Gravner Rujno Venezia-Giulia Rosso

Produced only in exceptional vintages, the ultra-rare “Rosso Rujno” is a blend of the Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) that would ordinarily comprise the “Rosso Gravner” but in this case undergo an even longer aging regimen: seven years in barrel, followed by seven years in bottle, before the wine is released. Despite its Bordeaux origins, Merlot can achieve notable complexity in the Collio, particularly when handled with Gravner’s level of skill and sensitivity, and the Rosso Rujno is flat-out breathtaking. The vines’ extzreme age (planted in the early 1950s) makes itself known in an overall sense of concentration, but a mineral-drenched freshness dominates the palate even as umami notes swirl and dazzle. Its sense of equilibrium and complexity would shame many a fancy Bordeaux to which it might be compared, but its underlying visceral power and unfettered wildness are Gravner through-and-through.