About the Producer:
Many
restaurants devote concerted efforts to authoring a
high-caliber wine list that will pique the interests
of their clientele, but few go so far as hotelier-restaurateur
Mario Fantinel did. When he desired to offer the discerning
customers of his Friulian restaurant some high-caliber
selections, rather than going after top labels, he sought
out top-quality vineyard land to start his own. That
was 1969. Now, the Fantinel family operates a multitiered
wine brand, the original restaurant (as well as a restaurant-hotel),
and an extensive wine bar collection, the first of which
opened in San Daniele del Friuli in 1998 as part of
a project—“Pane, Vino e San Daniele”—undertaken
by Mario’s three sons, Luciano, Gianfranco, and
Loris. The original Pane Vino & San Daniele has
essentially precipitated the launch of an upscale “chain”
of sorts, with numerous outposts located in towns throughout
northern Italy. These establishments are intended to
promote the slow food philosophy and the enjoyment of
local products, with an emphasis on the wines of Fantinel
and the hams it produces in conjunction with the Testa
e Molinaro company. At the time of this writing (August
2008), the locations numbered 20, though expansion plans
include international destinations, as well as additional
regional outposts.
Such an operation, of course, provides a perfect
context in which to showcase the extensive portfolio
of Fantinel, which operates several distinct labels.
However, Fantinel began serving as a foremost ambassador
of Friuli shortly into its second decade, undertaking
various partnerships dedicated to establishing a recognized
place for Friuli on the international scene. In fact,
it was one of the first Friulian estates to sell its
wines outside Friuli proper. Fantinel’s efforts
comprise two estates—Fantinel and La Roncaia—and
have largely been devoted to delineating the specific
attributes defining Friuli’s complex terroir,
supported by a distinct focus on three of Friuli’s
DOCs—Collio, Grave, and Colli Orientali. Each
label is dedicated to evoking the nuances and tradition
of a particular delimited areas as well as a distinct
stylistic orientation. The offerings under the Sant’Helena
label represent the extensive clonal research that
the estate has undertaken in an effort to cultivate
the highest quality of grape. This is maximized by
low yields, dense planting, hand-harvesting, and a
meticulous process of selection. These influences
collectively promote the articulation of the microclimates
concerned—the Collio’s Vencò region
for the whites, and Grave for the reds. The Grave
zone is the focus of both the Borgo Tesis and Paron
Mario lines, with the latter dedicated almost exclusively
to red. Of particular note is Paron Mario’s
work with the Refosco grape, which Fantinel is particularly
devoted to, regarding it as the red that will distinguish
Friuli and draw attention to its work outside reds.
It is the grape, in fact, that estate founder Mario
desired to promote.
Friuli’s indigenous varietals constitute the
principal focus of La Roncaia, Fantinel’s estate
in Nimis. Extensive research informs the production,
as several of the bottlings constitute meditation
wines. Of particular note are the Ramandolo and Picolit
productions, the former of which is Friuli’s
most historically significant production. Bearing
the name of its DOCG region, Ramandolo is an unctuous
dessert wine derived from a local clone of the Verduzzo
grape. As the vineyards are treacherously steep in
this area, all grapes must be harvested by hand. The
distinctive character of Ramandolo is frequently maximized
through both late harvest and partially dried grapes.
Picolit is another distinctive meditation member of
La Roncaia’s portfolio. This Friulian native
is traditionally the subject of a dessert bottling,
and Fantinel honors that form, leaving the grapes
on the vine to dry and continuing the drying process
for a period of eight weeks after the harvest.
Despite the significance of Fantinel’s indigenous
efforts, the estate chose Merlot as the sole agent
of its latest release, a Grave del Friuli bottling.
It’s not as unusual a choice as you might think,
though. Interestingly, until fairly recently, Friuli’s
red natives had been somewhat overshadowed by Merlot
and Cabernet Sauvignon; in fact, their presence in
the region actually dates back to the 1800s. Indeed,
many Friulians regard Merlot—fifth on the region’s
most-planted grape list—as essentially a local
character. Thus, it is particularly appropriate that
Merlot has been entrusted with the special cause informing
this bottling. Formally known as Celebrate Life Merlot,
this Grave del Friuli bottling is Fantinel’s
contribution to the work of the Convention for the
Use of Food Micro-Algae, Intergovernmental Institutional
Spirulina Program (IIMSAM). The convention, designated
as a Permanent Observer Mission by the United Nations
Economic and Social Council, is dedicated to promoting
the use of spirulina in efforts to ameliorate the
physical damage inflicted upon children in third world
nations who suffer from hunger and ultimately eradicating
the disease. The Celebrate Life Merlot was released
on the market in 2008: for every bottle of Celebrate
Life Merlot sold, Fantinel will contribute 1 US dollar
to IIMSAM. Marco Fantinel, the estate’s current
president, serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for IIMSAM.
|
|
