96 points Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2026 - 2036
Made with 100% Friulano from old vines, the Borgo del Tiglio 2023 Collio Ronco della Chiesa shows remarkable luminosity and precision, marrying white peach, floral notes and delicate minerality. Sourced from a 1.3-hectare vineyard in Brazzano with vines over 70 years old, the wine is aged for nine months in 250-liter barrique, adding subtle creaminess without overt wood influence. The Ponca soils of marl and sandstone in Collio contribute both structure and finesse. Only 2,659 bottles were produced, underscoring the wine's rarity and focus.

Our Take: This is serious Friulano, coming from a tiny, steeply terraced old-vine vineyard planted in the classic Ponca soils of Collio. Bright golden-straw in color, the nose is pronounced and complex, with plenty of white peach, nectarine and pear, but this is really about everything underneath it: crushed stone, dried herbs, mint and a wonderful salty/mineral quality. The palate is medium-full to full-bodied, with real texture and richness from the old vines and barrel fermentation, balanced by medium-plus acidity that keeps everything fresh and energetic. The flavors are intense and concentrated, layering ripe stone fruit with citrus, herbs and that persistent mineral/saline character. The finish is very long, savory and distinctly saline, with lingering notes of lime, ginger and almond. This is Friulano built more like a great white Burgundy than a simple Italian white, with the concentration, acidity and structure to age beautifully.

• Variety: 100% Friulano
• Appellation: Collio DOC
• Vineyard: Ronco della Chiesa, a single vineyard immediately behind the winery in Brazzano
• Vineyard Size: Approximately 1.2 hectares / 3 acres
• Exposure: Steep, terraced hillside; one detailed source specifies southwest exposure
• Vine Age: Historic old vines. The vineyard was established by hand in the late 1950s, although the Borgo del Tiglio family now describes portions/history of the site as approaching 80 years old.
• Plant Material: An old massal selection of the local “green” Friulano phenotype, adding considerable genetic diversity to the vineyard
• Vine Density: Approximately 4,500–5,000 vines per hectare
• Training: Double-arched cane (doppio capovolto), specifically used by the estate for Friulano
• Soils: Classic Flysch di Cormòns/Ponca, with layers of marl and sandstone; the vineyard is particularly associated with brown marl
• Terroir: The intact layers of marl and sandstone retain enough moisture to sustain the vines through dry periods, while the steep terraces encourage deep root development, drainage and excellent light exposure.
• Microclimate: Mild and protected from the cold northeast winds
• Winemaking: Extremely gentle pressing designed to avoid extracting Friulano’s potentially coarse or bitter skin components while preserving freshness and salinity. Fermented in small, previously used 250-liter French oak barrels. Aged approximately 9–10 months in barrel.
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Tiny Production: Only approximately 2,600 bottles
• Serving Temperature: 10–12°C / 50–54°F
• Aging Potential: Excellent. Current merchants suggest drinking through 2036+, while the estate reports having tasted excellent bottles of Ronco della Chiesa at more than 30 years of age.

The Vineyard & Soils

Ronco della Chiesa is the vineyard that launched Borgo del Tiglio. When Nicola Manferrari took over the property in 1981, he decided to bottle this old Friulano vineyard separately at a time when Friulano/Tocai was still largely treated as an everyday regional white.

The vineyard is a steep, terraced hillside in Brazzano, planted on Collio’s classic Flysch di Cormòns—alternating layers of marl and sandstone commonly called Ponca. Importantly, the site was originally cleared and worked by hand, leaving the underlying geological strata largely intact. Those layers provide excellent drainage while maintaining access to water during dry periods. The combination of old vines, steep terraces, massal-selection plant material and Ponca is a huge part of why this wine has considerably more concentration and longevity than most Friulano.