2022 Quealy Turbul Friulano, Mornington Peninsula

Unsurprisingly, Friulano is a variety most closely associated with the Friuli region of northeast Italy. The variety was known as Tocai Friulano until 2007 when, after decades of protest from Hungary’s Tokaj region, the EU decreed that Tocai be dropped from the labels. Several producers, including Radikon, have used the term ‘jakot’ (Tokaj backwards) on their Friulano labels as a cheeky protest. Plantings are prevalent in neighbouring Slovenia, but the variety is scarce outside these regions. Friulano buds late and ripens early and, as with the other varieties, has vigorous tendencies requiring strict management in the vineyard to keep yields in check. Unlike the others, Friulano has comparatively thin skin, though it lends itself well to on-skin maturation and extended aging.
 
The variety behind some of northeast Italy’s most exciting whites Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano) landed in Australia in the 1970s. Quealy sourced its cuttings from the Mildura vineyard of Slovenian émigré Denis Pasut, grafting over a block of 1996 Chardonnay at the family’s Balnarring vineyard as early as 2003. Above all, quality Friulano needs two things: low yields and lots of attention. “Friulano is a bugger to work with, but well worth the effort,” as Tom McCarthy eloquently puts it.

Inspired by his father’s skinsy 2008 Claudius (under the T’Gallant label) and his time in northern Italy, Tom McCarthy’s Turbul is a careful selection of the estate’s ripest Friulano spontaneously fermented on skins in 800-litre terracotta amphorae. From a low-cropping year of incredible quality, 2022 Turbul Friulano spent 103 days on skins without added SO2 and with daily stirring. The juice and skins were basket-pressed before being racked to primarily used puncheons (20% new) for a further 12 months of maturation. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered, with just a tiny amount of sulphur.

The most brightly coloured of the range―a vivid, deep yellow—translates to the palate where snappy citrus flavours are balanced by savoury salinity, weighty, leesy depth and a full, fleshy, powerful core. The texture is tight, driven by acid and precise, delightfully chewy phenolics. Great delivery and a touch of white pepper on the close. Great stuff.