Tunella Pignolo 2016

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

The family-run Tunella winery in the eastern Friuli hills is probably best known for its incredibly elegant white wines, but this charming boutique producer also makes some sensational reds from typical local grape varieties like this Pignolo. This dark-skinned grape is not well known outside of its native Friuli, tending to produce deeply-coloured wines with plenty of fruit flavours and moderate tannins.

This bottling is produced using the traditional method of slightly drying out the grapes immediately after the harvest to concentrate the flavours and sugars. The must is then fermented with wild yeasts, producing a rich and intense red which is then left to mature in 500 litre French oak barrels for five years. This very long ageing period helps to add delicious toasty and spiced notes to the flavour profile as well as softening the tannins and adding polish to the finished wine.

The extended barrel-ageing is immediately noticeable on the nose, with delicate notes of cinnamon, cigar box spice, and woodsmoke mingling with raisins, dried figs, and crushed wild berries. On the palate there’s a full body, well-rounded texture, and very long finish with a gentle streak of acidity providing balance and energy. A great match for game dishes like venison, wild boar, and pheasant, or tomato-based pasta dishes.