Not long ago, we did a tasting with Eugenio Collavini from Friuli, led by Luigi Collavini. Six wines, including their sparkling Il Grigio, their Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Schioppettino (the only red), and finally, their flagship, the Broy.
The Broy is classified as a Collio Bianco, which was allowed in the Collio region beginning in the late 1980s. These wines can be a blend of any of 10 white grapes from the Collio region, with up to 2 others allowed in small quantities.
Collio DOC in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
The Broy is meant to be “a postcard from Friuli.” This is not about winemaking; this is a picture of the land and vineyards in a bottle.
Where are we?
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the region furthest North and East in Italy. It is bordered by Slovenia to the East, Austria to the North, Italy’s Veneto to the West, and the Adriatic Sea to the South.
The Collio region sits on the border of Slovenia—curves around it, actually, south of Prepotto. The area is hilly and rolling, and looks north to the Julian Alps and south to the Adriatic. With the Alps providing cold winds and the Sea bringing warm air, the region enjoys a rare microclimate.
Eugenio Collavini Broy
This wine is typically 50% Friulano, 30% Chardonnay, and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.
They chose to lead with the local grape Friulano. Chardonnay adds backbone and strength, and as Luigi Collavini says, “nobility.” The Sauvignon Blanc adds tropical fruit and floral notes. “Sauvignon blanc gives color to the picture,” Luigi says.
I mentioned tasting this wine among 5 other wines from the vineyard. All the wines were delicious, but this was a standout (read about that here). Michael and I were both impressed.
Luckily, Studio Cru reached out with another opportunity to taste a vertical of Broy wines with Luigi.
The Vertical
This vertical included vintages from 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2013, and 2011.
Poured into their glasses, the progression is visibly noticeable, the older wines darker and richer in color.
Luigi walked us through the evolution of this wine, which they first made in 2003. This was intended to fit into the Collio Bianco wine category. They started the blend in the same way they do today, with 50% Friulano, 30% Chardonnay, and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Luigi says this was created to be “a wine with balls, to compete with the most important white wines in Italy.”
It began as a wine with power. From 2003 to 2008, it underwent malolactic fermentation and was barrel-aged, resulting in bold, buttery notes.
From 2008 to 2018, they adapted, incorporating less winery influence and more vineyard character. This was to be less overtly structured, more pure, minimizing the touch of the winemaker. It would be a wine that focused on terroir, “A postcard from Collio.”
In 2018, they reintroduced a small amount of barrel aging, having found a suitable cooper and a French Burgundian barrel producer. They added structure, elegance, and balance through the wood aging. The labels and bottles changed here as well.
We began our tasting with the youngest of the Broys and worked our way into the richer, aged wines. You can see the difference in color. These are lined up with the 2011, the deepest in color on the left, running to the 2022 which is the lightest on the right.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2022
This vintage had very little rain. From February to September, they received 21% less of their expected average rainfall, and temperatures were above average. Harvest came early in mid-August, just after Ferragosto*.
*This holiday is August 15th and was established by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC. The “Feriae Augusti” or “Augustus Holidays” were to celebrate the harvest at the end of summer. His own version of “Labor Day.”
The stats: 13.78% abv (alcohol by volume), 5.22 g/l acidity, .53 g/l sugar.
My notes:
Rich notes of Meyer lemon and a touch of lanolin. Tart green apple, subtle white flowers. The texture was mouth-coating with a bit of heat.
Bold with cooked fruit, concentrated seawater, warm tropical fruit, tart, not sweet. On the palate, lemon with bits of pith.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2021
The critics highly respected this vintage.
The season was typical, with spring being a bit colder than usual. To the west of them in the Veneto, they battled spring frost, but this did not affect the Collio.
Harvest was later than other recent harvests, beginning on September 2nd.
The stats: 13.91% abv, 5.45 g/l acidity, .7 g/l sugar
My notes:
Floral notes, a little waxy. I noted this was less open in its aromatics than the 2022. There were soft lemon notes on the palate, accompanied by a bit more acidity and notes of salinity.
More dynamic and lively on the nose when it opened up, bursting with florals and yellow fruit. These are heavier florals, not dainty, those late spring into summer flowers, with humidity, leaning into tropical flowers.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2018
In the glass this wine is deeper in color, due to the aging.
Adapting to the Changing Climate
As Luigi started speaking about this vintage, he reflected on his memories of past winters. As a child, the vineyards were always covered in frost. Now it occurs only once or twice a year. Spring now barrels into summer with temperatures going from 20 degrees C to 35 degrees C in just 10 days.
Then summer stretches right into autumn. As the climate changes, they strive to produce the same high-quality wine. This means changes in the vineyard. In the past, they would thin the leaves to help the grapes ripen. Now they leave the canopy to shade the grapes and manage the heat.
