Tunella Friuli Colli Orientali Pinot Nero 2023

Friuli's Colli Orientali is one of those border regions where the conventional Italian script gets thrown out — and Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) has a quiet but real history here. Tunella's version comes from the Zorzettig family's vineyards on ponca, the marl-and-sandstone soils that give Friuli whites their saline tension and lend Pinot a surprising lift. The wine is medium-bodied, perfumed, and fresh — closer in spirit to a cool-climate Alpine Pinot than anything from further south. A great food wine, and a quietly interesting bottle.