Preparations for the fourth auction of the wines of friendship and peace are in full swing

The new chapter of the beneficiary auction of selected wines of the Gorizia county will take place in October. Will this chapter reach new heights after the record-breaking 3rd edition, which accumulated more than 95.000 Euros?

The princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca

The County spanned along the Soča (Isonzo) river, between Slovenia and Italy. It stretched from the Julian Alps down to the Gulf of Trieste, encompassing the Vipava Valley, Goriška Brda, Collio, part of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and extending up to Aquileia. Bordering it to the North was Corinthia, Venetia dominated the western Friulian plain and the Free City of Trieste to the south.

It had already existed as an autonomous state within the Holy Roman Empire since around 1117 and was elevated to a principality in 1365. In 1500, the Habsburgs inherited the territory. After the death of the Counts of Gorizia, Emperor Ferdinand III separated the small county of Gradisca for the Eggenberg family in 1647. Finally, on March 4, 1754, Gorizia and Gradisca were reunited, forming the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca.

Winemaking has been present in the County even before Roman times. Ancient Greek writers mentioned a local wine named Adriano. In the 6th century, statesman Flavius Cassiodorus wrote that Veneto, Gorizia and Istria were “relatively well blessed” with vines and fruit orchards. The star of the region, Ribolla Gialla, which was cultivated in the provinces of Gorizia and Udine, may correspond to the “Avola” of the Romans; some even believe that the famous Roman wine, Pucinum, was made from Ribolla. Wines from Ribolla were regularly presented to Venetian officials in the 13th century, and by the 15th century, wines from the region were among the most sought-after across northern Europe.

The 1787 classification

It was the 17th of March in 1787 that the Commission Caesarea Regia Superiore for the regulation of contributions issued a circular upon orders of Empress Queen Maria Theresia. The “Classificazione dei vini prodotti nella Contea di Gorizia e Gradisca in riguardo alla loro bonta (Classification of wines produced in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca in regards to their goodness)”. The decree was written in Italian, not in the Empress’s native German language or the court language, French. Many regard this document as the earliest known official Cru classification, predating the Bordeaux’s 1855 classification by almost 70 years.

It was designed as a nine-tier system based solely on the quality of wines (or, as referred to in the decree, “goodness”), ranking approximately 200 villages. The first class contained the most celebrated Crus, while subsequent classes encompassed those of gradually lower quality. The villages listed are located in today’s Brda, Kras, Vipava Valley, as well as in Collio, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Isonzo, Carso and Aquileia.

Interestingly enough, the classification reflects the geology of the hills. Villages in the first and second classes are located on slopes composed of marl-sandstone (Ponca or Opoka), while lower-classified villages are situated on heavier, alluvial soils.

This classification not only predates the famed Bordeaux 1855 but also demonstrates an intent to regulate wine quality long before others in Europe. Plus, this classification served as the basis for taxing wines and for promoting the county’s finest wines to courts and merchants.

The 1787 Classification (foto: Contea wine)

The revival

The classification was long forgotten until Stefano Cosma (publicist and historian) rediscovered it at Villa Russiz.

Villa Russiz is one of the most essential locations for Collio’s 19th-century wine revival. In 1868, Count Theodor de La Tour en Voivre – a French nobleman, agronomist and winemaker- married Elvine Ritter de Zahony – the daughter of Baron Julius Hektor Ritter de Zahony from Gorizia. Her dowry included the Russiz estate in Capriva del Friuli, and it was here that the couple built Villa Russiz.

Count La Tour quickly recognised the Ponca soil and gentle hills as ideal for producing quality wines with varieties from his homeland. He’s credited as an early pioneer who introduced French grape varieties to the County of Gorizia and Gradisca. He brought Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot noir and Merlot to the County, and at an agricultural fair in 1888, he presented wines labelled Riesling, Traminer, Franconia, Burgundy red, Bordeaux red and Carmenet (Cabernet).

Stefano introduced the classification to Viscount Charles-Louis de Noüe, a descendant of the famed Burgundian family Leflaive, and winemaker Alis Marinič. Together with other like-minded winemakers, they founded the Empress-Queen Maria Theresa Cru Classification’s Knight Association.

The charity auction

The association unites like-minded winemakers, who each year donate 300 bottles of wine. They have to follow specific rules that include vinification, bottling, labelling, etc..

Tejca, Vedrignano II Cru Classificazione

The wine is made with grapes coming from a single Cru that is included in the County Classification.
It has to be produced from a single variety (100 %), and a single barrel. The only allowed grapes are: Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Friulano (Sauvignon Vert, Jakot,), Malvasia Istriana, Pinot noir, Refosco and Merlot.
The vineyards and wine production must follow organic or biodynamic methods, and the maximum yield allowed is 60hl/Ha.
The wine must age 12 months in the barrel and 6 months in vats.
The wine is coming from a single vineyard, and the plot belongs to one of the villages included in the Classification.
The wine will be bottled in 300 Burgundy bottles, and they will all be donated to the auction.
The name of the Cru and the Italian name of the village are written on the label.

All of the bottles are dedicated to the auction, which takes place towards the end of October. The proceeds are used for the restoration works of the Franciscan monastery of Castagnevizza – Kostanjevica. This is where the last Bourbon king of France, Charles X, and the Count of Chambord are buried with other members of the French royal family.

In three years, the auction attracted auctioneers from all over the World. Last year, the auction gained the patronage of the spouse of the President of Slovenia – Dr. Aleš Musar, who arranged the presentation of the wines prior to the auction at Dorotheum in Vienna.

Preparations are in full swing

The fourth edition is scheduled to take place at the end of October this year, and preparations have already begun. I’m honoured to be part of the Knight Association, and we already had a tasting of the wines that will be auctioned.

Stefano Cosma, Charles-Louis de Noüe and I met at Villa Russiz to assess the quality of the wines and examine their full organoleptic properties. All wines expressed excellent purity, presenting fully the expression of the Cru and its terroir.

Anticipations for this edition surely are high, and hopefully, we will surpass last year’s record.

The wineries that will participate this year are:

You can find more info about the auction here.<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>