Enoteca Cormons – April 2024

Anyone who has visited Cormons (in the province of Gorizia, but above all the capital of the Italian Collio) for wine-related reasons knows its enoteca well. It’s a proud structure in the middle of the sleepy town square, where, especially at aperitif time, you encounter a mix of enthusiasts, producers (such as the well-known Francesco Vosca and Dario Raccaro who arrives on a Vespa), and tourists. The selection is vast, despite the fact that the Enoteca, owned by a cooperative of local producers, only offers wines from Collio and only wines from Cormons.

The staff of Enoteca Cormons, with an all-female core, is another fundamental feature of the experience, as even The Guardian had noticed. Besides being extremely courteous and helpful, they are also a valuable source of knowledge about the local wine world (and they will tell you the Collio’s genealogy better than anyone else). It’s often possible to exchange opinions and get interesting updates about various producers in the area. A significant part of what I know about Collio wines comes precisely from these always kind and never gossipy chats. In my taxonomy of enotecas, this is a splendid educational enoteca limited to a specific area, because you not only taste the producers, but above all, you get to know Cormons.

Currently, while Enoteca Cormons is undergoing renovations, it has temporarily found a home on via Corte dei Magazzini, still in Cormons. However, this temporary arrangement represents a considerable downgrade compared to its original location: there are no outdoor seats, nor the view of Mount Quarin (certainly not the most beautiful in Collio but the one that best represents Cormons), culinary options are limited to sad sandwiches on display at the counter, and the wine selection is reduced, as is the number of available seats. This situation gives the Enoteca the appearance of a fallen nobility, awaiting to regain its ancient splendor once the restoration works are completed, expected at least until September 2024.

These impressions reflect an evolution of my personal taste linked to climate change affecting wine production in the Collio region, and especially in Cormons. Rising temperatures lead to less acidic wines, while the bolder style of many local producers, characterized by high alcohol content, has not adapted to climate change. In contrast, higher altitude areas like San Floriano and Dolegna del Collio seem better equipped to handle these changes and convince me more and more compared to the cousins ​​of Cormons.

Certainly, there are still the great local champions. Figures like Dario Raccaro and Franco Toros continue to embody excellence in wine production in the region, and the “younger” Roberto Picech always excites me beyond measure. But these are producers who have found their own signature, a formula that makes the wines recognizable and, if they match the taste of those who taste them, honestly unforgettable. Apart from the top performers, however, I notice a fairly high but also somewhat tired average level, lacking new blood and excellence points.

The wines of Enoteca Cormons

Despite the critical considerations, we cannot deny that, once again, we stopped at the Enoteca di Cormons on a Sunday returning from Istria, eager to taste wines more convincing than those drunk in Croatia. Here are some impressions.

Ribolla Gialla Spumantizzata Brut, Buzzinelli: Aroma of apple and white flowers. Rather coarse but pleasant perlage, with a refreshing sensation in the mouth.

Ribolla Brut, Polje: Notes of apple, white peach, and yeast. Less tied to the territory compared to Buzzinelli, with a finer perlage and a more rounded flavor profile. For a while, I entertained the idea of ​​buying from this producer, thanks to an exceptional Ribolla Gialla 2022, not very fruity and very Mediterranean. Then, after tasting also the still valid Friulano, Pinot Grigio, and Red blend (all 2022) and the less interesting white blend Fantazija, I decided to give up. This is a good producer, part of a group based in Veneto, but sometimes lacks sparkle. In this case, the Ribolla seemed to me to come from any bunch in any area. Nice bubbles, but, despite its rustic imperfection, Buzzinelli represented the Collio much better.

Ribolla Gialla, Colle Duga: Note of wood with yellow apple and white peach. Dense body and low acidity, but lacks significant value.

Ribolla Gialla, Toros Franco: Success with a heavier Ribolla Gialla. Notes of wood, pear, and flowers, with excellent salinity and depth, although it still seems a bit clumsy. We had also discussed Ribolla Gialla with Marco Sara. In his opinion, it is an aperitivo wine. I partially disagree because among the best Ribollas I have tasted are also ambitious wines like Ribolla Gialla Época by the unpleasant but very talented Matjaz Cetrtic (Ferdinand). But surely wood alone is not enough to elevate a Ribolla, it takes great grapes and great wisdom in the cellar. Colle Duga, in my opinion, misjudged the use of wood, while Toros, although producing a dense and full-bodied wine, found the right balance. However, Toros with gravitas made its mark and achieved exceptional results with Friulano, Sauvignon, and even Chardonnay, while here the wine still seems too heavy on its feet. It’s the Ribolla dilemma: fresh is less ambitious but seems to follow its own nature, weighing it down too often leads to uninspiring results even in the hands of great producers.

Pinot Grigio, Sturm: Fruit like yellow peach, apple, and orange zest. Light but lively in the mouth, with good acidity and verticality. Great as an aperitif. I don’t know much about this producer, but the first impression was pleasant.

Sauvignon, Doro Princic: Notes of tomato leaf and green apple. Good acidity and depth, but nothing exceptional compared to other Sauvignons from Collio. Sandro Princic is one of those producers I call “vassals”, as they have continued the legacy of authentic emperors of Collio like Livio Felluga and Mario Schiopetto. Princic made daring wines, with no fear of high alcohol content, of the perfume that climbed out of the glass, of expressive power. Like Toros, he had his signature, and it was well stamped on his bottles. A style that you had to deal with, whether you loved it or found it excessive. His Friulano 2016 is perhaps the first wine that really excited me, some years ago. Unfortunately, life is not only made of wine and the recent years have brought unhappy events in Princic’s life and this has had repercussions on the wine. A Pinot Grigio 2022 among my impressions only reports “sic transit gloria mundi”. In the case of Sauvignon, which being expressive by nature has always amplified Princic’s style, this drop in quality is less clear. It’s a good Sauvignon, if not compared to the previous ones from this producer. The price, €6 per glass, is honestly excessive, although I cannot imagine stopping tasting Princic’s wines, hoping that the future brings good developments on all fronts.

Friulano, Paolo Caccese: Notes of flowers, hay, and peach. Full-bodied with good acidity and fruit concentration, although it lacks a bit of character. Caccese is another key figure in Cormons, his wines have never made me fall in love, but I have always found them solid and well-made, as was the case here too.

3,4,3. White, Renzo Sgubin: Notes of vanilla, reduction, and wood on the nose. Full-bodied with hints of anise or licorice, but the wood tends to dominate. Sgubin is a producer you have to chase through WhatsApp, calls, and smoke signals. Years ago, I fell in love with one of his Friulanos, which I found exceptional even in 2021, while the Malvasia is less interesting. This blend (for me a debatable point of Collio) disappointed me last year and disappoints me again this year. Too much wood for grapes from areas that have much to express if they were not silenced in the cellar.