The 2006 Tocai Friulano offers plenty of focused, linear fruit with excellent length and a clean, refreshing finish. It is very representative of both varietal and terroir. 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

The 2002 Tocai, with a refreshing nose of citric fruit and almonds, does not have the sweetness of warm vintages such as 2000 and 2001, but the vigor and crispness of the flavors are a partial compensation.