Miani’s Friulano from the Colli Orientali is the reference point for the grape: tiny, old-vine parcels on ponca (marl and sandstone), microscopic yields, and Enzo Pontoni’s ruthless selection deliver a wine that marries depth with laser precision. The nose opens with pear, golden apple and quince, moving to almond blossom, wild fennel and a faintly smoky, flinty edge. On the palate it’s concentrated yet vertical—silky texture, a cool, stony core and that tell-tale Friulano almond-salt note carrying through a long, dry finish.
Winemaking is minimalist but meticulous. Hand-harvested fruit is pressed gently; fermentation and élevage often take place in barrique with a judicious proportion of new oak, followed by extended lees contact for mid-palate weight without heaviness. The oak reads as texture rather than flavour: subtle pastry and spice framing pristine fruit and mineral drive.
Serve at 11–12 °C in medium white-wine stems; a brief, cool decant helps young bottles shed reduction and expand aromatically. Food pairings lean savoury and herb-led—prosciutto crudo, grilled sea bass with lemon and rosemary, risotto with spring herbs, roast chicken with tarragon, or aged Montasio and young Comté. The wine’s phenolic bite and saline cut thrive with olive oil, nuts and umami.
Drink on release for its crystalline fruit and tension, but cellaring pays off. Over 4–8 years it gains honeyed nuance, marzipan, chamomile and a deeper, waxy texture while keeping its limestone-etched line. Warmer vintages show riper stone fruit and broader shoulders; cooler years emphasise citrus, green almond and extra lift. However you catch it, this is Friulano at its apex: intense, precise, and unmistakably Miani.
