In the small, rural winegrowing village of Isonzo in the southern plains of Friuli, about 12 miles from the Adriatic coast, Gianfranco Gallo makes some of the most unique, ageworthy and delicious white wines of Italy at his Vie di Romans estate.

The Gallo family has been tending vines in this area for centuries, but it was not until Gianfranco took over the reins in 1978 that they began the journey to the world-class estate that it is today. During the 80s and 90s the wines of Friuli started to gain significant international recognition, but most of the famous growers were located in higher elevation areas farther north. In contrast, Isonzo sits at just 31 meters above sea level. Despite the low lying elevation, the glacial soils and the cooling influence of alpine and sea breeze gives the perfect climatic conditions for making ripe, detailed, tension-filled wines.

From the jump, Gianfranco began to farm organically and with a focus on achieving optimum ripeness. In the cellar, he is all about preserving the unique character of his terroir and not masking the fruit or minerality with too much wood or any other manipulation. Vie di Romans is perhaps most famous for their long-lived bottlings of Sauvingon Blanc, but they also honor this historical diversity of the region with Friulano, Malvasia Istriana and Riesling among others. Across the range, the wines are beautifully aromatic with great mineral drive and length.

Gallo is a grower who truly believes that with age his wines reveal their finest expression and he is famous for opening old bottle after old bottle for wine lovers lucky enough to get an appointment to visit the estate. We’ve tasted our fair share of these with significant age and can report that they definitely deliver the magic. 

Vie di Romans Flors di Uis 2021 $45.99
"The 2021 Flors di Uis is as lively and vibrant as a perfect spring day with nuances of freshly squeezed lemons, wildflowers, wet stone and ground ginger. There’s a burst of inner sweetness up front, yet this is focused on purity, as mineral and floral perfumes complicate its notes of tropical green melon. Lifted and racy in style, this finishes with a salty flourish and lime zest notes that slowly taper off, revealing an utterly crisp finale. The Flors di Uis is a total charmer, a blend of 57% Malvasia, 35% Rhine Riesling and 8% Friulano. 93pts" - Eric Guido, Vinous

Vie di Romans Sauvignon Blanc Piere 2021 $49.99
"The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Piere is a spice bomb, holding my attention firm with a blast of ground ginger, cardamom, flint stone and curry before arriving at dried nectarines. It’s luxuriously silky yet lifted in style, with cooling minerality and acidity that motivates its floral-laced green citrus and melon tones. For all of its intensity, the 2021 finishes crisp and with a classically dry feel, as savory herbal tones resonate on. There is so much pleasure in this upfront, fruit-focused, yet truly seductive Sauvignon. 92pts" - Eric Guido, Vinous

Vie di Romans Friulano Dolee 2021 $49.99
"The 2021 Friulano Dolée is exotically spiced and vibrant in the glass, with an intense burst of lemon meringue complemented by sweet mint and crystallized ginger. Silky and supple on the palate, this boasts ultra-ripe citrus and orchard fruits balanced by stimulating acidity. This finishes with outstanding length and is spicy with lingering tropical melon notes. While the 2021 comes across as sweet, it’s just a trick of the acidity and fruit, as this finished at only 1.2 grams of residual sugar. 92pts" - Eric Guido, Vinous