Gravner, Movia, Radikon | Wines from Friuli - Italian Wine Merchants (IWM)

January 25, 2010

The Wines of Friuli: Unusually Beautiful
Today we're highlighting the wines of my good friend, Josko Gravner. They aren’t the wines for the masses. They’re the wines for the few people who recognize their iconoclastic, unusual beauty. They’re wines for my clients, and I raise a glass to each and every one of you.

Gravner Breg Anfora 2003

It is the most controversial and misunderstood wine that we have carried in the past three years. More importantly, though, Gravner's Breg Anfora has also been the most inspirational, earning Gravner a dedicated chapter in Sergio's new memoir, Passion on the Vine. This is Gravner's third pure-amphora (Italian variant: anfora) interpretation of his signature white blend. A sense of mastery is already apparent in this early-stage rendition of the amphora technique (wherein the wine's maceration and aging is conducted in large terracotta vessels that Gravner lines with beeswax and buries in the earth for a seven-month period), indicating his refined grasp of a technique that predates Christ. Being Gravner, he will only continue to further evolve in this antediluvian quest. However, it is important to note that Breg Anfora won't be part of this oeuvre forever; as of 2010, Gravner will be working exclusively with Ribolla Gialla—the Friulian grape whose career he restored—and the rare Pignolo, which some contend is actually Sangiovese Grosso, the clone used in Toscana's Brunello di Montalcino.

Quantity	Price
1 – 11	$94.59
12 +	$87.02

La Castellada Sauvignon Collio 2003

This Sauvignno declines to take a contemporary and familiar style, offering a lush, full-bodied interpretation with a mild tropical character and savory dimension.

$69.00

Radikon Ribolla Gialla 2001

An age-worthy white that is complex and well-crafted. It has flavors of citrus and apricots.

Pursuing an ideal taste from the memory and methods of his grandfather's wine from the 1930s, Radikon employs a deceptively simple philosophy: to produce wines that are wholly natural. His practices have given him a cult of personality status with followers who dubbed him a maverick and a radical, and called his wines wild and unconventional. His methodology and wine production result from a set of guiding principles, a seemingly forward-thinking framework deeply rooted in traditional techniques. Radikon's methods reflect the style typical of the Collio area, the heartland of Friuli, with the use of large oak barrels (botti), manual harvesting, and extended maceration periods. He both actively encourages and stands alone in this highly unusual white wine-making practice of a 40 “60 day maceration session. Such long durations are atypical even for red wine-making, for most everyday reds see a more rapid process of a week's maceration. It's Radikon's hewing to an exacting traditional manner that lodges him firmly within the winemaking vanguard.

$53.22

Movia Veliko Rosso 2002

The Veliko Rosso (Rdece in Slovenian) —which literally means “Big Red”—is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Nero. While the name is not a misnomer, given the wine’s full body, this is a shapely, toned red that cuts a lean figure, charged with an acidity that is almost racy—quite nearly like that of a white, in fact. The monovarietal Cabernet is of the same mode, as it does not abuse the varietal through excessive alcohol levels or over- extraction—it is a Cabernet of finesse. Another minimalist feature: As both are technically labeled as Slovenian wines, as opposed to Italian, they represent tremendous values.

$52.80

Masut da Rive Semidis Merlot Riserva 2003

Quantity	Price
1 – 11	$44.00
12 +	$40.48

Ronco del Gnemiz Schioppettino 2006

Ronco del Gnemiz may be best known for its long-lived whites, but this small winery also makes some fine Friulian reds, including this week's offering of Schioppettino, the red version of the indigenous Ribolla Gialla. Schioppettino has a difficult reputation; it grows too easily, ripens unevenly and produces ungodly tannins. However, when finessed from vine to vat, the grape can create a powerful deep ruby wine that glints with purple highlights and an intense, flowery nose and a palate of black fruit and spice. The limited size of Gnemiz allows its owners Serena and Gabriel Palazzolo to give the attention the problematic Schioppettino requires, and this 2006 is especially elegant, displaying a nose of violets, blackberry and black pepper. Only fifty cases of this unique Friulian wine were crafted. Drink Date: 2009-2016

Quantity	Price
1 – 11	$51.99
12 +	$47.83

Friuli 6-Bottle Tasting Case

Includes 1 of each wine below:
Gravner Breg Anfora 2003
La Castellada Sauvignon Collio 2003
Radikon Ribolla Gialla 2001
Movia Veliko Rosso 2002
Masut da Rive Semidis Merlot Riserva 2003
Ronco del Gnemiz Schioppettino 2006

$345.20

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