With 13% alcohol, the 2002 Ronco Cucco Tocai Friulano from Collio scored 16+ Dionysian points on a possible 20 point-scale. It cost around $16.
Italy can no longer use the word “Tocai” since Hungry join the EU; they had claims to it first. The Italian white was balanced with strong mineral notes over citrus. It had a long clean aftertaste. The wines comes from Tenuta Villanova and is the perfect food wine. The Friulano grape always makes dry white wines to go with veggies, light meats, seafood and game birds.
Al newer versions of this wine are labeled as Friulano and no longer use the term, Tocai.
They had their 500th anniversary in 1999, since 1499, and the area knows how to make wine for meals. This bottle proves that high acid, dry lower alcohol whites can be aged and as the wine mellows, it gains more complex aromas and tastes. Frank Aquilino, President of the American Wine Society and a long-time Dionysian member, taught me to love this grape decades ago. Get some; age some. In vino veritas.
Brown Rice capped with a fennel flower, stewed chicken fricassee with mushrooms and onions with edamame.
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