Borgo del Tiglio
Cormòns, Collio, Italy
Nicola and Mattia Manfredi
Nicola Manferrari was originally trained in pharmacology, though that was a decision made more out of respect to a family tradition than passion. In 1981, Nicola’s father died, and he was put in charge of his father’s ‘hobby’ – five hectares of land, three of which were planted with vines. It was then that he found his calling.
“Nicola Manferrari is one of Friuli’s original trailblazers. Along with Mario Schiopetto, Josko Gravner and Silvio Jermann, Manferrari was just one of a handful of producers in the 1980s who had the vision and courage to follow his convictions. Winemakers like Enzo Pontoni and Edi Kante, each in their own way, followed that same spirit. Still, Borgo del Tiglio remains vastly overlooked considering the quality of what goes into the bottle. So much of what is made in Friuli today is essentially commercial, large-production wine with little personality. In that context, Borgo del Tiglio is a towering presence of true excellence and a shining beacon of what is possible in one of Italy’s greatest but often most underachieving appellations.”
— ANTONIO GALLONI, VINOUS.COM
Nicola developed his winemaking style by following his instincts, only to find that many of the techniques he ‘invented’ in Friuli were in fact quite common in other parts of Europe. He later taught himself French so he could read "Physiologie de la Vigne" by François Champagnol.
Nicola’s wines are indicative of a winemaker that listens to his palate and lets that guide his work. The precision and depth of his wines make it hard to argue against those that believe he is one of the greatest white winemakers in Italy. Today his son, Mattia, has taken the reins of the family winery, though his father can almost always still be found with wild, unkempt hair trampling through his vineyards, despite recent retirement and a newborn granddaughter.
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The heart of Borgo del Tiglio is found in Brazzano, not far from Gorizia, where a portion of the land has been owned and farmed by the Manferrari family for four generations and grapes have been grown since the early 1700s. Nicola Manferrari and his son, Mattia, helm the property today. From the vineyards to the cellar, Manferrari has a unique style as a winemaker which exudes precision (derived from his studies in pharmacology) and a hands-off approach that allows certain elements, such as the use of a pneumatic press inspired by studying Champagne production and the choice of French barrels for aging, to shine.
Borgo del Tiglio encompasses roughly 9 ha planted to vines across three key vineyards, predominantly planted to white varietals and with identifiable plots that over time have become the estate’s “crus.”
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Collio is a small range of hills formed in the far eastern part of northern Italy, tucked between the Adriatic coast and the first steep slopes of the mighty Alps. The microclimates in the area fluctuate greatly based on altitude and orientation. Soils are made up of sedimentary rock formed on the bed of a shallow sea where marls alternate with sandstone, leading to the originality of the place for white wines.
The Borgo del Tiglio property is located in Cormòns in the heart of the Collio and divided between three different vineyards: Brazzano, Ca’Delle Vallade, and Ruttars, each with remarkably different history and composition. The Brazzano vineyard is the family’s pride and joy, and has been cultivated since 1700s.
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The philosophy in the vineyards is defined by this quote, beloved by Nicola and written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “The land gives us more lessons than any books. Because it offers resistance...The farmer, when ploughing, draws out, bit by bit, certain secrets from nature, and the truth he uncovers is universal.”
The farming regime at Borgo del Tiglio relies on specific pruning techniques to manage quantity and maximize exposure to sunlight. No fertilizer is used in the vineyards, and full grass coverage is employed. All harvesting is done by hand, with a strict selection and sorting regimen. Nicola does not want any botrytized grapes even if that means having to leave a large amount of fruit in the vineyard.
