
The Sauvignon Blanc vines blossomed rapidly on the hills, starting on 25 May, and towards the end of the month on the cooler plains. In June and July, the summer heat was mitigated by some beneficial rain, which allowed the plants to head into August without a significant water imbalance. The tilling of the land and the timely trimming of the leaf wall helped to maintain an excellent vegetative/productive balance, preventing undesirable water stress in sensitive varieties like Sauvignon Blanc. This year, the must had an excellent concentration of aromatic precursors, which produced particularly intense bouquets after fermentation.
Straw yellow in colour, with green highlights, the Attems Sauvignon has captivating aromas of boxwood, lily of the valley and pomelo. The fresh sensations on the nose are also found in each sip. Combined with its light body, the mineral notes in this wine and the finish of wisteria and bergamot are particularly explosive.
Italy
100% Sauvignon Blanc
cork
12%
