Edi Keber, Collio Bianco, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, 2021

Overview of the Wine
Cormons - Gorizia, Collio Friuli, Italy Situated just a stone’s throw away from the Slovenian border, Edi Keber’s 10 hectares of vineyards grow on the classic “ponka” soil, a stony, friable marl that gives the wines remarkable weight and body. Extremely poor, the "ponka" naturally stresses the vines which produce very small quantities of grapes (1 to 1.5 kg x vine) and provide a distinctive minerality, typical of the Collio region. Keber's first bottled wines date back to 1957, although his family, originally from Vienna, has made wine for 350 years.

Edi deeply believes in the unique character of the Collio terroir and his objective is to make, starting with the 2008 vintage, only one white wine that will embody the tradition of the Collio by blending the three varieties that have been grown in the area since before the two great wars: Friulano, providing for body and structure, Malvasia Istriana to impart the aromatic component and Ribolla Gialla for its acidity. Edi’s young son, Kristian, follows his father’s maverick footsteps helping in every aspect of the production. The grapes are picked at their highest possible maturity levels and are then fermented and matured in old cement vats, which according to Edi, add an element of “soul” to the wine as opposed to the sterility of stainless steel. Keber’s wines are deep, intense, long-lived, where generous fruit and terroir blend seamlessly.

Grape / Blend
70% Friulano, 15% Malvasia, 15% Ribolla Gialla

Origin
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The vineyards are located in cru Zegla on soils rich in ponka (also called flysch), a peculiar soil type consisting of alternating layers of limestone marl and sandstone. After harvesting, the grapes are vinified entirely in concrete tanks, where the wine matures for more than a year before being bottled and released on the market.

In the glass, winemaker Edi Keber's Friulian Collio Bianco wine shows a lovely bright straw yellow color. Intriguing and complex is the olfactory range, characterized by intense fruity and floral notes of white peach, cedar and magnolia that blend with pleasant hints of almond and vivid mineral sensations. Savory and juicy palate, soft and sapid, with a warm and remarkably long finish. A very versatile artisanal white in food-wine pairing, and an ideal choice with both land and seafood dishes.

Product size: 750ml