Ferronato April 2024 / pt. 2

How Wine Pleasure Works

As said in my article about Ronco del Gelso’s Latimis, an important part of the pleasure derived from wine comes from the interconnection and connections we can make between different bottles. Put simply:

Every glass we taste has its characteristics: production area, vintage, producer, winemaking style, vineyard. The more we know about that glass, the more dimensions of that wine we will be able to grasp and, to a certain extent, the pleasure we derive from the wine itself.

Then, when we taste another glass that shares a characteristic with the first (let’s say grape variety), we are able to create a connection between the two glasses. They will have different characteristics but one is in common, the two glasses communicate, we are able to compare the two wines and therefore form a taste. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the source of much of the pleasure that wine has to offer.

If we were to build this mental wine cellar with bottles, we would never finish and we would spend many evenings with bottles of unknown varieties and unknown areas that, as it happens to everyone, always leave us a little puzzled. “I like it, but is it a good example of [grapeVariety] from [region]?” or “Nothing special, but maybe it’s me who doesn’t know [grapeVariety] vinified in [winemakingType].”

So, leaving aside the parentheses,

“I like it, but is it a good example of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire?”

“Nothing special, but maybe it’s me who doesn’t know Yellow Ribolla vinified in amphora.”

Fortunately, physical wine shops exist, where we can taste glasses (much less costly in terms of time and money than bottles) that help us create a mental wine cellar that will shape our taste. Not content with our first visit to Ferronato, we returned to replenish our archives and update our ranking of the best wine bars in Pordenone. Here are the impressions.

Ferronato Tasting April 2024 / 2

Esprit Nature Champagne N.V., Henri Giraud

Autolytic notes and brioche dough on the nose, enriched with hints of red apple. In the mouth, a richness of yeast emerges with a fine and precise perlage, followed by a persistent finish. It seemed expensive.

Coupé N.V. – Monte Rossa

It offers an intriguing bouquet of popcorn, butter, and white peach on the nose. Despite a not particularly rich perlage, it stands out for its excellent acidity, in perfect harmony with the softness of the mousse, giving the wine a pleasant verticality and tension. In the mouth, mineral notes of rock emerge, with a long and pleasantly salty finish. This Franciacorta confirms itself as a classic of its kind, showing all the reasons for its fame.

Cabochon Brut, Monte Rossa

Notes of yeast and yogurt are perceived on the nose, creating an intriguing and complex bouquet. The perlage is perfect, with a tonic liveliness and well-defined precision. The finish is eternal and leaves a pleasant saline aftertaste. This wine confirms the excellent quality of Monte Rossa cellar.

Brut Rosé, Pojer e Sandri

An aromatic profile ranging from orange to pear, from apple to yellow peach. The perlage, although fine, appears not particularly refined, being rather hazy and disconnected. However, the wine offers an excellent concentration of fruit, while in the mouth it is pulpy, with clear notes of raspberries emerging. The Ferronato wine shop likes this producer very much; personally, I find their wines a bit too lean. However, overall, this Brut Rosé still represents a valid choice for lovers of this style.

Sauvignon de la Tour 2007, Villa Russiz

A slightly vegetal character, enriched with notes of flint, grapefruit, white melon, and mango. The soft body follows a complex and multifaceted aromatic bouquet. Although the acidity is initially weak, it pleasantly intensifies in the mouth towards the end of the sip. A chalky sensation envelops the mouth suggestively, while the wood harmoniously blends with the other elements, giving the wine a complex character. However, over the years it may have lost some of its liveliness, and the body may be slightly flattened, benefiting from greater acidity. The finish is pleasant and persistent. Villa Russiz is known for being a quality producer in Collio, and although this wine represents their top, it does not reach absolute excellence, although it comes close to it with its complexity and pleasantness.

Mofete Etna Bianco, Palmento Costanzo

An aromatic bouquet dominated by notes of jasmine, bergamot, and ash. This intense perfume stands out for its distance from the typically fruity aromas and reveals a floral character anchored to material tones. The body of the wine is magnificently dense, and in the mouth, citrus notes emerge again, supported by a powerful acidity that envelops the entire oral cavity. The great concentration of fruit culminates in a persistent and full umami finish that lingers long. This glass undoubtedly invites further exploration of the Etna Bianco world.

Chardonnay, Vie di Romans

A very green aromatic bouquet, with notes of papaya accompanied by hints of sweet spices and shortcrust pastry. In the mouth, it presents itself with a square structure, but is characterized by a persistent acidity that continues to titillate the tongue even after the sip. Despite its leanness and agility, the wine presents a spectacular structure conferred by the acidity and a very elegant polyphenolic cage. Notes of nutmeg and white pepper emerge on the palate, with a long finish that gives the wine a great wine dimension. Vie di Romans has nothing to prove: their Flor di Uis convinced me to include them among the cellars from which to buy this year. Although the Chardonnay may not fully excite, its powerful acidity and interesting complexity still make it an intriguing wine.

Bourgogne Blanc Retour des Flandres, Régnard

It has a fascinating nose with notes of vanilla, wood, and a hint of unripe yellow apple, but also a slight reduced character. However, in the mouth, the fruit seems to lack energy, with a fresh but not lively enough acidity. The aromas reduce to a sensation of flint, but they are not very pronounced, and the finish is short. I expected more from this Burgundian Chardonnay without pedigree.

Brunello di Montalcino, Tenuta CastelGiocondo

Already on the nose, you can perceive the extraordinary depth that will characterize every sip. The aromas of raspberries, blackberries, lavender, sage, spices, and leather intertwine in a complex and engaging bouquet, where tertiary tones harmonize with the fruit, creating fresh and intense aromas. In the mouth, the experience reaches excellence: medium and silky tannins embrace the lips, accompanied by a splendid acidity that gives the wine a dense and structured vitality. The flavors of blueberries blend with the vivacity of the wine, which impresses with its intensity. The finish is eternal, with a spicy persistence that slowly dissolves, leaving a lasting impression. This Brunello proves to be perhaps perfect, with its extraordinary vitality and intense fruitiness that blend with elegance and roundness in the overall structure.

Cesanese, l’Olivella

An aromatic bouquet characterized by dried plums, coffee, blackberry bushes, and tea notes. It is evident that it is a re-passed wine, with a very advanced aging. The tannin is engaging and expands fully in the mouth, with a sensation of very swollen grains. The acidity is magnificently balanced, supporting the sip and being perceived distinctly on the tongue, while on the palate, the notes of dried plum and coffee emerge again, persisting until a long and engaging finish. Although not in love with this wine, it is evident that my knowledge of the grape, the area, and the winemaking process is limited. The mental wine cellar has a gap.

Vaucluse, Le Pigeoulet des Brunier

It opens with notes of blueberry candy, perhaps accompanied by hints of blackberry, like blackcurrant. However, overall, the wine seems to be quite one-dimensional. Although it presents a beautiful soft and velvety tannin around the mouth, even on the palate, it is a bit boring. The finish is good and fresh, but not enough to compensate for the lack of complexity in the taste. It is part of the Vieux Télégraphe line, but the prestigious winery is not mentioned on the label, and there is a reason for this, tasted the glass, there is.

Read also about our third, less exciting, visit to Ferronato and the wines tasted in July 2024. During one of these visits I tasted the St. Daniel Pinot Noir Reserve from Cantina Colterenzio.