Borgo del Tiglio

History

Borgo del Tiglio was founded by Nicola Manferrari, a physician by training who turned to winemaking on the Collio hills near Brazzano di Cormons in the early 1980s. The estate takes its name from the linden tree (tiglio) that stands on the property. Manferrari built his reputation quietly, producing wines that were structurally serious and age-worthy at a time when much of Friuli was chasing aromatic freshness above all else. The estate has remained small and family-run, with Manferrari's son Italo increasingly involved in recent vintages, as reflected in the Malvasia Italo and Bruno bottling, which acknowledges both generations by name. There have been no significant ownership changes or external investment; the project has evolved on its own terms over four decades.

Vineyards

The vineyards sit in the Collio Goriziano, the narrow strip of hills running along the Slovenian border in Frizia Venezia Giulia. The soils are predominantly ponca, the compressed marl and sandstone that defines the zone and gives its wines a characteristic mineral austerity. Borgo del Tiglio's key sites include Ronco della Chiesa, a named parcel adjacent to an old church, and plots planted to Tocai Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. Vine age across the estate is generally high, which contributes to the concentration and textural weight in the wines. Specific farming certifications are not publicly documented, though the estate is known for careful, low-intervention viticulture consistent with the small-production model.

Winemaking

Manferrari's cellar approach is defined by restraint and longevity rather than immediate aromatics. Fermentations are typically carried out in oak barrique, and the wines spend extended time on their lees before bottling. The use of new wood is measured; the goal is integration rather than oak flavor, and older vintages show that the framework holds well over time. Studio di Bianco is the estate's flagship blend, a Tocai Friulano-based white that undergoes barrel fermentation and extended aging and is considered among the most serious white wines produced in northeastern Italy. Ronco della Chiesa, drawn from the estate's oldest Tocai Friulano vines, follows a similar cellar regimen. The Sauvignon bottlings, including a Dark Label tier introduced for select vintages, are vinified with the same barrel-aging approach rather than the reductive, aromatic style common elsewhere. Filtration is minimal. The wines are not designed for early drinking, and Manferrari has long argued that they need several years in bottle to resolve and show their range.