Wine: Jermann: Were Dreams IGT

Friuli

This most Northeastern region of Italy bordering Austria and Slovenia has a blend of cultures that date back to the rule by the Austro-Hungarian Empire before WWI. Germanic and Slavic influences continue through today in a region internationally considered one of the best for white wine. Friuli is well known for setting very high standards for quality and on average yields just 3.5 tons per acre—some of the lowest found in Italy. All of the vineyards are found in the southern part of the zone surrounded to the North by the Alps. A temperate microclimate results from air currents between the shelter of the mountains and the Adriatic Sea. However, there are 2 DOC zones considered exceptional to all others: Collio (Goriziano) and Collio Orientali. Most of the wines made are single varietal in nature, with all Collio wines required to be 100% of the named grape. Traditionally, it was thought the wines would not gain any benefit from wood aging and blending. But there have been a growing number of exceptions, as producers have recognized that the depth and complexity of wines already recognized to be quite rich and full bodied could be enhanced further with malolactic fermentation, oak aging and or blending. White wine is of such importance in Collio that only 1/5 of the wine produced is red. Friuli produces wines from widely recognized varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet and Pinot Noir. However, there are also a number of lesser known varieties that provide wonderful alternatives-Tocai Friulano, Traminer Aromatico, Riesling, Ribolla Gialla, and Picolit for white, and Refosco, Pignolo, Schioppettino and Tazzelenghe for red. It should be noted that, while Friuli is well know for white wines, they account for just a little over half of the entire region’s production. Red wines, which have not been recognized on the nternational market, have now begun to create a stir in recent years as wineries traditionally awarded Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri for white wines are now receiving the top honor for the reds.

Jermann

It is no exaggeration to say that Silvio Jermann has made Italian wine history. This is particularly true of his whites, spearheaded by such cult items as Vintage Tunina and Dreams.
Heir to a traditional Friulian winery dating back to 1881, Silvio graduated from two renowned wine academies, Conegliano and Istituto di San Michele. His first professional decision was taking an in-depth sabbatical overseas: this voluntary exile to Canada broadened his scope, allowing him a freedom of research that would have been unthinkable at home.
Once back at the family winery, Silvio overcame his father’s resistance and inaugurated a new era not only for Jermann but for white vinification in Italy. Since then, the Jermann wines have never ceased to awe and amaze with their purity and depth of flavor, richness in mineral extract, elegance, balance and longevity.
Today, the range comprises three delightful reds and total acreage is 272, 198 acres of which under vine. Silvio personally monitors each of the numerous tiny vineyards… One of the reasons he is seldom seen even at major wine events: it’s almost impossible to tear him away from the quintessential event in winemaking. Winemaking itself.
The estate has seen impressive development starting with its 110th anniversary, 1991, when Silvio purchased vineyards in Ruttaris, the heart of Collio (next to Capo Martino). That same year saw the launch of Capo Martino in Ruttaris (originally called Piccolo Sogno), an extraordinary alchemy of old-vine Friulian whites (oak-fermented, oak-aged blend of dried Ribolla Gialla, Tocai, Pinot Bianco, Malvasia, Picolit etc., in varying combinations).
In September 2002, the foundation stone for the new Jermann cantina was laid. On this occasion, Silvio Jermann pronounced a speech worth quoting: “This is surely the most important program in our family history. It goes hand-in-hand with a 19th-century respect for the terrain’s natural slopes and cultivation levels; the new winery and cellars are built like a rural village from the 1700s or 1800s, entirely in natural, local material such as stone and solid wood. We shall use barrels in various sizes, and historical native varieties that have grown in the area for centuries. I want the wines to be genuine. I want them to be balanced and elegant but above all, they should move us, prompt our emotions and a sense of authenticity.”

Barrique-fermented Chardonnay, aged in barrique approximately 11 months. Cellar life of 8-10 years.
IN-DEPTH INFO:
The name and the story of this wine are rather curious: it was first dedicated to… a rock album, U2’s The Joshua Tree (1987) and one song in particular, called “Where the Streets Have No Name” – hence the original label, “Where the Dreams have no end…”.
The first vintage, needless to say, was 1987. Since then, the name of the wine saw a few variations. The initial phase lasted nine years: each year, the capsule changed color, alternating the nine colors on the label. It started with white, then went counterclockwise through the seven colors of the rainbow, ending with black. Also depicted on the label are the four principal lunar phases.
In 1996, the name became “Were Dreams, now it is just wine!” and capsule color was blue, with a stylized drawing of the Hale-Bopp comet. Color and name were maintained for seven years.
Finally, 2003 to the present sees a partial return to the source, and the name is “W…. Dreams ………”, with the addition of harvest year below the label design, and a drawing of Mars on the capsule. The dots may be interpreted however one likes, although Silvio Jermann personally believes they stand for “Where Dreams can happen”.
Soil type: Marly/arenaceous
Varieties: 90% Chardonnay
Training: Guyot, with up to 7,900 vines per hectare (3,200 per acre)
Alcohol by vol.: 13.5%
Acidity: 5.50‰
Expected cellar life: 8 to 10 years
Élevage: 11 months in small barrels of French oak, 300 liters in capacity
Tasting notes: “Resplendent straw yellow in color. Fascinating and complex on the nose, with aromas of rare elegance and finesse – prevalently ripe exotic fruit, melted butter, vanilla and pastries. The bouquet is confirmed on the palate, its aromatic promises kept and deepened by ample, subtle flavors and fresh, persistent nuances.”
(Translated from the 2003 Guide Duemilavini of the Italian Sommeliers’ Association, A.I.S., on Dreams 2000)
Did you know…? The original label, “Where the Dreams have no end…”, appears in the 1998 hit Disney picture called “The Parent Trap”, directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter.

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