San Giovanni al Natisone, Friuli

Christian Patat is probably the person that can be best defined as a “cult negociant winemaker”. He doesn’t buy the grapes, except in very few cases, rather he spots and rents vineyards in the best areas of Friuli and turns them into jewels. For years it has chosen to vinify each wine in its range in the winery of the grape grower, and it has yet to put a foot wrong. The growers involved are always excellent and the practice of allowing them to grow and vinify their grapes according to their winemaking philosophy preserves the integrity, the provenance and the individual character of each wine.
Fondo Indizeno is a new project from renowned winemaker Christian Patat, one of Friuli’s most faithful advocates and a man who has done so much to promote this area. Fondo Indizeno’s vineyards are spread over three villages in the Colli Orientali del Friuli, which were chosen due to their excellent quality terroir; Buttrio, Prepotto and Premariacco. They work with 15 hectares of very old vines, between 30-40 years, planted on marl based soils (locally known as “Ponca”). The vines benefit from a Mediterranean climate, with continental influences, hot summers, cold winters and dry autumns. The vineyards are planted with Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and
Malvasia. The idea of this project is an introduction to Friuli’s best wines, to showcase the quality achievable and the area’s potential.