Merlot 'Fusco' La Roncaia 2018

“Fusco” is the name that Roncaia has chosen to indicate its Merlot. The Fantinel family has completed twenty years of ownership of this winery and in these long years has managed to give a strong and resonant voice to the wonderful Friulian lands, with their unique culture and characteristics. It is the young winemaker Gabriele Rami who manages the technical activities of the winery in Cergneu, near Nimis, an area with magical and bucolic landscapes, among the sinuous hills of the Colli Orientali. It is the rhythm of the orderly rows that marks imaginary boundaries caressed by the pleasant breezes coming from the Julian Alps on warm sunny days.

The Merlot grapes that make up the “Fusco” of Roncaia grow on eocene-origin soils with a marly composition, called flysch, particularly suited for the cultivation of this type of grapes, which gives structure and roundness. The vineyards are cultivated at high density with the unilateral guyot system and the grapes are hand-picked at full ripeness, to be partially left to dry for about 8 weeks. The passitura is a defining element of this winery and represents its very stylistic signature. The grapes are destemmed, but not pressed, and fermented in stainless steel tanks. This is followed by about a month of maceration, and the product is racked and left to rest in barrique for 18 months.

The Merlot "Fusco" is a red wine with characteristics that fully identify La Roncaia. The intense ruby red gives way to some garnet reflections from the maturation period in wood. The aromatic profile is complex and varied, with typically herbaceous notes and strong hints of red fruits like raspberries and currants, with a background of cocoa powder that pleasantly accompanies us in the perfectly balanced tasting within its soft and warm structure. The tannin is warm and enveloping. Perfect when consumed with spiced roasts and pasta with game sauce. The Friulian red heart that does not disappoint.