Miani

In the village of Buttrio, nestled in the hills of the ‘Colline Orientali del Friuli’ DOC wine region, Enzo Pontoni produces some of Italy’s most sought-after wines in a winery that has neither a website nor a telephone number, and which makes no effort to be found.

The winery is named Miani, after his mother’s maiden name. Production volumes are tiny; the wines only go on sale when Pontoni considers them good enough, and in years when he does not, such as 2002, no wine is released at all.

History

Pontoni grew up in a farming family in Butrio. His father, Nello, cultivated the vineyards mainly for family consumption and to sell grapes to neighbours. Enzo first worked as a mechanic, then on a mobile bottle delivery van, where the winemaker’s advice to ‘figure it out for yourself’ set him on the path to self-education. He immersed himself in books, studied Burgundy and began commercial wine production in 1981. When his father died in 1989, he gave up his day job entirely to focus on the winery.

Vineyards

The estate comprises around 20 hectares of vineyards on the hillsides scattered across Buttrio, Rosazzo and Gramoliano, of which four are owned, whilst the rest are leased or cultivated under long-term contracts. Planting density is high, around 6,000–7,000 vines per hectare, at altitudes ranging from 100 to 300 metres above sea level.

Key plots include Zitelle, acquired by Pontoni in 2012; the three-hectare Pettarin vineyard in Rosazzo, with vines aged between 80 and 100 years, purchased in 2016; Buri in Butrio, Filip in Rosazzo, Cossut and the former Calvari plot, which he relinquished in 2015.

Terroir

All the vineyards are situated on ponca, a local term denoting alternating layers of marl and calcareous sandstone, formed 50–80 million years ago on the bed of an ancient sea. Ponce is low in nitrogen, but forces the vines to dig deep in search of water and minerals, which intensifies the concentration of flavour.

The climate is a blend of Mediterranean and continental, with the protection of the mountains to the north and sea breezes from the Adriatic to the south, ensuring a long growing season.

Grape varieties

White varieties include Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay and Malvasia. Red varieties are Merlot and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. All vineyards are cultivated using organic farming methods.

Winemaking

Yields are extremely low, typically around 10–20 hectolitres per hectare, with only one or two bunches remaining on each vine after severe winter pruning and green harvesting. Since 2015, all wines have been fermented using natural yeasts, without any intervention in the fermentation temperature.

White wines are fermented in French oak barrels, around 40% of which are new, without malolactic fermentation, with the exception of the Chardonnay. Red wines are aged in French barriques, with the oak ageing regime selected individually for each specific plot. Total production in a good year reaches around 25,000 bottles.

Wines

All wines are single-vineyard or single-plot wines.

The white wines include Sauvignon Blanc from Zittelle, a more intense version called Saurint from a plot with a high chalk content within Zittelle, Chardonnay, Friulano Filipp, Ribolla Gialla Pettarin and a blend of Malvasia, Friulano and Sauvignon called Banel.

As for reds, Pontoni produces two Merlot varieties, Buri and Filipp, with different characteristics: Buri is generally darker and more structured, whilst Filip is lighter and fresher. Refosco from Cossut and La Mont di Zuc have replaced the legendary Calvari.

Each wine is named after the family that previously cultivated or owned the land.