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 that are planted with Pinot Grigio are located between the plains and slopes in the Province of Gorizia, at an average altitude of 60 m above sea level.
The soil is composed partly of Eocene sandstone, which was formed when the sea bed lifted 50 million years ago; partly of naturally moist clay-rich soil; and partly of deep soil with
many pebbles.
Harvest is conducted by hand, from the last ten days of August to the beginning of September.
As soon as they arrived in the cellar, the grapes were gently pressed. The resulting juice was left to decant for 24 –48 hours. Subsequently, the clear must began its alcoholic fermentation, which took place at low temperatures (15–17 °C) for 15 days. Vinification was carried out in steel containers and barriques (10%), keeping the wine at low temperatures, thereby avoiding malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine rested on the noble lees, which were regularly resuspended.
Winter 2022 was dry, with little rainfall and fairly mild temperatures, which gradually increased into the first half of April, when the Pinot Grigio vines began budding in the Attems vineyard. They were able to delay the opening of the buds by about 10 days compared to the local average using late pruning techniques, which was adopted several years ago.
Spring was characterised by mild temperatures and generally good weather, ensuring constant vegetation growth. The Pinot Grigio reached full bloom around 25 May, much earlier than the previous two vintages.
In June and July, the summer heat was mitigated by some beneficial rain, which allowed the plants to head into August without an excessive water imbalance.
This year, the Pinot Grigio bunches were relatively sparse. The estate carried out the harvest over as many days as possible, which allowed to maintain a good balance between the sugar content and acidity in the must, which was already releasing some excellent aromas during the first few days of fermentation.
Soft straw yellow colour. The scent is fine yet richly detailed: white plum, lime blossom and a dash of vanilla. Set apart by its complexity, the wine boasts the perfect balance between citrus acidity and velvety structure. Excellent finish of hazelnut and thyme.
Italy
100% Pinot Grigio
cork
12.5%
