The 2012 Vinnae Servus Cella Ribolla Gialla is a very special and expressive wine with a delicate aromatic embroidery that grows in intensity as the wine warms in the glass. Initial mineral tones of talc powder and crushed flint gradually give way to white flower, honeysuckle and peach cobbler. This wine shows the delicate and most feminine side of the hearty Ribolla Gialla grape. Drink: 2014-2018. One of the great pioneers of Friuli wine, Silvio Jermann and his family continue to shake things up in the wider world of vino italiano. Their efforts represent a huge step in the collective consciousness towards screw-cap closures, a move that otherwise seemed light years away. Importer: Empson USA, www.empson.com

The 2010 Vinnae Servus Cella is quite pretty in this vintage. A clean vein of minerality frames a core of expressive apricots, peaches, mint and flowers. I especially like the lift and brightness of the finish. This is a terrific effort from Jermann. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. 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

Packaged in a modern screwcap bottle, this friendly blend of Ribolla Gialla with smaller percentages of Friulano and Riesling delivers a bright golden color and lively fruit aromas of stone and passion fruits. The wine is crisp and lively in the mouth and perfectly captures the spirit of winemaking in Northeast Italy.——M.L.(8/1/2009)—— 89