Ronco Severo, 2018 Merlot, Riserva, Artiul


Producer


Vintage

2018

Region

Italy

Appellation

Friuli Colli Orientali

Cuvée

Artiul Riserva

Varietal

Merlot

Farming

Biodynamic

Vinification

Barrel Aged, Estate grown grapes, Hand harvested, Indigenous yeast fermented, Low Sulfur Vinification & Aging, Organically Grown Grapes, Unfined & Unfiltered

Soil Type

Chalky Limestone, Schist

In the words of proprietor/winemaker Stefano Novello:
This is perhaps my best wine. Artïûl is the name, in Friulano, given to the newly born grass that grows in the fields after the hay has been collected. This indeed, was the first new wine I produced when the management of the estate was handed down from by dad, Severo: ?new shoots growing from old roots.? Only the perfectly healthy and ripe grapes are hand picked late in harvest. The grapes are left to ferment for a long period of time on the skins in truncated cone shaped oak vats, without any temperature control, and without adding selected yeasts or enzymes. During this time the cap of grape skins is frequently punched down. After fermentation, the wine is lightly pressed and racked into 225-litre French oak barrel where it matures for 24 months. When the time is right, it is bottled without any filtration or clarification on a waning moon between August and September. A great Bordelaise-style wine, it seems to be set for a long life and freshness ? the 1994 vintage is still remarkable ? even without preservatives. It is ruby red with nuances of garnet and displays the characteristic aroma of spices and hints undergrowth. This wine is full bodied and warm, with a long persistence on the palate.