Bastianich Refosco 2018

Rightly considered among the best and most typical of the indigenous red grape varieties of the region, Refosco yeilds a red wine wild, visceral, and sanguine. Already during fermentation its color seems to refer to the resiliance of the Friulian people and their immediate, sometimes peppery, bluntness. The color immediately captivates with purple reflections in a deep, dark ruby red tone. The rustic nose is immediately apparent along with notes of raw meat, slightly underripe ripe red fruits, blackberry, plum, and cut herbs. The full-bodied palate shows a touch of roughness, especially in its youth, with a sharp contrast between the acidity of the wine and its tannins. In perfectly ripe or late harvest versions, however, the pulp and alcohol render refosco very soft and warm, immediately pleasant, expressing more diverse and intriguing notes such as tobacco and spices with age. Its particular ability to pair with many dishes is due to its acidity and tannins described above, and make it a wine suitable for sauced meat dishes such as slow-cooked stews and goulash as well as hard raw-milk cheeses.

The grapes are harvested by hand and then sorted again at the winery to select only the best fruit. The fruit is then de-stemmed and placed into stainless steel vats for fermentation. Pump-over is carefully performed on a daily basis for the duration of the alcoholic fermentation (15-18 days) at 25-27°C / 77-80°F. The skins are then pressed lightly in a pneumatic press, and after a short period of settling, the wine is placed in stainless steel for complete malo-lactic fermentation. When the malo-lactic fermentation is finished, the wine begins its period of ageing, half in stainless steel and half in 3000l oak casks, for 7 months. At the end of this time, and after fining and filtering, the wine is bottled and left to rest for 60 days before release.