Not Your Average Pinot Grigio
Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about Pinot Grigio. A recognizable choice on many wine lists, it generally meets our expectations of a light, crisp white wine, the ubiquitous, inexpensive and somewhat interchangeable white wine of myriad producers in northern Italy. The family of winemakers at Scarbolo, however, think a lot about Pinot Grigio, and the bland versions of mass-produced wines could not be further from the wines they envision and create.
Sister and brother team Lara (winemaker and viticulturist) and Mattia (sales and marketing) have taken over a family business begun in the 1950s by their grandfather and expanded and modernized by their parents Valter and Maria Grazia in the 1980s. Today, the siblings are taking the estate in new directions including converting to organic farming and experimenting with indigenous yeasts in the winery. What they are not changing, however, is a long-standing love for what they see as “a great ‘underdog’: Pinot Grigio, an emblematic variety of [their] corner of Italy” and one they are elevating to a wine that should be taken seriously.
To achieve this, the siblings are vinifying three distinct interpretations of Pinot Grigio, and in doing so highlighting the incredible breadth and diversity of this grape. From different vineyard parcels, each wine undergoes variations in handling from harvest to fermentation to aging (see detailed descriptions below) to reveal vastly different expressions of this grape. These wines have depth, complexity and unique character and they will completely change your mind about what Pinot Grigio can be when treated with care and respect.
We are thrilled to offer these wines in a mixed case that opens a window to Scarbolo’s incredible vision for Pinot Grigio and the exciting direction that Lara and Mattia are taking the winery.
Scarbolo Beyond Pinot Grigio
Mixed Case 6pk – 2 btls each of 2018 ‘Mattia’, 2020 ’il Ramato’ and 2019 ‘XL Ramato’
$255.00 / cs
Order HERE by June 6th for delivery the week of June 13th!
Wines can also be purchased separately by the case HERE.
The Wines
Scarbolo 2018 ‘Mattia’ Pinot Grigio, Friuli Grave, Friuli Venezia Giulia
Hand harvested from the oldest parcel of the Mattia Vineyard with vines averaging 24 years old, the grapes were de-stemmed, pressed and fermented with selected yeast for 12 days – nine days in stainless steel and the remaining three days in 20hL oak casks. The wine spent 18 months on lees with six months of regular bâtonnage. Following assemblage, the wine matured another 18 months in stainless steel plus eight months in bottle. Saffron yellow in colour with notes of dried apricot, licorice root, chamomile flowers, dried walnuts, thyme and hints of sweet vanilla pod, white peach, and chalk. The palate is dense and potent, with captivating tension a distinct freshness, bringing notes of citrus, pomegranate, raw walnut, papaya, peach preserve and short crust pastry.
Scarbolo 2020 ‘il Ramato’ Pinot Grigio, Vigna Codis, Lauzacco, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
After a brief cold maceration on the skins for 24 hours, the grapes were softly pressed and the juice cooled and decanted naturally. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures and the wine was aged on the lees in stainless steel for eight months, undergoing weekly bâttonage. This wine is a fantastic example of the classic style of vinifying Pinot Grigio with skin contact, an historic technique in the Friuli region. Notes of red apple and fresh citrus intermingle with an incredible saline minerality, all carried by the wine’s phenolic, textural finish.
Scarbolo 2019 ‘XL Ramato’ Pinot Grigio, Lauzacco, Grave del Friuli, Friuli-
Venezia-Giulia
Hand harvested from the Cois Ovest vineyard from vines averaging 15 years of age, grapes were de-stemmed and crushed and the must was fermented on skins for 14 days with multiple daily pump-overs. The wine matured on the lees for 16 months with six months of regular bâtonnage, 80% in 20hL oak casks and the balance in stainless steel. Following assemblage, the wine rested a further eight months in stainless steel tanks. A bright, warm copper colour in the glass, the wine opens with enveloping aromas of rose, rosemary, wild strawberries, star anise and candied orange. The palate is soft and velvety, with ethereal tannins. Notes of balsamic, citrus, white pepper, chestnut honey, vanilla and hints of sour cherries carry through a long finish.
Scarbolo Beyond Pinot Grigio
Mixed Case 6pk – 2 btls each of 2018 ‘Mattia’, 2020 ’il Ramato’ and 2019 ‘XL Ramato’
Order HERE by June 6th for delivery the week of June 13th!
About Scarbolo
The Scarbolo estate in Lauzacco is located only 15 km from the Italian border with Slovenia. Nine separate vineyards, comprising 18 hectares, are planted to local Friulian varieties. A tremendous amount of work is being done to better understand the ‘terroirs’ and what the different vineyard sites can produce. Additionally, climate change is slowly modifying the normal cycles of the vine and the team, while in conversion to certified organic viticulture, is committed to pursuing vineyard management that promotes ever lower intervention, facilitating as much as possible a self-sustaining ecosystem. This continued research into the vineyards and their management has led the new generation of the Scarbolo family to double-down their focus and efforts on an ‘underdog’ and their favourite cultivar, Pinot Grigio. Much maligned because of the mass production seen around the world, in the hands of dedicated and focused viticulture and winemaking, this is a grape that can truly express its versatility and texture nowhere better than Friuli. As famed wine journalist, Jancis Robinson notes:
‘That there is a way out of this dead-end track [referring to a lack of identity for the region] is confidently shown by Mattia Scarbolo who apparently thinks nothing of putting three radically different interpretations of Pinot Grigio on the market.’ (JR 4/1/22)
The Scarbolo estate is now in the hands of the 3rd generation, Lara (winemaker and viticulturist) and Mattia (sales and marketing) sister and brother. Their father, Valter and mother, Maria Grazia, are still very much involved. Valter, who’s focus is now on the vineyards and viticulture and who leans on his 50 years of experience working the land, took over the estate from his father and there is obvious pride when you speak with him about Lara and Mattia’s involvement.
Lara, after completing her viticulture and oenology studies, took over the winemaking full-time from her father in 2017. Mattia, after an education and career in finance, returned to the family roots with great enthusiasm and is leading the winery in the next evolution of their history.
The younger generation’s influence is obvious but is complimentary to the vision that Valter had pursued when he took over the estate. The vineyards have always been impeccable, with beautiful fruit producing wines of remarkable intensity and extract.
Their next chapter is to study the use of indigenous yeasts, to understand what this means to the wine and to become more focused on what the region produces best. The future is very bright for this impressively forward-thinking family.
