Succulent blue and crisp red fruits dance on a bed of melted chocolate, balsamic herbs, warm baking spices, berry jam, and pressed wild herbs in this appealing, open-knit ’14 Merlot. Fine-grained tannins and zesty acidity provide a captivating tension, and a sweet inner perfume finds its complement in a thrumming savory core as this wine uncoils to a satisfying finish. A cuvée of super-ripe Merlot grapes deriving from marly soils grown in the hills of Nimis, grapes, some partially raisined, ferment for 25 to 30 days in temperature-controlled steel, and the wine ages for 18 months in barrique (some new) before the blend is assembled and bottled, where it rests for six months prior to release.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Family-owned-and-operated Fantinel has always had a commitment to Friuli, to its traditions, and especially to its wine. This commitment led the estate to found a satellite estate, La Roncaia, in 1998. Situated in the swirling hills of Nimis, in eastern Friuli, the La Roncaia estate explores Fantinel’s dedication to the cultivation and vinification of the indigenous varietals of Friuli, as well as a few well-chosen international grapes. La Roncaia spans 54 choice acres in Colli Orientali del Friuli, a hilly region that offers multitudinous microclimates held within its small geographical limits. Alongside consulting winemaker Tibor Gal, La Roncaia’s team works to match each grape to its ideal microclimate and terroir in order to craft wines that embody their land’s rare terroir, their region’s singular traditions, and their grapes’ individual natures. La Roncaia is a boutique winery, where quality is emphasized over quantity, and its unique Friulian expressions--including its rare Picolit, robust Refosco, vibrant Ribolla Gialla, and others--unquestionably over-deliver, vintage after vintage.
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