DENIS MONTANAR
Founded : 1995
Region : Friuli Venezia Giulia - Villa Vicentina/Italy
Wine Maker : Denis Montanar, Carlo Montanar
Vines Area : 10.5 ha
Annual Production : Around 20,000 bottles
The Denis Montanar winery is located in Borc Dodon, also better known as Borgo Dodone, an area near the small burg of Villa Vicentina, in Friuli’s Udine province.
The Montanar family has devoted their energies to farming and life on the fields since 1904, cultivating grapes, corn of the ancient variety, spelt, wheat and soy, all with a marked focus on naturality and sustainability. Respect for nature and terroir led to the decision to adopt fully organic practices since 1996, while at the same time adhering as well to the protocol of “Renaissance du Terroir”.
Denis begins his farming and winemaking activities in 1989, when he inherits his grandfather’s land and starts renting the nearby vineyards. His passion for the land grows steadily and within a few years Denis enlarges the farm, buying an additional 2 hectares and planting local varieties, which now comprises 10,5 hectares of vineyards. In 1995 the current Denis Montanar farm and the Borc Dodon project are officially born.
In the cellar Denis follows the same modus operandi: all fermentation is wild and operated by indigenous yeasts with macerations of varying lengths of time in open wooden or fiberglass vats. Ageing for the younger and fresher wines takes place in steel or cement, while the more structured and intense ones age in large wood so as to round out any edges. No aggressive practices such as fining or filtration are adopted before bottling. Denis’ wines are characterised by a highly territorial personality and great depth and complexity of character, deriving from the 3 local cru’s where they are born: Dodon, Sandrigo, Scodovacca
Denis works mostly with traditional local varieties in the Aquileia plains, on the Western shores of the Isonzo river, the part closest to the mouth of the river. All of the vines come from massale selection done in old local vineyards. The soil is mainly sandy, composed of a mixture of silt and clay, imbuing the wines with particularly fresh and mineral notes, which are very typical of this terroir. In order not to alter the purity and natural vitality of the fruit, no chemical products of any type are allowed in the vineyard.
