Tunella L'Arcione 2017

Cellar for up to 10 years. Decant 1 hour before opening.

Over the past few decades Tunella has developed a solid reputation for deliciously crisp and elegant white wines and complex reds made from Friuli’s classic grape varieties. The family-run property is located in the eastern Friuli hills where the conditions are ideal for winemaking thanks to their terraced vineyards which act as a suntrap and cooling breezes from the nearby Adriatic Sea.

In total the family work 70 hectares of vines which are mostly planted on “ponca” soils, a unique mixture of marl and sandstone which locks in plenty of elegance and freshness in their wines. This charming red blend is composed of two local varieties, Pignolo and Schioppettino, which are both little-known outside of Italy. The fruit is harvested in October at optimum ripeness and then left to “raisin” or dry out a little to concentrate the flavours and sugars. This traditional process helps to produce an especially complex and intense red wine.

Once vinification is complete the wine is aged in 500 litre French oak casks to add extra character and to fully integrate the different components. The result is a rich, multi-layered red that’s bursting with ripe dark berries, dried figs and raisin notes along with deeper undertones of spice, woodsmoke, tobacco leaf, baked earth and fresh herbs. Thanks to the complexity and personality of this wine it’s a great match for game or classic Italian dishes like aubergine parmigiana.