Tiare, a Great Friulian Sauvignon

I had heard about Tiare, the Sauvignon blanc from the eponymous winery run by Roberto Snidarcig. However, I had never had the chance to taste it. The opportunity arose a few days ago at an event organized by the AIS in Rome, when Sandra – Roberto's wife – introduced me to the winery's flagship wine. And here I am reviewing yet another great Sauvignon from Friuli, which, as I have already had occasion to say, is without a shadow of a doubt the premier territory for this wine in Italy.

The Tiare winery is located in Dolegna, in the eastern part of the Collio goriziano, right on the border with Slovenia. The estate covers 10 hectares, with a production of around 100,000 bottles. Half of which is dedicated to this Sauvignon that has found its ideal habitat in Dolegna.

The soils are calcareous-marly, with the right mix of silt and clay. The microclimate is mild, sheltered by the Julian Alps, with significant temperature swings that allow the development of the typical aromas of this prized grape. The vine training system is Guyot, with a density of 4–5,000 vines per hectare. The number of buds per bunch is carefully selected and the manual harvest takes place in September in multiple passes, based on the position of each vineyard.

In the cellar, the first grapes harvested undergo cryomaceration at very low temperatures for about one day, then clarification for three days. The yeasts used are indigenous. The more mature grapes, harvested later, are macerated for a few hours at 8°C and in this case subjected to selected yeasts. The blending of the different lots takes place in February, while malolactic fermentation involves 20% of the total mass.

We tasted a 2013, a vintage characterized by a particularly variable climatic pattern, with temperatures generally below average.

The Sauvignon Tiare presents itself with a straw-yellow color with greenish reflections, absolutely crystal clear. It is characterized by a broad nose, with fruity and varietal aromas. We immediately perceive complex notes of broom and orange blossom, followed by pink grapefruit and peach that overlap with pleasant citrus and mineral notes, with a finish of sage and cut grass. On the palate, the fresh-savory component clearly prevails over the 13.5% alcohol. Beautiful texture, with a very long finish that remains citrusy and vegetal.
I did not taste it with food, but I imagine that Tiare could pair excellently with a risotto agli asparagi.

This wine won a recent competition held in Bordeaux that was reserved for Sauvignon blanc. In the competition, Tiare outperformed 750 Sauvignon samples from over 20 countries.
In my opinion, a wine of such quality should rest in the bottle for at least a year before being tasted, so that some of its harder edges are softened and a perfect nose-to-palate correspondence is achieved.