Gravner, Rosso Breg, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, 2009

Overview of the Wine
We are located in the Collio, precisely in Oslavia, a hamlet of the municipality of Gorizia located near the border between Italy and Slovenia. Here the Gravner family has been growing the vine since 1901, when Josko's grandfather started a small agricultural business. In 1970 Josko took over the reins of the company, introducing the first stainless steel barrels to the cellar, later replaced by oak barrels. Starting with the 1996 harvest, marked by two disastrous hailstorms that compromise over 90% of the grape harvest, Gravner began to experiment with the technique of maceration on the skins for white wines, and in 2000 he switched to winemaking in terracotta amphorae. As for agronomic management, Josko has renounced the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyard for over thirty years, in order to preserve the health of the soil and the integrity of the ecosystem.

Winemaker
Joško Gravner

Grape / Blend
100% Pignolo

Origin
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The indigenous and little-known Pignolo variety finds an astonishing level of depth, complexity, and visceral power in Gravner’s hands. For this, the “Rosso Breg,” Josko ferments Pignolo spontaneously in subterranean Georgian amphorae, then transfers the wine to well-used Slavonian casks for five years, followed by an astonishing nine years in bottle before release. Kaleidoscopic in its aromas of tobacco, spice, and neutron-star-dense black fruits, the wine all but levitates on the palate despite its intensity, so seamlessly integrated are its elements. A bass note of umami sends this wine into another dimension.

92 Points - CT

Product size: 750ml