Pignolo is a red grape of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, grown mainly in the Colli Orientali hills near the Slovenian border. It makes deep-coloured, full-bodied, very tannic reds with dark berries, spice and herbs, which need long ageing.
The name probably comes from the small, tight bunch, shaped like a pine cone (pigna). Pignolo has a long history in Friuli, but by the mid-20th century it had almost disappeared, because yields are low and the vine is hard to grow. A few old vines survived near the Abbey of Rosazzo, and from the late 1970s and 1980s local growers propagated them and started to bottle the grape again. It is still rare today.
The hills have a mild climate, with warm days and cool nights, which help the grape ripen its tannins slowly.
Pignolo is rarely an easy wine when young. Most producers age it for several years in wood before release, and the best bottles need five to ten years or more to soften. With time the tannins become smoother and the wine shows dried fruit, spice and earthy notes.
Look for a Friuli Colli Orientali Pignolo with a few years of bottle age, and decant it before serving. Production is very small, so expect to pay more than for other Friulian reds. Producers worth knowing include Moschioni, La Tunella, Jermann, Radikon, Dorigo, Le Vigne di Zamò and Dario Coos.
Pignolo shares the Colli Orientali with Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Schioppettino, and with whites such as Friulano and Ribolla Gialla. Read our best Friuli wines, the best Italian wines to cellar, or browse the grape varieties index.