What are the best Collio wines? Discover our list with photos, descriptions, and tasting of the best 20 Collio wines. From the most famous wines to the lesser-known ones of the best wineries in the Collio.
INDICE
- Overview of Collio vines
- Terroir of Collio wines
- Best White and Red Wines of Collio
- Best Orange Wines of Collio
COLLIO (Goriziano)
The Collio Goriziano is a territory located in the northern hilly area in the province of Gorizia, between the rivers Isonzo to the east and Judrio to the west. The Collio borders with Slovenia and is bordered to the south and bordered by the Isonzo plain.
The Collio includes about 1,500 hectares of vineyards on hills ideal for quality viticulture. The vineyards are located at an altitude ranging from 60 to 270 meters above sea level.
BEST COLLIO WINES recommended by Jean Marco Palmieri
What are the best Collio wines? Discover the wines recommended by Italy’s Finest Wines with our tasting so that everyone can find the ideal wine for their tastes and needs.
You will find many of the most iconic and historic companies but also those that have stood out for their unique and original character.
‘Studio di Bianco’ 2021 – Borgo del Tiglio
Characteristics:
The bouquet is structured on notes of lychees, honey and pink grapefruit, continuing towards hints of saltiness. On the palate it is extremely concentrated, rich but at the same time fresh and saline. Endless persistence and cleanliness.
Separate fermentations for the three varieties in steel followed by 10 months aging in barrique.
From one of the most virtuous artisan wineries in the Collio, Studio di Bianco di Borgo del Tiglio is a wine of unusual finesse and balance obtained from the blend of Riesling, Sauvignon and Friulano. Fully among the best Collio wines for aging potential.
Grape varieties:Friulano,Riesling, Sauvignon,
Area:Collio
Pinot Grigio 2008 – Toros
Description: The olfactory spectrum is complex and tertiary, ranging from notes of honey, candied fruit, saffron and hydrocarbons. In the mouth it is oily and complex, supported by a granular iodine presence. Fruity finish of extraordinary persistence.
The harvest, which takes place in the first days of September, is carried out manually. In the cellar, the grapes undergo delicate pressing and alcoholic fermentation takes place in steel containers. The wine continues its aging in steel for seven months.
Toros Pinot Grigio is striking for its extraordinary evolution over time. Certainly among the best Collio wines in terms of aging potential. Also of great interest are the Toros vintage wines which however best express a decidedly superior complexity with a few additional years of aging.
Grape varieties:Pinot Grigio
Area:Collio
Braide Alte 2021 – Livon
Description:Complex and multifaceted, it ranges from notes of orange blossom flowers, mango and cloves, followed by light woody notes. The sip explodes full and very soft, driven by a pleasant acid trail that leaves the mouth fresh and gratified.
Long, lively and round finishwith great balance.
A new vintage of the iconic Braide Alte di Livon, obtained from the grapes of the prestigious Braide Alte vineyard, located in Ruttars, in the municipality of Dolegna del Collio.
A wine that never stops improving and bets on the combination of Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Yellow Moscato. In this new vintage, among the most balanced and elegant of recent years, it is deservedly confirmed among the best wines of Collio.
Grape varieties:Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Picolit, Yellow Muscat
Area:Collio
Friulano ‘Ronco delle Cime’ 2022 – Venica
Description:
Notes of aromatic herbs blend with hints of lychees and hawthorn. In the mouth it is harmonious, vibrant and has excellent flavor and length with a finish of sweet almond notes.
The winemaking process includes a 24-hour cold maceration under protected oxygen, followed by gentle pressing. The must ferments partly in steel tanks and partly in wooden barrels. Before bottling, the wine is refined in steel and wooden containers, with a rest on the yeasts for 6 months.
Ronco delle Cime di Venica is one of the most virtuous interpretations of Friulano in an elegant key, capable of expressing itself with great eloquence even in the younger vintages. Fully among the best white wines of Collio.
Grape varieties: 100% Friulano
Area:Collio
Col Disore 2018 – Russiz Superiore
Description:
Honeyed nose embellished with intense suggestions of yellow peach, acacia and grapefruit and tomato leaf. The sip, fresh and slender, extends towards a finish of good persistence with citrus suggestions. After harvesting the grapes, they are separated from the stalks. The juice and pulp undergo a short cold maceration and light pressing to separate them from the skins. Fermentation takes place in oak barrels, followed by a rest period of about a year in the bottle after 12 months on the yeasts.
