Collection: Merlot Riserva Friuli Organic

Merlot in Friuli Venezia Giulia has a completely different history from its celebrated Bordelais cousin. It arrived in the region in the second half of the 19th century, probably through commercial contacts between Friulian nobility and French merchants, and adapted so well to the clay and marl soils of the Friulian plain that it became the most cultivated red grape variety in the region – a position it still holds today.

But Friulian Merlot is not Bordeaux Merlot: the continental climate of Friuli, with hot summers and cool autumns, and the mineral-rich soils of the Colli Orientali and Collio areas, produce a wine of a completely different character – fresher, more mineral, with a more pronounced tannic structure and surprising longevity for a grape often considered "easy."

Fun Fact: Friulian Merlot was for decades the everyday table wine for families in the region – the so-called "house wine" – before more ambitious producers began to vinify it as a Riserva with wood aging, discovering an aging potential that rivals great international Merlots. Today, some Friulian Riservas reach 15-20 years of bottle age.

In its organic Riserva version, Friuli Merlot expresses complexity and depth: ripe plum, black cherry, cocoa, tobacco, and leather notes after aging. Silky tannins, full body, long and mineral finish. Pairings: frico with potatoes and onion, brovada and muset, braised red meats, aged Montasio PDO.