“Flors di Uis” 2020 – Vie di Romans

To produce the “Flors di Uis” Vie di Romans each grape variety was harvested and vinified separately. Grapes were picked, destemmed and crushed before a cold pre-fermentation maceration at 8ºC for 22 hours. Fermentation with selected yeast strains took place in stainless steel at temperatures between 16-19ºC for 15 days. The wine did not undergo malolactic fermentation and was aged on its lees for nine months in stainless steel tanks. The different varieties were blended together one month prior to bottling. The wine then remained in bottle for nine months before release.

Fruit is sourced from three vineyards – Boghis, Ciampagnis and Vie di Romans – in the commune of Mariano del Friuli. The average age of the vines, which cover 3.88 hectares, is 26 years. Vineyard elevation is 29-34 metres above sea level. The vines are Guyot trained with a density of 6,000 vines per hectare. Soils in these three sites range from shallow to medium-deep with gravel-pebbly textures. They are mainly sand-silt with ferrous and aluminum oxides, which drain well.

Vie di Romans is based in the heart of Isonzo, where Gianfranco Gallo’s 50 hectares of vineyard produce about 250,000 bottles a year. The soil is stony and glacial, and soaks up whatever rainfall there is like a sponge. A cool east wind causes a big difference between day and night temperatures, which in turn slows ripening and allows the grapes to accumulate a great deal of flavour. This, along with the low yields Gallo achieves, and his proclivity for late picking, gives single vineyard wines of great intensity and richness. As a result, he releases the wines a year later than usual.