During my visit to the winery, my initial impression of Monte della Guardia by Marco Sara was excellent. In the article, I wrote:
For me, it stood out as the star of the day. On the nose, it displays fresh lemon notes, but on the palate, the influence of malolactic fermentation, oak aging, and Picolit gives the wine a surprising complexity. Yellow peach aromas emerge, ripe and enveloping, accompanied by hints of honey. The finish is long and satisfying, supported by excellent acidity. This wine promises great things.
Newsletter
The best wines, no boring scores
However, after a slight disappointment with the Schioppettino, which had shown better in the tasting room, I had some reservations about opening this bottle.
The Style of Monte della Guardia
Monte della Guardia by Marco Sara is a blend consisting of 80% Friulano and 20% Picolit, although the producer himself sees it as a “work in progress.” Marco chose Picolit for its ability to bring vibrant acidity, adding depth and complexity to the blend. The grapes come from the namesake cru, a vineyard in which the producer has high hopes, opting for a French-style vinification: aging in oak barrels and malolactic fermentation, aiming to create a structured and ambitious wine that highlights the qualities of the cru.
Monte della Guardia seems to be the most cherished wine by Marco Sara, his “big project.” I visited the vineyards with him, where they grow on terraced slopes with excellent exposure, benefiting from the ponca, the typical soil of the Colli Orientali del Friuli and Collio, a mix of marl and sandstone that imparts uncommon depth and sharpness to the wines. Unfortunately, I noticed there are other places with the same name, some of which I believe also have vineyards, which might make market penetration challenging. Additionally, I am not aware of any other producers who, despite having vineyards close to those of Marco Sara, name their wines this way. It’s a gamble, and I hope it pays off.
Monte della Guardia by Marco Sara – Review
The Monte della Guardia Bianco 2020 by Marco Sara is undeniably an ambitious wine, as mentioned, striving to express the full potential of the cru and the chosen grape varieties. It has a lovely straw yellow color. The nose is broad and complex, with aromas of lime peel, pink grapefruit, white flowers, and a subtle toastiness from the oak that adds depth.
On the palate, however, there’s a slight imbalance: the body, made enveloping by malolactic fermentation, sometimes feels overly alcoholic. The fruit concentration doesn’t entirely offset this, allowing the oak notes to dominate. Nonetheless, the acidity is remarkable, providing freshness, while the finish is long and lively, with a citrusy zest that leaves a pleasant salinity and prolonged savoriness on the lips.
It is a very good wine (I can confirm!), a result of significant effort to highlight the characteristics of Monte della Guardia. Yet, perhaps a less oak-influenced vinification would have better showcased the sharp and vibrant profile that appears in the finish, which is the most captivating aspect of the wine. Pairing it with seafood pasta was not ideal: the initially sharp wine softened too much on the palate, becoming slightly sweet and even showing a hint of “freschin,” failing to enhance the marine flavors of the dish.
My critique here (same as for the Galea by I Clivi) is this: the ambitious vinification, with oak and malolactic fermentation, seems to have imposed the producer’s stamp over the quality of the grapes. In a wine meant to highlight the cru, I would expect the identity of Monte della Guardia to take center stage, allowing the terroir to shine more than the winemaking techniques.
That said, the excellent raw material must be acknowledged: the vineyard is extraordinary, and year by year, the wine is evolving, both in the winery with Marco Sara’s experiments and – I hope – in the bottle. For this reason, I am eager to open another bottle of the same vintage in one or two years. With the oak better integrated, we might have pleasant surprises. In any case, even as it stands, we have a wine of great value, beautifully balancing body and sharpness.
Newsletter
The best wines, no boring scores
