Tenuta di Monastero di Aquileia

With more than one hundred and seventy years of activity, Tenuta di Monastero di Aquileia today spans one hundred and thirty hectares, sixty of which are planted to vine — located just a few kilometres from the Carnic Alps and a stone's throw from the sea. The clay soils of alluvial origin, rich in mineral salts and caressed in winter by the bora winds off the Trieste Karst and in summer by the salt-laden breeze from the Grado lagoon, form an ideal terroir for grape growing — lending the wines their inimitable character.

The approach to working the vine attends to the details of every plot, accounting for widely varying soil profiles in order to achieve exceptional grape ripeness and wines of great elegance with intense aromas. This is viticulture on a serious scale — one hundred and thirty hectares managed with the precision of a boutique producer.

ELVINE is the estate's single-varietal Chardonnay — straw yellow. Floral notes give way to white peach and Golden Delicious apple, with bread crust and vanilla in the finish. Round and soft on the palate, well balanced, with aromas reminiscent of exotic fruit. Time in barrique lends a velvety, rich texture. Paired with fish dishes and white meats, especially sauce-based preparations, shellfish, and veloutés.

EDDA is the estate's most exclusive wine — 100% Hungarian Pálava, from a variety grown in honour of family tradition and historic holdings in Hungary. Crystalline yellow with an intense bouquet of lime and apricot with classic notes of white field flowers. Intense, clean, mineral, and savoury on the palate, with excellent balance between acidity and freshness.

HEKTOR CARMENERE is a fragrant red from Carménère grapes (part of the Cabernet Sauvignon family) — deep ruby red, opening immediately with notes of underbrush, red fruit, and musk, with a sensory balance between primary red-fruit aromas and tertiary notes where pepper dominates in harmony with vanilla. Aged cheeses, hearty red meats, truffle dishes.

THEODOR is the estate's Pinot Noir cru from the Vigna del Bosco vineyard — ruby red with typical red-fruit notes of raspberry, hints of violet and black pepper. Full, complex, and satisfying on the palate.

MANFREDO is the estate's Merlot (Friuli Aquileia DOC) — garnet red, dominated by aromatic notes of sour cherry and wild berries, with red fruit, currant, and elegant silky tannins. PRINZÌPI is the estate's sparkling wine — compact, varied, and bodied, with floral and fruity scents and a persistent finish reminding of soft almond. VICUS is the estate's white expression of a new and unexplored terroir — golden yellow with amber reflections. Available through UniqueWines.