Nero Magis
Friuli, Italy
Friuli’s Colli Orientali DOC zone embodies the region’s wine history. Many native grape varieties still grow in local vineyards, including the noblest of all, Pignolo. This is why Nero Magis chose this area for a wine project that has the ambition to be unique and universal.
The vines are planted on the hills of Orsaria, in the municipality of Premariacco, with the course of the Natisone as their boundary. They command a magnificent view of the Colli Orientali, where the church of Orsaria rises above the horizon, and, eastwards in the distance, the hill of Rosazzo
Turning slightly westwards, we see the massive outline of Cividale cathedral and, one after another, the vineyard-covered hills lead our gaze as far as Ramandolo. The secret behind these wines is in the land. Here, they reap the benefits of a unique microclimate between the sea (only about twenty kilometres away) and the snowy Alps, which form a spectacular backdrop.
Great wines are very often made where beauty is an integral part of the land: unique and, therefore, universal.
Nero Magis Wines
Magis Friuli Colli Orientali Nero 2015
The 2015 Neromagis Rosso is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Pignolo, which spends twenty-four months maturing in a combination of new and second-pass barrique. The bouquet is lifted, feminine and truly gorgeous, where I’m finding crushed raspberry and plum sauce accented by spiced orange, tobacco leaf, dark chocolate and sweet roses. It’s silky and smooth at first, but it quickly reveals its youthful structure. Notes of tart black cherry, clove, cacao saturate under an air of dark inner florals, maintaining energy through zesty acids, even as grippy tannins take hold and clench the senses. The 2015 is in need of a few years to come together, but the balance here is wonderfully on point.
Magis Friuli Colli Orientali Bianco 2019
Aromas of chamomile, waxed lemon, dried pineapple and cedar. It’s full-bodied with crisp acidity and a focused palate. Lots going on here, with layers of dried fruit and spices. Rich, flavorful finish.
Bianco Magis stems from the desire to give white wine from Friuli Venezia Giulia a new interpretation, seeking greater complexity not only through careful selection in the vineyard, but also by giving it time to mature completely. In keeping with the Magis philosophy – to be unique and universal – we have combined Friulano, indigenous to and representative of the Region, with Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, which are international in style. This long-living wine maintains its elegance and freshness, its firm backbone and long aromatic persistence. The 2019 harvest is the first.