Maturation is rapid during the harvest season, and they typically pick early in the day. They pick and press in smaller batches, giving them more control over blending grapes of different maturation levels, due to differences in aspect and ripeness.
2018 was the turning point. They added back the wood aging. This was also the first year for the heavier bottles.
The stats: 13.99% abv, 5.34 g/l acidity, .8 g/l sugar
My notes
This wine had warm, savory notes that reminded me a bit of apple cider. The color was deeper, and brassier, with richer acidity. There is an intensity and notes of sapidity.
There were notes of Apricot and Asian pear. It was airier on the finish, longer, and brighter. It had good acidity with a roundness. I love the way it lingered lightly in my mouth.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2017
In 2017, everything was warmer than average. Budbreak was 10 days earlier than usual. A late frost on April 21st took out 20% of their fruit. The summer was hot, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees C, but it did experience 10-15 days of rain, which prevented water stress on the vines. August was cold, slowing maturation and causing a late harvest.
To add more body to the wine, they did a late harvest and dried the grapes in the Fruttaio*
*A Fruttaio is a drying room for grapes, where they are laid out on shelves or racks in single layers. The grapes slowly dry, concentrating the sugars and flavors. Learn more about Fruttaios here https://www.crushedgrapechronicles.com/la-perla-di-marco-triacca-efficiency-innovation-and-legacy-in-valtellina/
The stats: 13.51% abv, 5.82 g/l acidity, .7 g/l sugar
My notes:
This was my favorite when we tasted through the vertical.
There were notes of caramel and honey, with a tart baked apple finish. It was warm, rich, and comforting. This wine had more viscosity and a slight sweet note.
As it opened, you could sense the work of the Fruittaio. There were layers of spices and dried fruits, including dried apricots and sultanas, as well as cooked stone fruit.
On the palate, notes of dried and tropical fruits, such as papaya and pineapple, were present.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2013
Now we dive back a few years. 2013 had a cold and rainy March, with average temperatures persisting through May. Then temperatures dropped, and they had heavy rainfall. The summer started hot and finished with cooler-than-average temperatures. Harvest was wetter than usual. As Luigi put it, “Not the harvest of the century.”
This harvest was late and down by 40% due to the spring weather. While there were fewer grapes, the concentration was good.
Stats: 13.49% abv, 5.33 g/l acidity, .5 g/l sugar
My notes:
This wine was rich in floral notes and reminiscent of apple juice. The finish was savory.
As it opened, notes of sweet, dried fruits (pineapple and sultanas) were present, along with more caramel and nutty notes. It was clean on the palate with a lingering tartness.
Eugenio Collavini Broy Bianco DOC Collio 2011
2011 was a fairly normal year, weather-wise.
Stats: 13.37% abv, 6.15 g/l acidity, .9 g/l sugar
My notes:
Golden, yellow, and Bright! There was more acidity here, tart with slight bitter notes of citrus pith. The finish has a bit of salinity. There were notes of apple and pear juice with a bit of lanolin and lemon peel.
As it opened, it was deeper and tarter with oxidative notes. This was all fruit richness. Peach and apricot notes, with hints of brown sugar.
It was fresher than I expected on the palate and then settles into a long finish that is rich and tart.
Corks for the Broy
They are specific about their corks for this wine, using 100% Diam* closures, to allow the wine to age properly. Natural cork allows the wine to age too quickly. Luigi mentioned that the Diam closures provide a slight reduction, so he suggests allowing it to open and breathe, as you would with a red wine.
*Diam Bouchage is a French manufacturer of wine closures made from micro-aglomerated cork. There are various levels to allow more or less oxygenation to the wine in the bottle as it ages.
On to the pairings
I wanted to lean into the region with the pairings, and we settled on a version of Frico Friulano and a seafood pasta in cream sauce.
Frico Friulano
This is the signature Frico of the region, typically made with Matasio cheese. Sadly, I was unable to find this cheese, so I substituted Parmigiano Reggiano, Grano Padano, and a bit of Elemental that I had on hand.
But the dish is more than cheese. Not much more, mind you… It calls for a grated potato and ½ of an onion, sliced. I diced the onion small. Michael will eat onion if he doesn’t see it. This is essentially a hash brown patty that is primarily cheese. Mine was crispy with a bit of softness in the center. Mostly because I used harder cheeses, you could use a softer cheese, such as fontina, mixed with the harder cheese for an ooey-gooey, melty center.
In the region, these potato cheese cakes are a farmer’s breakfast, topped with a fried egg. We added a greens salad on the side to pretend we were being a bit healthy.
Lobster and Shrimp Fettuccini in a Cream Sauce
The richness of the wine seemed to cry for a rich, creamy dish. With the Adriatic so close, I chose a seafood pasta dish. The recipe called for lobster, but lobster tails are pricey. So I bought a small lobster tail and then supplemented it with shrimp.
