Cento, Villa Bogdano 1880 2020 75cl
Cento is the flagship of Villa Bogdano, a single-vineyard Tocai Friulano made in tiny quantities and priced accordingly. The 2020 is the estate's fullest statement of what this native grape can achieve when treated with the ambition usually reserved for grand white Burgundy.
The wine comes from the oldest parcels on the estate near Lison, farmed biodynamically, with long lees ageing and careful oak handling. Everything about it is turned up: concentration, texture, complexity and length. This is Friulano as a serious, cellar-worthy white.
The glass gives a luminous gold and a deep, layered nose of ripe pear, candied citrus, dried apricot, toasted almond, honey and a savoury note of dried herbs and struck flint. The palate is powerful yet precise, broad and creamy with a gently oxidative richness, threaded by bright acidity and closing on a long, mineral, saline finish. A wine of genuine presence.
At £109.99 this is special-occasion, collector-level Italian white, and a rare chance to see an indigenous grape reach its ceiling. Drink now with air, or cellar for five years and beyond.
How to Serve
Serve at 12-14°C in large Burgundy stems. Decant an hour ahead; it needs room to breathe.
Where to Drink It
Noble Rot for its serious white wine list. Bocca di Lupo for a landmark north-eastern pairing. Lino for a considered, produce-led dinner.
Food Pairings
Beautiful with roast turbot or a rich chicken and morel fricassée. Aged hard cheeses also flatter its depth.
