Vigna Lenuzza Schioppettino di Prepotto 2019 Review: Pepper, Red Fruit and Friulian Elegance
Vigna Lenuzza’s Schioppettino di Prepotto 2019 comes from one of the historic homes of the variety in the Colli Orientali del Friuli. The estate works around eight hectares at Prepotto, much of them on the local ponca, the alternating marl and sandstone that defines this eastern corner of Friuli, with the Judrio Valley helping create pronounced day-night temperature changes.
The wine is 100% Schioppettino di Prepotto, aged in French oak and followed by bottle maturation before release. The variety’s signature pepper remains central, but the 2019 now has enough age for the fruit and wood to settle into a more coherent, savoury profile.
The Basics
- Producer: Vigna Lenuzza
- Wine: Schioppettino di Prepotto
- Vintage: 2019
- Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Appellation: Friuli Colli Orientali DOC
- Area: Prepotto
- Grape: 100% Schioppettino
- Soils: Predominantly ponca, with marl-rich sections
- Farming: Certified organic
- Harvest: Manual
- Ageing: French oak, followed by bottle ageing
- Serving temperature: 16°C
- Decanting: About 20–30 minutes
- Drinking window: Ready now, with several years still ahead
Appearance
Medium ruby with garnet development at the rim, still bright and relatively transparent rather than heavily extracted.
Nose
The nose is immediately recognisable as Schioppettino, with black pepper and green peppercorn over sour cherry, raspberry and darker berry fruit. Air brings out dried herbs, violet, a light balsamic note and subtle woodland character, while the oak is now well absorbed rather than sitting separately from the fruit.
Palate
Medium-bodied and more vertical than powerful, with lively acidity, fine tannins and a juicy core of cherry and small dark berries. Pepper returns strongly through the mid-palate, joined by herbs and a faint earthy note.
The 2019 has reached a particularly attractive stage: the tannin has softened and the fruit has moved beyond youthful sharpness, but the wine still retains enough freshness to avoid feeling mature or tired.
Finish
Dry, savoury and persistent, with pepper, sour cherry, herbs and a light balsamic note remaining after the fruit fades. The finish is clean rather than heavy, which suits Schioppettino’s naturally elegant structure.
Ready to Drink?
Yes. The 2019 is drinking very well now, with integrated tannin and clearly developed secondary aromas. A well-stored bottle should continue comfortably for another 3–5 years, gradually moving toward leather, undergrowth and dried spice.
Food Pairings
Roast duck, guinea fowl, pork with herbs, venison ragù and grilled meat all suit its combination of acidity and spice. Frico with polenta or mature Montasio are especially natural Friulian matches, while mushroom-based pasta also picks up the wine’s increasingly earthy side.
Price and Value
The classic Vigna Lenuzza Schioppettino remains positioned well below many premium Prepotto bottlings: recent trade and tourism listings place current releases broadly in the €15–€20 range at source, although a mature 2019 can vary according to remaining stock and retailer.
That makes it particularly attractive if you want a traditional, pepper-driven Schioppettino without moving into the much more expensive single-vineyard or prestige end of the appellation.
Final Thoughts
Vigna Lenuzza Schioppettino di Prepotto 2019 is a precise expression of the variety rather than a heavily worked red. Cherry, dark berries, pepper and herbs remain clearly defined, while six years of bottle evolution have softened the tannins and allowed a more balsamic, earthy dimension to emerge.
It has enough maturity to be interesting now without losing the freshness that makes Schioppettino distinctive.
