Azienda Agricola Tarlao

Aquileia | Friuli

It’s time for the historic Aquileia appellation, hard by the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia, to have its moment. While it is Friuli’s smallest DOC, Aquileia nonetheless claims a rich viticultural history dating to the Roman Era. And it was the expressive, sumptuous wines of Francesco Tarlao, a young winemaking talent making serious waves in his home region, that put the endless potential of Aquileia on our vinous radar.

Francesco inherited a love of Pinot Bianco from his grandfather, Igino, but he shows an equally deft touch with local grapes Malvasia Istriana, Friulano and Refosco, not to mention some of the “Bordelais” varieties that have such deep roots in this northeastern corner of Italy.

The legacy of Igidio Tarlao (immortalized on the label of Tarlao’s ‘Poc Ma Bon’) looms large in the telling of the Tarlao story. A partigiano (resistance fighter) during World War II, Igidio returned to the family home in Aquileia in the early 1940s and spent the next several decades farming the land as a mezzadro (sharecropper) until finally getting the opportunity to buy the property in the 1960s.

It was a multi-use farm back then, full of vegetables, fruit trees, and livestock along with a small stand of vines, which they used to make easy-drinking sfuso wines to serve in the family frasca (tavern) which the family still operates today – with Francesco’s father, Sabino, faithfully manning the grill.

The Tarlaos began bottling their wines in the late 1990s and Francesco, educated in Udine and following some international winemaking stages in California and Udine, came into the fold in 2002. Since then, he has significantly elevated the estate’s profile within Friuli and beyond; his structured, layered and profoundly pure white wines (in contrast to much of the region’s skin-contact styles) capture the variety-specific energy one might find in Burgundy or the Loire. Indeed, Tarlao is the new, resonant voice of Aquileia and holds a prominent role in the modern Friulian wine conversation.

FARMING & WINEMAKING

With just 450 hectares of vineyards and fewer than 20 commercially significant producers, Aquileia is one of Friuli’s smallest appellations. The city of Aquileia, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose stunningly well preserved Basilica is a treasure trove of ancient mosaics, was a strategic trading post for the Romans and a gateway to the eastern reaches of the empire.

The Romans of course recognized the terroir as favorable to wine-growing – similar to Bordeaux in terms of soil composition and maritime influence, Aquileia, like the neighboring Isonzo DOC, is capable of producing both textured whites and concentrated, structured reds.

It is a mild, breezy region, framed by the Tagliamento and Isonzo rivers, with an amalgam of soils but a predominance of sandy clay and limestone gravel. The Grado Lagoon, and the Adriatic, are about three miles away, so the maritime influence is felt most acutely here; Francesco describes Aquileia as being better-ventilated and generally drier relative to hillside appellations such as Collio and Colli Orientali.

The relatively flat landscape of Aquileia facilitates the classic push-pull of currents coming off the Adriatic to the south and the Julian Alps to the northeast, making the region less susceptible to dramatic heat spikes (not to mention damaging humidity).

The estate employs organic treatments in their 17-acre vineyards but generally farming is sustainable. They are members of FIVI (the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers) and are recognized by Slow Wine for their commitment to sustainability and the production of authentic, healthy wines.

Winemaking is traditional, with partial barrel fermentation and aging, and in certain instances some (very) brief skin contact for the whites.

WHITE WINES

Venezia Giulia Bianco 'Mosaic Blanc'

A “super” white in the Friulian tradition, a soulful blend of Malvasia, Chardonnay and Friulano, aged one year in neutral oak. Orange oil and yellow apple dance around a tease of tropical fruit; full-bodied and tailor-made for rich river fish with plenty of buttered noodles.

Friuli Aquileia Malvasia 'Ninive'

So much energy and silk in this 100% Malvasia, grown on sandy soils which winemaker Francesco Tarlao says gives this white its smooth curves and sapid finish. A basket of citrus peels and lemon curd; lots of texture, with tantalizing notes of orange blossom and lemon oil. A delight alongside autumn gnocchi with butter and fried sage.

Friuli Aquileia Friulano 'Albero del Noce'

Friuli’s shot-in-the-arm white, Friulano, is a spring wine without peer, and Tarlao’s bottling brings even more wild-herb energy and stone fruit juiciness. Lovely texture with a mineral note on the finish. Translucent slices of prosciutto, a crusty baguette and a glass — that’s weeknight luxury.

Friuli Aquileia Pinot Bianco 'Poc Ma Bon'

A partigiano (resistance fighter) during World War II, Igidio Tarlao (winemaker Francesco’s grandfather) returned to the family home in Aquileia and spent the next several decades farming the land as a mezzadro (sharecropper) until finally getting the opportunity to buy the property in the 1960s. It was Igidio’s determination and hard work that made this family estate what it is today; ‘Poc Ma Bon’ (little but good) is a tribute to his tenacity, as well as a gloriously juicy and refined Pinot Bianco. Ripe pear, apple and cream; brisk and bright and such a joy with a roast chicken and a lazy Sunday afternoon.

RED WINES

Friuli Aquileia Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 'Mosaic Ros'

Friuli’s signature red grape, Refosco, is a plummy, soulful joy at Tarlao, a red with ample depth and lively freshness. This old-vine selection brings a bushel of blackberries and black currants, with savory, dusty tannins and a juicy core. Break out the grill no matter what time of year it is and enjoy it alongside a rib-eye with all the fixings.