The 2010 Pinot Bianco is surprisingly big yet also beautifully balanced in this vintage. A sweet open, bouquet melds into expressive fruit as this rich, textured Pinot Bianco shows off its personality. A long, mineral-drenched finish gives the wine its energy and focus. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014. This is a somewhat mixed set of wines from Silvio Jermann. The flagships Vintage Tunina, Capo Martino and Were Dreams are less exciting in 2009 than they are in cooler years such as 2008, when less extreme weather balances some of the overtness that is typical of the house’s approach with the top whites. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to taste any Pignolos this year. Readers should be aware that Jermann is owned by my wife’s uncle. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2009 Pinot Bianco offers up plenty of ripe, tropical fruit in a fairly full-bodied, intense style. This is decidedly riper than the cooler, more aromatic Pinot Grigio. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. These new releases from Silvio Jermann include a number of fabulous bottles. In particular, I was impressed with the top 2008s, a vintage where the cool minerality of the year prevails over the house’s typically lush style, an approach I tend to find less interesting. Jermann has a new red on the horizon, the Pignolo Vigna Truss, from recently purchased hillside vineyards in Dolegna, the home of his massive, new cellar. Previously, Jermann’s Pignolo had mostly come from the flats of Villanova, a far less prestigious village in Isonzo, rather than the Collio. I tasted all of the 2009 entry-level whites from screwcaps. Readers should be aware that Jermann is owned by my wife’s uncle. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine criticism. An article on Friuli without these wines would have been incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include the wines in this report. Neither my wife nor I have any financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in this property.Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2007 Pinot Bianco is one of the better wines in this entry-level series. A clean, focused white, it reveals well-defined aromas and flavors in a clean, steely style. This medium-bodied, understated Pinot Bianco is showing beautifully. Importer: Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900