Ferronato June 2024 – The Wine Shop in Pordenone

As already described in the articles on the April visits to Ferronato (divided into two parts), in my opinion, Ferronato is by far the best wine shop in Pordenone. It is an intermediate wine shop, meaning it offers both very classic wines, often close to the territory, and more obscure producers, which sometimes prove to be revelations. Being in the area on my way to vacation, it was impossible not to make at least one stop.

Why do we taste wines? There are many reasons. In my case, it’s a cost-effective tasting that, if it particularly impresses me, informs my purchases. Then there’s the obvious pleasure of drinking a glass in company or alone (both ways have their place and time).

But one of the greatest pleasures is certainly creating a mental wine library, a system of references with which to compare the glasses that will come later. You start simply by getting an idea of how reds are different from whites. Then you develop an understanding of the difference between Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Then the difference between Chablis and New World Chardonnay, and so on. It may seem like an erudite pleasure, a purely didactic exercise, but the more knowledge we have, the more comparisons we can make. The more comparisons, the greater the ability to perceive differences, and what is pleasure if not perceiving and enjoying the differences? To know what I like, I must first have the ability to identify the characteristics that give me pleasure. You can’t write a good story without knowing a certain number of words.

However, there is a side effect in this Aristotelian pursuit of pleasure: it becomes harder to be surprised. If I think back to the wines that impressed me the most two years ago, I have the impression that many would not have the same effect on me today. It’s natural: as the sample increases, the outliers decrease, and in this case, unfortunately, the outliers are the pleasure.

All this is also to say that this visit to Ferronato impressed me less than other times.

The Wines of Ferronato June 2024

Friulano – Ronc dai Luchis

Aroma: White fruit, white flowers, almond.

Palate: Crisp but with softness. Dense body and a hint of mown grass in the mouth. Open but with good sharpness.

Finish: Almond notes and slightly vegetal, pleasantly savory, inviting another sip.

Overall Impression: Classic in the mid-high quality range.

Frappato (di Vittoria) – COS

Color: Almost like Pinot Noir.

Aroma: Raisins, dark chocolate, meat.

Palate: Beautiful smooth tannins with soft grains around the mouth. On the palate, the cocoa follows through to the end while notes of grilled meat integrate into a very opulent sip, but with a splash of acidity and freshness.

Overall Impression: The chocolate notes seemed monotonous to me. I also suspect the glass brought was the wrong one and it was actually a Sardinian Cannonau. I know very little about both wines in question, so I can’t say for sure.

Sicilia SP68 Bianco – Occhipinti

Aroma: Jasmine, sage, orange blossom.

Palate: Attractive and dense nose like other Sicilian whites. Maceration is noticeable. However, the mouth is weak, with moderate fruit density and low acidity.

Finish: It has nuances (including ripe mandarin), but little character.

Cipressi Barbera d’Asti Superiore – Michele Chiarlo

Aroma: Raspberries, red currants, rosemary.

Palate: Lots of juice, splendid spiciness. A structured wine that gets better the more you drink it. Fresh, with a palate of burnt rosemary, the fruit fades and makes way for the finish with delicate notes of chocolate and a dryness that firmly dries the mouth for a nice contrast. Medium tannin, well distributed in grains around the mouth. What a beautiful Barbera!

Athena – Picech Roberto

The only one of the day that was truly exceptional and warranted a purchase.

Aroma: Chamomile, preserved lemon, wood spices.

Palate: Splendid result. A wine with lots of softness and so clean that you wonder if this is the type of macerated wine worth drinking. Broad in the mouth, though losing a bit of depth due to the maceration, it reveals splendid notes again of spices and rock. The varietal and Cormons are there, but with the work of the barrel, so spicy and precise, without losing the wine’s vein. I’ve known the producer’s wines for a long time and have bought from them several times: in my opinion, they are a bit of the hope of Cormons at this stage, because they are, even generationally, the link between the successes of tradition and a still somewhat uncertain future.

Finish: Very fresh finish with notes of orange peel. A wine to decipher over time.

Cabochon Brut – Monte Rossa

Confirms itself as an excellent bubbly.

Overall Impression: Usual rock freshness and very refined perlage.

Franciacorta Francesco I Brut N.V. – Uberti

Aroma: Depth and crispness of green apple and citrus.

Palate: Maybe it was lacking a bit of gas and the perlage seemed flat and dispersed.