I found the 2006 Pinot Grigio to be extremely elegant, poised and refined, with plenty of perfumed, sweet fruit, excellent concentration and terrific style. This reference-point wine is as good as Pinot Grigio gets. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2010. Villa Russiz is a unique property in that it is run as a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of needy children. Oenologist Gianni Menotti is one of the leading lights of the Friulian wine scene. His considerable skills are on display in this terrific set of releases which are among the most consistently outstanding wines I tasted from Friuli this year. The estate releases a set of entry-level wines plus its higher-end “de La Tour” bottlings which bear the name of the original owner of the estate, French Count Theodore de La Tour. Menotti told me he was very happy with the 2006 vintage because it gave him the perfect conditions to make the wines he likes most; fat, ripe wines with plenty of structure yet balanced by freshness and aromatic complexity. After undergoing fermentation in stainless steel, the whites are left on the lees until the Spring after the harvest which gives the wines their open textures. With the exception of the Chardonnay de La Tour (partly aged in oak), Menotti prefers that his whites not undergo malolactic fermentation in order to maintain as much freshness as possible.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

Villa Russiz’s Collio Pinot Grigio offers good density and depth with aromas of mature peach, honey and melon. You could pair this wine with seafood or white meat thanks to its firm feel and persistency.——M.L.(3/1/2009)—— 86