The name seems a challenge, Tazzelenghe, tongue cutter, really? The other night, I turned on some music, cut some Parmigiano, and opened a bottle of Tazzelenghe. Never had I had this wine before, and it was an amazing surprise. Fearful of its acidity and tannins, I took a small sip, and I felt inundated with warmth, the type of warmth that reaches your heart. And I felt its strength, its energy, enveloping me in the most sensuous sensation. It brought to my mind the image of a gentleman who loves gardening, so he gets his hands a bit rough, yet he is elegant and austere.

This is a most surprising wine, and I cannot understand why it is not more available (getting this bottle was an adventure) and more produced. No jammy flavours, no baked fruits, but red and dark berries, juniper, tobacco, underbrush, minerals, roses, and violets with notes of ink and iron aromas. It marches to a different drummer, totally outside the box. If this wine were a person, it would be the man that makes you melt at the first touch and sweeps you off your feet. Impetuous and hard to handle, scurvy Tazzelenghe cannot be forgotten. It needs to be patiently waited for to enjoy its fulfilling complexity and strong personality that arouse strong emotions. You either love it (most likely) or leave it. Very elegant, it ages extremely well.

Tazzelenghe is native to Friuli Venezia-Giulia, the region at the very northeast of Italy and part of Italy since 1866. Tazzelenghe, Taccelenghe, or tace-lenghe, tongue cutter in its literal English translation, gets its name because of the powerful tannins and elevated acidity that characterise this wine. Genetically related to Refosco Nostrano, one of the three founder varieties of the Italian Northeast, together with Vulpea and Heunisch, Tazzelenghe has a vine bunch of average size, round and juicy berries with a blue-black-coloured, pruinose, thin but very resistant skin, which allows for a long hang time since it is less prone to diseases. It is a late-ripening varietal, and it is harvested as late as possible in the attempt to lower the high level of fixed acidity (6-7 grams/litre of tartaric acid).

Tazzelenghe is probably originally from the Udine area, and it was one of the more than 300 Friuli wines on display at the 1863 exhibit organised by the Societa’ Agricola Friulana (Friuli Agricultural Society). Some decades later, it was one of the few vines that survived not only the phylloxera plague but also the massive introduction of French varietals.

Today, only 7 hectares are under this vine, and the wineries producing varietal Tazzelenghe can be counted on the fingers of your hands. It is cultivated halfway on low hills in the area of the villages of Buttrio, Manzano, Prepotto, and Cividale. The first, Buttrio, is known for its unique orloi clock, built between 1836 and 1837, that has a dial on both the eastern and western sides of the tower and has the Roman-style hours marked upside down and the shape of the clock hands and of the clock is unusual (reminds a Cartier tank watch). There are two possible reasons that caused this: One option is that the architect, G.B. Bassi (1792-1879), a mathematics professor, wanted to add a touch of originality that reflected his sense of humour; the other option is that some money problems arose between the church and the building company, and, as a retort, the clock was mounted upside down.

Lacking certainties, many legends and anecdotes have arisen: for example, in the briscola card game, the ace of coins is called “l’orloi di Buri,” the Buttrio clock. The commune territory belongs to three different DOCs: Colli Orientali del Friuli, Grave del Friuli, and Prosecco; to the Colli Orientali del Friuli Picolit DOCG; and to the Venezia Giulia and the Delle Venezie IGTs. Buttrio, part of the Wine Cities Association, has a warmer climate, which helps the Tazzelenghe grapes achieve a full polyphenolic ripeness, making for more luscious wines devoid of any green streaks.

The wines that are produced in this commune are the whites Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc, and the reds Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, and Pinot Nero. Prepotto, home of Schioppettino but also where Tazzelenghe is cultivated, has a great diversity of soils, of which the most famous is the ponca, which is high in sandstone content in some areas and much richer in marls in other areas.

In Torreano, there are very site-specific Friulano and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso but also a specific district, a grand cru, for Tazzelenghe that, thanks to the calcareous soil, allows for a highly perfumed wine. Maybe the knowledge of Tazzelenghe by wine lovers and wine-passionate tourists could be increased if the Tasting Academy of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Colli Orientali del Friuli e Ramandolo (the Consortium for the protection of Colli Orientali del Friuli and Ramandolo wines) included this interesting and great wine among the 32 wines that people can taste at their events and if ERSA (the regional governmental entity for the rural development of Friuli Venezia Giulia) at least included Tazzelenghe among the territory red wines on their website.

For those who want to taste Tazzelenghe, it is best paired with braised or roasted red meats and with game, perfect for winter dinners. Today’s benchmark producers are, in alphabetical order, Gianpaolo Colutta, Conte d’Attimis Maniago, Jacuss, and La Viarte.