Attems’ Pinot Grigio Ramato is a unique rosé-style Pinot Grigio that faithfully interprets its Friulian soul in a distinctively fresh and modern style. The new 2021 vintage features a newly-restyled label designed by English artist Michael Driver
Capriva del Friuli, Italy, Feb 15th, 2022 — Attems, the historical wine producer from Friuli Venezia Giulia in northeastern Italy, is pleased to announce the release of its Pinot Grigio Ramato 2021 in the United States market.
Attems is the quintessential wine of Friuli, where traditional native grape varieties faithfully interpret and eloquently express their place of origin. Just released in its latest vintage, Attems Pinot Grigio Ramato showcases a unique rosé-style Pinot Grigio. Alongside the winery’s classic expressions, Cicinis Sauvignon and Trebes Ribolla Gialla, the Pinot Grigio Ramato completes an authentic portrait of the Friulian world, in a distinctively fresh, modern style.
Pinot Grigio Ramato pays homage to a venerable tradition of the Republic of Venice, where ancient merchant documents used the term “ramato” to describe the seductive coppery hue of this style of Pinot Grigio. The newly-restyled label of Pinot Grigio Friuli DOC Ramato 2021 is the work of English artist Michael Driver, whose work conveys the distinctiveness and refinement of a wine that is historically identified with one of the world’s most iconic and exciting cities of art.
“With the illustration, I wanted the image to be intricate, rich in color and in keeping with the ornate design history of Venice, whilst offering something new and fresh,” explains Michael Driver. “My work is very graphic and flat. So there was an exciting challenge with Attems to strike a balance between the lavishness associated with Venetian design and my more utilitarian way of working What we ended up with was a nice modern twist on a classic Venetian scene.”
The vineyards that yield this Pinot Grigio sit at an elevation of 197 feet amidst the plains and hillsides of the Collio Goriziano in the province of Gorizia. More precisely, the vineyards are found in Manine, the central part of the Attems estate, which was acquired by the Frescobaldi family in 2000. This area lies between Collio and the Isonzo river, where Eocene-era marl, sandstone, and well-drained silt soils produce Pinot Grigio of marked elegance and finesse. Intense sunlight and pronounced day-to-night temperature differentials – due to the proximity of the Adriatic Sea – create a particular climate that is ideal for the balanced development of sugars, color pigments, and aromatic compounds in the grapes.
The 2021 growing season was characterized by cold weather in January and February, with lengthy periods below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), delaying the awakening of the vines from dormancy. A somewhat mild March contributed to the successful budbreak of Pinot Grigio. May was quite rainy and cold, but June finally brought more rapid vegetation growth. Flowering was a bit later than in most years. The summer months brought good day-to-night temperature ranges and some rainfall. At harvest time, in early September, the grapes were stable and healthy, with above average acidity. Sugar and pigment concentrations increased as the harvest progressed, with the Pinot Grigio berries displaying their classic purplish blush.
The 2021 Attems Pinot Grigio Ramato appears in its classic tonality, a lychee-like pale-pink color, achieved by about ten hours of skin contact. The bouquet is pronounced, with peach and broom flower predominating and gradually yielding to an enveloping, fragrant Morello cherry. The palate, decisive yet magnificently-balanced, stands out for its dynamic vibrancy and lengthy progression, culminating in an impressive finish marked by gooseberry and citrus zest.
TECHNICAL NOTES
After the clusters were de-stemmed and the berries pressed, the must was left in contact with the skins for about 10 hours at 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit), until it gained its typical pinkish color. The must was then gently pressed and gravity-settled for 24 to 48 hours. After clarification, the must was fermented for 15 days at low temperatures of 15 to17 degrees Celsius (59 to 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in stainless steel tanks. The wine was then matured for four months with regular bâtonnage.
About Attems:
Attems is one of Friuli Venezia Giulia’s most historic producers, with a winemaking heritage dating back nearly a millennium. Count Douglas Attems, who led his family’s estate for the second half of the 20th Century, founded the important Consorzio dei Vini del Collio in 1964, helping the region achieve DOC recognition. In 2000, he sold the estate to Marchese Vittorio Frescobaldi, whom he met during their years as students at the University of Florence.
Attems lies in the Collio Goriziano, in the extreme east of the Friuli region. It has always faithfully interpreted its territory with an authentic yet contemporary style, hallmarks of a portfolio of much-coveted wines that are both elegant and distinctly identified with their world-renowned growing area. The 44 hectares of vineyards, lying at an average elevation of 130 meters, are planted to Ribolla Gialla, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay. Attems produces Cicinis, an elegant, intense Collio DOC Sauvignon Blanc; Trebes, a Collio DOC Ribolla Gialla with a vibrant acidity and a firm structure; a Friuli DOC Pinot Grigio Ramato, velvet smooth and citrus-edged; a Friuli DOC Pinot Grigio; and Venezia Giulia IGT versions of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla. www.attems.it/en/