Juicy and expressive, it is to be counted among the best Collio for the surprising intelligibility of the fruit, fresh and crunchy but also tasty and of great persistence.
Grape varieties:Pinot Bianco, Friulano, Sauvignon, Ribolla Gialla
Area:Collio
Friulano 2021 – Tenuta Stella
Subtle nuances of white peach and lychee intertwine with floral and herbal notes. In the mouth, it is fresh and lively, with a pleasant saline aftertaste and almond tones that persist in an extraordinary way.
Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. The refinement continues for 90% in steel and the remaining 10% is in second passage tonneau for a period of 10 months.
An artisanal wine that stands out among the best of Collio for its ability to enhance the aromatic characteristics of Friulano without compromising its notable presence and flavor in the mouth.
Grape varieties: 100% Friulano
Area:Collio
Pinot Bianco Santarosa 2021 – Castello di Spessa
Characteristics:
The aromatic picture is interesting and features notes of hawthorn, acacia honey, viennoiserie and melted butter. The sip is soft and enveloping, with emphasis on the soft components. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature between 16°C and 18°C.
Subsequently, the wine matures partly in barrique and partly in steel with its noble lees until the month of March. After this phase, refinement in the bottle takes place.
A version of Pinot Blanc with great intelligibility of the fruit which proves silky and accommodating on the palate.
Vintage Tunina 2021 – Jermann
Characteristics:Delicate notes of pineapple and white melon mix with hints of Mediterranean scrub and melted butter. The mouth is lively, punctuated by a pleasant acidic edge that makes the sip saline and lively. Sensational persistence finish.
Grape varieties:Savignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit
Area:Collio
Tunisia is a whimsical wine, with an authentic and well-defined character. Among the best wines of theCollioGiulia for its multifaceted, delicate and refined aromas.
Mario Schiopetto 2019 – Schiopetto
Description:Titillates the nose by alternating intense aromas of elderflower, white melon, slate and saltiness. The sip is voluminous, savory, well balanced by a pressing acidity.
One of the best wines from theColliofor expressiveness and integrity of the fruit: Complex nose, refined hieratic: the fruity notes are integrated with unpredictable nuances which persuade and acquire great coherence at the second sip. Grape lysergic. Among the best wines of Collio.
Grape varieties:Friulano 95%, Riesling 5%
Area:Collio
Chardonnay ‘Grafin de la Tour’ 2015 – Villa Russiz
Characteristics: A riot of ripe and tropical yellow-fleshed fruits that fades towards citrus tones, resin and acacia honey, white chocolate and melted butter.
A white wine with strength and a meditative character: the palate has a particularly pronounced acidity which gives great smoothness and aromas of unusual finesse.
A lysergic wine of great eloquence: it captivates the nose with the clear varietal of Chardonnay and the power of the terroir unfolds on the palate. To be counted among the best wines of the Collio.
Grape varieties: Chardonnay 100%
Area:Collio
Friulano 2020 – Colmello di Grotta
Characteristics:
A riot of white pulp fruits that fades towards floral and citrus tones.
The sip is thin and savory, characterized by a strong acid note that encourages drinking. Closing with a bittering note that takes center stage. Vinification and aging in stainless steel and ceramic amphorae.
A wine of strength, to be counted among the best of Friulano for its frank and uncompromising style.
Sauvignon 2022 – Tiare
Characteristics: Passion fruit and sage mix with the salty notes of medicinal herbs.
On the palate it is pressing, fresh and tasty, with great drinkability.
Sauvignon Tiare is vinified in white through a cold cryomaceration technique, followed by delicate pressing, static decantation and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Furthermore, 20% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation.
Tiare Sauvignon is a Sauvignon wine of great immediacy and long-lasting quality. Ideal in gastronomic pairing.
SKIN CONTACT WHITE WINES OF COLLIO
Macerated white wines(also incorrectly called orange wines) have a long history. Most white wines from ancient times until the first half of the 1900s were more similar to today’s macerated white wines. Starting from the 1970s, the old practice of fermenting thewhite grapes on the skins was put aside, in order to add character, but instead resulting in wines of a certain heaviness, easy to oxidize. Astatic clarification of the musts was carried outso as to ferment only the cleanest part of the juice, thefermentation temperaturesbegan to be controlled, to maintainfreshnessandperfumes, and the wines themselves acquired a completely pure purity, precision and varietal impact new.
