Pignolo Eremita
According to legend, the hermit Alemanno settled on the Rosazzo hill in the 9th century for a spiritual retreat. It was in this same location that the first traces of the Pignolo grape variety were found, dating back to the late 18th century. Known as ‘pignul’ in the Friulian dialect, the fragile grape variety was on the verge of extinction in the late 19th century due to its low productivity. However, it was later rediscovered and recovered once again at Rosazzo. The soulful, confident grapes of Eremita are wild at heart and have historical significance for our area. In 1983, a mass selection of the indented-leaf biotype was planted under the wall of the Ancient Belvedere, bearing its characteristic small, pine-cone-shaped bunches.
About this wine
A mass selection of the indented-leaf biotype was planted in 1983 under the wall of the Ancient Belvedere, with its typical small, pine-cone shaped bunches. The hand-picked grapes, placed in small crates, were destemmed and soft-crushed for vinification in truncated cone-shaped vats. The wine was racked into second-use barriques to undergo lengthy maturation, taming and softening the boisterous tannins typical of this rare and fascinating variety.
Tasting notes
Austere in the glass: deep garnet red with dark veining. The nose is broad and intense, opening on dried plum, red blackberry, sour cherry jam and tamarind evoking the interior of a cigar box. Blueberry, rhododendron, fern, violet and elderberry follow before the profile shifts to black pepper, clove, incense and cinnamon. Pipe tobacco, cornelian cherry, India ink and roasted coffee close a remarkably vast aromatic picture. On the palate, complex and powerful yet capable of great freshness, with dense and elegant tannins and a final salinity that invites a second sip. A wine that takes its time, asking for patience to reveal all its evolutions and deliver a harmonious, nuanced whole.
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