2020 Giuseppe Zorzettig Sauvignon Friuli Colli Orientali 750 ml

Sancerre makes the most famous Sauvignon Blancs in the world. Bordeaux, the most expensive. New Zealand, the most widely available. But Friuli—a tiny corner of northeast Italy—might be the true insider’s pick, especially when we’re talking about bang for your buck.

Among the Sauvignon Blancs of Friuli, none has a following at Wine Access like Zorzettig. It’s inspired multiple sell-outs, a small tidal wave of five-star reviews, and countless “How can I get more?” emails. The 2020, from a growing season that Wine Advocate ranked as Friuli’s best in a decade, is one of the finest wines they’ve made.

We remember how pleasantly stunned we were by the racy Zorzettig when we first tried it in Rome. It was a dream with bruschetta and fried artichokes, and it’s absolutely unbeatable as an aperitif, or with halibut or shellfish. It’s a wine that will make fans of creamy Sauvignon Blanc and Italian whites do exactly what we did: perk right up, then drink it down. 

Friuli is the picture-perfect region that Vino Italiano authors David Lynch and Joseph Bastianich said produces some of the “most complex and full-bodied whites to be found anywhere in the world.” It’s heaven not only for indigenous grapes like Friulano, Malvasia, and Pinot Grigio, but also for international varieties like Sauvignon Blanc. That’s a big reason why the area is always one of our first stops on our quest for stellar white wines.

More supple and generous than its counterparts from the Loire and Bordeaux yet every bit as aromatic, sleek, and energetic, the 2020 Zorzettig will leave you primed for sip after sip—and then a few more.