Mangilli S.p.A. Cantina e Distilleria (Winery and Distillery)
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Already in the late 1800s, in the small town of Flumignano di Talmassons, south of Udine, there was a small grappa distillery within the estate of the Marquis Mangilli. Back then it was but a marginal activity, nothing more then a prestigious hobby cultivated by Marquis Fabio Mangilli. The result was a very limited production for family use, friends and a few local innkeepers. The quality was excellent, since only the very best marc was used, and the "head" and "tail", or the very first and the last of the distilled spirit, were discarded abundantly.
At the end of WWII, the heirs of Marquis Fabio Mangilli made several improvements and modernized the distillery, but kept the traditional caldaiette (little boilers), which, to this day, represent a wonderful tool capable of adding to the results obtained with latest techniques. By then under the direction of the new Marquis Fabio Mangilli, who in addition to being an Olympic horseback riding champion, was also knowledgeable as to the local reality as well as the new markets that were just then starting to open. For this reason the distillery has become a true business.
Mangilli Estate, the Past
By 1977 the estate had grown so much that Marquis Mangilli sought the help of Francesco Perissinotto, very passionate about the countryside and a wine lover, who joined the estate and continued passionately the work started a century earlier. It was Francesco Perissinotto who expanded the estate production to include wine, which reached the upper market tier from the beginning, thanks to their quality. By April of 1991, Perissinotto had become the true soul of the estate and acquired total ownership, opening a new chapter in renovation.
The status of consolidated prestige acquired by the distillery was kept well separated from the role that the estate played in the wine world, where it was a 'young' player. Today Francesco Perissinotto knows very well that in order to achieve and maintain the ambitious goals that he sets for the estate to reach, lots of patient work, research and experimentation is needed, as well as willingness to learn and a touch of humility.
The Mangilli Estate Today
The People of the Progetto Mangilli (Mangilli Project)
Francesco Perissinotto, spiritual leader, soul, heart and brain of the estate was born in 1939 in a family with historic industrial roots. In fact, his great-grandfather, Giuseppe Barbieri, founded the liquor factory which bears the same name, while Grandpa Silvio was the inventor of Aperol. Despite the city life in which young Francesco grew up, in his heart he had a great love for the countryside and was passionate about wine. The friendship with Marquis Fabio Mangilli gave him the opportunity to visit the Friuli hills frequently. When he decided to dedicate himself full time to the small distillery, he brought along the business acumen and the rational point of view of a marketing man, for whom planning and market strategies must be updated over time.
Francesco Perissinotto is an entrepreneur with a modern mentality, a balanced mix of rationality and romanticism, experience and simplicity. A company boss who knows intimately that today's success in the wine world is the combined fruit of well-thought commercial policies and strategies, as much as of the intelligent, knowledgeable work performed with love and passion in the fields and the winery.
Carlo Perissinotto was born in 1966 and is the oldest son of Francesco. He inherited the passion for wine from his dad and is currently the commercial head of the estate.
Made with a balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes, grown in vineyards which undergo severe selective pruning. The wine refines for over a year in 25-hectoliter (over 660 gallons) oak vats, then is moved into barriques for 6 months, then the different varietals are assembled in 50-hectoliter (over 1,320 gallons) before being bottled and left to rest some time longer in the bottles.
It won the bronze medal at the prestigious
Selection Mondiales de Grands Vins in Montreal .
Adriano Teston is the enologist. He has been with the company since 1983 and knows the vineyards, vintners, fields and winemaking methods intimately.
After schooling, Teston went to works for a Friuli wine producer, until he met with Francesco Perissinotto who, with the help of two friends in the business, took the formation and professional updating of the young winemaker to heart, sending him often to intern with various top estates in Italy (in the Piedmont, Tuscany, Umbria and Sicily regions) and abroad (in France, Austria, Portugal, Hungary and United States).
The Wines
In 1977 Francesco Perissinotto began his foray in the enology world and in 1983 the first wines with the Mangilli labels hit the market. Since then, the study, experimentation and research aimed at producing the best wine possible continues to this day.
The attention and care applied to the work in vineyards –adopting severe pruning, renewing the vineyards and harvesting by hand, depositing the grapes into cases– continue at the winery, from soft pressing the grapes to the ageing in the climate-controlled cellar for the best wine refining conditions, both in the barrels and in the bottles. The top wine produced by the estate is Progetto (Project), a balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. In addition, Margilli S.p.A. produces other interesting wines, such as the Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano), Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Ramandolo, in the denomination of origin Collio, dei Colli Orientali del Friuli, e Grave del Friuli.
The traditional caldaiette used by the intermittent cycle system
The Grappas
This is the product which earned the Mangilli estate its prestige. It is the result of a knowledgeable, balanced blend of distilled spirits obtained with one of the two following methods.
- Intermittent Cycle System
This is the traditional system devised by Marquis Fabio Mangilli, which makes use of the steam-operated caldaiette which were first set up at the end of the 19th century. The process is attentively and expertly controlled by the maestro distillatore (the person in charge of the distillation process), who manually takes action during the various distillation phases, from loading the steam boilers (caldaiette) intermittently, to separating the good distilled spirit from the teste (heads) –which contain excessive metilic alcohol– and the code (tails) –which contain amilic oils– thus isolating the central part of the distilled spirit, or the part with rich aroma and characteristic components. - Continuous Cycle System
In 1978 a continuous cycle system is added to the traditional caldaiette. The new system makes use of modern distillation columns which takes care of all operations, from the insertion of the marc to the extraction of the final product. The grappa so obtained has excellent characteristics, with lighter aroma compared to that made with the intermittent system.
All the current Mangilli grappas, from the traditional ones to those with a more limited production, are the result of the blend of distilled obtained by these two systems.
Single Vineyard Grappas
The spirits produced by the Mangilli estate include:
- Grappa Bianca (White Grappa)
Bottled after at least 6 months ageing in iron vats. - Grappa Riserva (Grappa Reserve)
Blend of distilled aged for different periods of time in small oak barrels. The minimum age of the distilled used is 18 months. - Grappe di Monovitigno (Single Vineyard Grappas)
Made with select marc from a single varietal with the traditional steam caldaiette, which contributes to maintaining the characteristic perfumes and rounds the flavor. -
Distillati di Monovitigno (Single Vineyard Distillations)
Distillati d'Uva (Distilled Grapes)
Produced in limited quantity, this liquors are the top spirits produced by the estate. They offer intense scent to the nose and velvety sensations to the palate. - Grappa Collezione (Collectible Grappas)
Blend of selected batches of aged grappas made with different grape varieties. - Distillato d'Uva (Distilled Grapes)
Product created to satisfy the taste of consumers who require a more delicate liquor, but wish to taste a typical product all the same. - Acquavite di Pesca (Peach Eau de Vie)
Very fine Eau de Vie made with white, yellow and nectarine peaches grown on the surroundings of Verona and in the Romagna region. The fruits are pitted before distillation and produce a pleasant liquor, to be drunk cool to taste the delicate, fruity perfume and aroma.
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