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The philosophy in the cellar is fairly hands-off, opting for balance at all stages of the wine’s life. Gravity is used in the initial stages after harvest, and generally speaking the process is basic. The crushed grapes are processed in a pneumatic press, using principles that Manferrari learned from studying Champagne production, ever increasing the pressure gradually so as to produce less solids and extract little potassium which he deems very important for ensuring a good level of mineralogy in the wine. Different plots are vinified separately and later blended in the final assembly of the wine in order to derive the most complexity as possible. Barrel aging is used for white wines, while reds complete fermentation in small, open 1200L wooden vats, and undergo post-fermentation maceration. They are then transferred to wooden kegs - part new - to undergo malolactic fermentation and remain there to refine for an average of two years, if not longer.
Wines
Collio
Borgo del Tiglio’s Collio is made from Friulano, Sauvignon and Riesling Renano. The blend was debuted in 1989 following a series of experimental blends intended for the first vintage of Studio di Bianco. Over time, the Collio has become exemplary of the way these three grapes complement each other: the high acid of Sauvignon and Riesling balance the power and body of Friulano, as well as a snapshot of the vintage.
Chardonnay/Chardonnay Selezione
The estate’s Chardonnay lies in the hills of Ca’ delle Ballade, between Brazzano and Ruttars. The soil here is locally known as carantan but is predominantly reddish marl. The vineyard faces southeast and has a colder climate compared to the local average because of the strong influence of the Bora, a cold wind that blows from the northeast. The vines often used exclusively for the Selezione are located in a parcel at a higher altitude at the top of the hill with the same soil but older vines, roughly 40 years in age, and planted at a higher density than is common for the area (between 3,500 and 7,300 vines per hectare). If the vintage allows, the Chardonnay Selezione comes exclusively from the higher altitude parcel. Otherwise, it is made from a barrel selection of the best Chardonnay of that year. Anything not used for the Selezione goes into the Chardonnay. Both wines are aged in approximately 30% new oak.
Friulano
Now virtually extinct as a varietal, Borgo del Tiglio tends to parcels of Friulano that that grow in the grayish-brown marl soils of Brazzano and Ruttars. The parcels are on average 60 years old and boast a genetic diversity that is rarely found in the area, the result of years of careful cultivation. In fact, one of the winery’s greatest investments has been its valorization of Friulano
Ronco della Chiesa
Ronco della Chiesa is the estate’s prized single vineyard just behind the winery that was cleared by hand and planted in the late 1950s to Friulano using a local selection massale. The steep terraced slope is naturally sheltered from cold winds blowing from the northeast, while subsoils of marl and sandstone guarantee a generous supply of water to the vines even during the driest period of the year. The vines’ age of over 70 years lends an indelible finesse, adding to an already complex genetic profile of the vineyard. In the cellar, soft pressing is carried out to avoid excess extraction. The wine spends 9-10 months in used French oak to coax out the unique character of this small but mighty vineyard.
Studio di Bianco
Studio di Bianco is a blend of co-fermentations of Friulano/Sauvignon and Friulano/Riesling from the hillside vineyards in Ruttars, not far from the Slovenian border. Generally the blend is 50% Friulano, 225% Sauvignon and 25% Riesling, depending on the vintage. The vineyard used for Studio Bianco was purchased by Nicola in 1989, already planted to vine. It has several different exposures (East, South and Southeast) and lies over fragmented calcareous marl soils. The grapes are all harvested on the same day and pressed. Following fermentation, the co-fermentations are blended for aging in 250 liter barrels. Typically the Friulano/Sauvignon does not undergo malolactic fermentation, while Friulano/Riesling does. The philosophy behind the cofermentations is simply that the three varieties are quite complementary
Milleuve Bianco
The Milleuve line is made from declassified barrels and fruit that isn’t allocated to the Borgo del Tiglio label. Milleuve Bianco is a blend of Friulano, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Riesling from the Renano vineyards, providing a chameleon-like look at the breadth and potential of the terroir here.
Milleuve Rosso
Milleuve Rosso is a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese cultivated on a hill in the Piceno area of the Marche. For some time, Nicola co-owned a fifty year old vineyard in this area and produced two single varietal wines, a Sangiovese and a Montepulciano. Any fruit not that didn’t make it into the single varietal wines became Milleuve Rosso.