Our local supermarket, Shepherd’s , are now stocking Ca’ Bolani wine, so iLPH gave their offering a tasting – yes, it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it!
Nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic, in the heart of Italy’s Friuli region, is Ca’ Bolani – the largest wine estate in Northen Italy and a leading light in the Aquileia DOC appellation; a “boutique giant”. Lined with 999 cypress trees, which both celebrate and protect its extraordinary biodiversity, Ca’ Bolani is a centuries old estate with an impressive winemaking legacy: vines have been planted in the region since Roman times, with the estate gaining recognition in 1500 when it was owned by the Ca’ Bolani family.
It was acquired by the Zonin family in 1970 who began to restore the estate, embracing the local wine culture and an ethos of sustainability. Over the past two decades, the estate has implemented green manuring, low-environmental-impact pesticides, promotion of pollinators, and uncultivated green spaces to encourage wildlife repopulation.
The estate benefits from ideal viticultural conditions: sea breezes from the Adriatic during the summer, the protection of the Alps, and a significant diurnal temperature range. Grapes ripen fully whilst retaining acidity, resulting in wines which are particularly aromatic.
On sale in Shepherds Foods are the Ca’ Bolani Sauvignon Blanc (2024) and the Ca’ Bolani Merlot (2023). My tasting notes are below.
Ca’ Bolani Sauvignon Blanc 2024 £24.95
The Sauvignon Blanc 2024 smelled of elderflower. It initially tasted of a grapefruit and elderflower fusion. Its strongest taste was of grapefruit when drinking through the wine. This brings to mind the image of pink grapefruit champagne. When progressively drinking the wine it leaves a citrusy taste of grapefruit in your mouth. When the Sauvignon Blanc is completely drunk it leaves a lasting taste in your mouth of white peach.
Ca’ Bolani Merlot 2023 £25.95
The Merlot initially smelled primarily of burnt red cranberry and secondly of ripe currants. It initially tasted of red cranberry mixed with white peach. When drinking through it the taste of red currants came out mixed with white peach. When first drinking the merlot it leaves a strong taste in your mouth of cranberry. As you drink to the bottom of the glass it leaves a taste of white peach in your mouth. After you have finished drinking the merlot it leaves a lasting taste in your mouth of burnt cranberry, red currants and white peach.
Both wines were elegant and delicious and I would highly recommend them.
Shepherds Foods, 59-61 Regents Park Rd, Primrose Hill, London NW1 8XD
020 7586 4592
© Adam Reeves, 2025, all rights reserved.