Cabernet Franc Venezia Giulia IGT

After stacking up years of experience in wineries not his own, venerable enologist Giovanni Bortoluzzi and his wife Mireide realized their dream of opening their own winery in 1982 when they acquired vineyards in Gradisca d’Isonzo. Since then, the winery has grown exponentially and now extends 50 hectares (124 acres), producing 200,000 bottles a year, in two very distinct areas of the region: Gradisca d’Isonzo, where the vineyards surround the winery, and in the Friuli Venezia Giulia DOC zones of Collio and Isonzo. Giovanni’s children Alessio, Alberto and Angela currently work alongside Giovanni, with each focusing on a different area of operations: agricultural engineering and vineyard manager, administration and marketing, and sales director and winery manager, respectively.
The areas are excellent for the production of wine, Collio in particular. When asked about it, Giovanni Bortoluzzi explained, “The wines from our region are greatly influenced by the climate and terrain and because of this they have unique features. Because they are so connected to the territory and the environment, the characteristics (like acidity and alcohol volume) could change. But this is synonymous with authenticity and the result of how serious we take our work. They say you can understand the character of a producer through his wine and I believe this is true: I want people to taste in our wines the passion, love and dedication my family and I put into our work.”
Bortoluzzi reds aim to stand out, made with integrity and the idea of highlighting the region’s terroir and personality as well as the grapes themselves. The herbaceous character of this wine is indeed a nod to its typical characteristics. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand and then fermented for about fifteen days before aging in barrique and tonneaux, both new and used (maximum third use), for about twelve months. It is then blended and left to rest in stainless steel tanks for about a month prior to bottling.