Di Lenardo Toh! Friulano 2023, Friuli Venezia Giulia

Toh! is one of the signature whites of Di Lenardo, a family estate in Ontagnano on the Friulian plain in north-east Italy. It is made entirely from Friulano, the region’s best-loved native white grape, grown on the gravelly and clay soils of the family’s own vineyards, which are protected by the Alps to the north and tempered by the nearby Adriatic. The grapes are picked by hand and gently pressed, then fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel. The wine rests on its fine lees for a few months, with regular stirring, before bottling, and sees no oak at all, keeping the focus on purity and freshness.

In the glass it is straw yellow with green glints. The nose offers white flowers, green apple, citrus and the hint of bitter almond that is so typical of Friulano. The palate is fresh, soft and rounded, with a light to medium body, a gentle mineral thread and a clean, slightly saline finish.

Serve chilled, at around 8–10°C. It makes an excellent aperitif and is lovely with Prosciutto di San Daniele, fish starters, seafood risotto, steamed fish and shellfish, sushi, goat’s cheese or spring vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes. Enjoy it young and fresh, within a few years of the harvest.

Di Lenardo is a family estate in Ontagnano, a village in the province of Udine on the Friulian plain, where the family has grown vines for generations, with records going back to the 1800s. The turning point came with the 1987 vintage, when the family began making wine only from grapes grown in its own vineyards, raised planting density and pruned more severely in the pursuit of quality. Massimo ‘Max’ Di Lenardo took charge of winemaking after the 1998 vintage and works with a group of wine consultants. The vineyards lie within the Friuli DOC area, and the house style deliberately avoids oak, aiming to show the pure fruit and fresh acidity of each variety. Many of the wines carry English names, and since 2009 the cellar has run on solar power from panels on its roof.