Since the1990s, the practice ofwhite wine macerationhas been recovered by ItalianandSlovenian winemakers(particularly from theCollioandKarst), inspired by the traditional wines of Georgia, where the white wines were macerated in largeamphoraecalled ‘qvevris’. The mainvarieties vinifiedfor the famousorange winesofCollioareRibolla GiallaandMalvasia, but also many other native and international varieties.
Here is a list of the most representative macerated white wines from Collio:
Ribolla Gialla Anfora 2015 – Gravner
Description:
It galvanizes the nose by alternating lysergic aromas of orange blossom flowers, slate, salt and candied apricot embellished with nuances of sandalwood and oriental spices.
The sip is material, savory and well balanced by a pressing acidity. One of the best Collio wines for its unique character: An amphora wine with a penetrating and hieratic nose, the fruity notes are integrated with unpredictable nuances which persuade and acquire great coherence at the second sip.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area: Collio (Oslavia)
Ribolla Gialla 2016 – Radikon
Description:
It galvanizes the nose in a riot of sensations of dehydrated fruit followed by citrus and salty suggestions and acetic nuances.
The sip is savory, material and extends towards a finish of excellent persistence. Very pungent acidity.
Radikon’s Ribolla Gialla fascinates with its unusual olfactory eloquence. Extreme style, with very pronounced oxidation notes.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area: Collio (Oslavia)
Ribolla Gialla 2017 Collio – Damijan Podversic
Description :
Citrus notes of mandarin peel and candied orange, with pleasant hints of country herbs, toffee and lime honey. The fermentation on the skins enriches the palate making it complex and enveloping, rich in savory-mineral nuances embellished by aging.
A deep and eloquent macerated white wine, with a meditative character. Among the most important macerated white wines of Collio for the great persistence of the finish and potential for evolution.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area:Collio Goriziano
Ribolla Gialla 2017- Dario Princic
Characteristics:
Nose layered with hay and apricot compote on display, embellished with intriguing notes of bitter almonds and hydrocarbons. When tasted it is juicy, characterized by a granular acidity that leads the sip towards a saline finish with fruity returns. Persistent finish.
From one of the most interesting artisan wineries in Collio, Dario Princic’s Ribolla Gialla is a wine of extraordinary elegance and complexity. Fully among the best macerated white wines for character and aromatic richness.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area: Collio (Oslavia)
Ribolla Gialla 2015 – Franco Terpin
Description :
Yellow peach, exotic fruits and orange blossom flowers mix with salty tones of wild herbs, beeswax and spices. On the palate it is pressing, well structured and tactile, with amazing drinkability. Extreme length persistence and precision.
A Ribolla Gialla with sensational evolutionary potential. Among the best Orange wines of Collio for persistence and olfactory finesse.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area:Collio
Ribolla Gialla ‘Miklus – Natural Art’ 2016 – Draga
Characteristics:
It opens delicately with hints of tropical yellow pulp fruit in syrup, resin and kumquat, continuing with nuances reminiscent of sage and thyme. The palate confirms the smell with a balsamic finish.
An Italian orange wine from Collio with great aromatic finesse, with seductive aromas and enveloping on the palate. An ideal wine for enthusiasts that could also surprise with unusual gastronomic combinations. Certainly among the bestCollio wines.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
Area:Collio
Ribolla Gialla 2015 – La Castellada
Description:
Delicate citrus notes mix with hints of exotic fruit and candied fruit embellished with nuances of cloves and melted butter.
The mouth is lively, punctuated by a pleasant flavor that makes the sip voluminous and presence. Almond finish with good persistence.
La Castellada’s Ribolla Gialla is a whimsical wine, with an authentic and well-defined character. Among the best Italian orange wines for frankness and fragrance.
Grape varieties: Ribolla Gialla 100%
What are the best Collio wines?
What are the best Collio wines? Choosing is a difficult undertaking, which however inevitably is subject to the limits of a subjective opinion, which as such, by definition, is deficient and arbitrary.
We have simply compiled a list of our favorite interpretations according to our evaluations. However, it remains essential to underline that wine is not born as a status symbol, to be exhibited or flaunted coram populo.
But to excite us and be shared in a genuine way with the people we love, binding ourselves to contingent situations and to the unrepeatable and intimate moments of our life.
Therefore, we invite you to visit wineries and get to know the producers who produce wines in their uniqueness, so that you can independently discover and choose the wine that can be counted for you among your personal favorite wines. If you have had the patience to read this far, thank you for your attention, but now is the time to fill the glasses and cut the distant hopes, and therefore:
Cheers, Salute, Santé
Jean Marco Palmieri