This is a dish to enjoy immediately. Warmed up the day after, it is good, but much different as the reheating breaks down the cream sauce.
Michael made homemade fettuccini for this while I made the sauce. We topped it with fresh tarragon to bring out the notes from the wine.
Changing the bottles – a side note on marketing vs. sustainability
One of the first things I noticed when I opened the box with this sample shipment was that the more recent vintages came in huge, heavy bottles with deep punts. These bottles are big and showy, and heavy for shipping. In the modern wine world, people are leaning away from these types of bottles as they are expensive, use a lot of glass, and increase the weight (and thus the energy needed) for shipping. They are not environmentally friendly.
I asked Luigi about this. He told me that their Chinese clients wanted the big, heavy bottles. The bottles indicated status to them.
They plan to produce the Broy in this bottle exclusively for their Chinese clients in subsequent vintages and switch to a much lighter-weight bottle for other clients. Luckily, most of the world has embraced sustainable packaging. I was glad to hear they were moving in this direction.
Frico with an egg
This dish, inspired by Frico Friulano, is perfect to pair with a fresh green salad and a Collio Bianco wine from Friuli! A simple potato, onion, and (quite honestly, mostly) cheese fried patty, topped with an egg, is a typical farmer's breakfast for the region.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb finely grated medium to hard cheese
- 1 potato grated (1/2 lb)
- 1 small onion sliced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet.
- Add your sliced onions and cook for a minute to soften them.
- Add the potato, toss with the onion, and season with salt & pepper.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes, tossing in the skillet, until they are lightly browned.
- Add the cheese, combining it with the potato mixture.
- Scrape the mixture into the middle of the skillet, flattening it into a large patty.
- Lower the heat and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
- Make sure the patty is loose from the pan (you can give the skillet a shake to set it free). Place a large plate over the pan and flip the patty out. Then slide it back in the skillet to cook the other side.
- Give it another 5 minutes to cook, melt, and brown.
- While that is finishing, set up another pan with 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil to warm.
- Fry your 4 eggs sunny side up.
- When it is done, slide the Frico onto a cutting board and cut into quarters.
- Top each with a fried egg and serve, ideally accompanied by a side salad and vinaigrette.
Notes
To make this a truly Friulian dish, find some Montasio cheese from the region! Ideally, you want a blend of dry and medium cheese to give you a mix of flavors and some gooey cheesiness. 1 used 1/3 Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/3 Grano Padano e 1/3 Emmentaler. As a result, mine was a bit drier and crispier, but nonetheless delicious.
Lobster and Shrimp Fettucini in cream sauce
Perfect pasta for a mix of lobster, shrimp, and/or crab! This creamy sauce is rich and delicious, pairing well with Collio Bianco wines from Friuli.
Ingredients
- 1 small lobster tail
- 1/2 lb of peeled and deveined shrimp
- 3 cups of heavy cream
- 2 stalks of celery finely diced
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh tarragon + additional for garnish
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 4 cloves of garlic grated
- black pepper
- salt
- 14 oz of fresh fettucini
- 1/2 cup of pasta water
- 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano + additional for garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest + additional for garnish
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Cook your lobster tail in boiling water for 3-6 minutes (depending on the size)
- Let it cool, pull it out of its shell, and chop it into medium to small pieces. (This is to add richness to the flavor)
- Cook your shrimp in the same water for 2 minutes or until they turn pink. Remove them to an ice bath to prevent overcooking.
- Now start your sauce. In a large saute pan, add 3 tbsp of unsalted butter. Add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes until they have softened.
- Add the grated garlic and stir in until fragrant (30 sec to 1 minute)
- Stir in the celery and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in the chopped tarragon, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cream and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer and thicken for about 15 minutes.
- Pour this into a blender and let it cool slightly. Then blend until smooth, and pour the mixture back into the pan through a sieve.
- Add the lobster and shrimp and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes over low heat to warm the shrimp and infuse the flavor into the cream.
- Remove from the heat and add the Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon juice, and zest. Taste and season again.
- Add the cooked pasta and mix.
- Add 1 tbsp of butter and a bit of pasta water to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency.
- Top with fresh, cracked black pepper, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon zest, and fresh tarragon.
Notes
Use whatever mix of shrimp, lobster, and shrimp you like. You can even use chicken thighs in this recipe!
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 782Total Fat 58gSaturated Fat 35gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 341mgSodium 1259mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 2gSugar 5gProtein 34g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Want to learn more about Collavini or the Italian Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia?
- White wines of the Collio from Collavini with Poppy Seed Gnocchi and Radicchio
- Ribolla Gialla from the Lord of Ribolla Gialla
- Schioppettino with Cambozola Pumpkin Polenta Pulled Pork and Sauteéd Greens
- Celebrating Pinot Grigio from Northeast Italy with Halibut on a Pea Puree
- Vigna Petrussa and a glimpse at Friuli Colli Orientali
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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