When I go back home in Italy, I love to go to my preferred local wine shop, the one where you know you can get lost in front of those walls of bottles and know that, whatever the choice, the result will be nothing short of superb.
And that’s how I come across this bottle of Schioppettino La Tunella.
I state that I am a lover of this well-known and excellent wine producer located in the “Colli Orientali del Friuli” appelation, producer of sensational white wines such as Rjgialla or the unbeatable Biancosesto … but I have never tasted anything about its red wines. Curiosity cannot be commanded: and now the moment of truth is here.
The color is a lively intense ruby red; at nose it releases a distint note of slightly bitter fruits such as black cherry or freshly picked blueberry, but if I have to describe with a single connotation this lively Friulian nectar, the one that suits him best is … pepper, yes, black pepper . This particular and intense spicy note is perceived and persists even in the mouth; the tannins are light, there is also a slight note of wood due to the passage in French oak tonneaux. Fresh and medium-structured, it can easily be combined with first or second meat courses (I have combined it with beef agnolotti) or even with medium-aged cheeses.
The recommended serving temperature is around 18-20 °C, but I assure you that even at 12-14 °C it shows excellent drinkability, especially as aperitif.
What can I say, I can only give ten out of ten to this autochthonous Friulian grape variety and to Tunella winery which sooner or later will be part of my oenological destination.