2018 SCHIOPPETTINO

TRY ME IF YOU LOVE: Aromatic Cab Franc

ABV: 13.0%

GRAPES: 100% Schioppettino

TASTING NOTES: Notes of old black pepper, dark cherries, and strawberries. On the palate, it’s peppery with hints of bergamot tea and dried herbs. Well-structured with a smooth feel and crisp tannins, it’s a complex and unique wine.

PAIRS WITH: Meaty ragù, stews, slow-cooked meat dishes and goulash with polenta.

SERVE ME: Just below room temperature

Fulvio Bressan represents the 9th generation of winemakers carrying the Bressan name and working a small plot of land in the Farra d’Isonzo since 1726. And given the way he runs his winery, you would think that he might just be channeling all 9 generations of prior expertise, with little care for how the rest of the world might make their wines.

ALL chemical and synthetic products including pesticides and herbicides are banned. With all vines pruned to 4-5 buds, the BRESSAN vineyards are also farmed dry, as in, not irrigated. Fulvio pointed out that where their vineyards lie, it’s not far from the Isonzo river. Here the relatively poor gravel topped soil composition encourages vine roots to channel deep to find their life-saving water source. Low interventionist, he isn’t certified as organic or biologic even if his personal rules impose conditions in the vineyard and wine-cellar that are more severe than those of various “certifications”.