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WTN: Schioppettino/Refosco from Friuli..(long/boring)

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WTN: Schioppettino/Refosco from Friuli..(long/boring)

by TomHill » Fri Nov 08, 2013 1:28 pm

Tasted last night (11/4/13) w/ my SantaFe group some Schioppettino/Refosco wines from Friuli:
1. VillaRubini DOC: ColliOrientali del Friuli Schioppettino (13%; www.VillaRubini.net) Cividale/Friuli 2007: Med.
dark color w/ light bricking; attractive black cherry/earthy/plummy/peppery very spicy lovely nose; fairly
tart bright/black cherry/spicy/peppery/plummy/dark fruits zippy flavors w/ some slight/bitey tannins; med.long
bright/black cherry/plummy/very peppery light earthy/dusty finish w/ light/bitey tannins; lots of interesting
peppery character and a classic Schioppettino at a very good price. $18.00 (Arg)
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2. i vini di Jacopo Schioppettino DOC: Friuli Colli Orientali (12.5%) Soc.Agr. Necotium/SanGiovanni al Natisone
2011
: Med.dark color; light toasty/oak/smokey plummy/perfumed/meaty/cherry lovely nose; softer/rounder some
toasty/pencilly/oak plummy/meaty/cherry bit earthy flavor w/ smooth/light tannins; med.long some pencilly/
toasty/oak soft/plummy/cherry/meaty/gamey light earthy finish w/ smooth tannins; quite attractive Schioppettino
made somewhat in an international style w/ less fruit & more oak. $33.00 (BWM)
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3. Bressan Schioppettino IGT: VeneziaGiulia (13%) Farro d'Isonzo 2004: Med.light color w/ slight bricking; rather
earthy/dusty/loamy deep black cherry/plummy/licorice/menthol/black pepper rather complex quite lovely nose;
tart/brisk bright black cherry/plummy/black fruit/licorice/peppery some earthy/loamy complex flavor w/ some
tannins yet; very long bit earthy/dusty/loamy bright/black cherry/licorice/plummy/black pepper complex finish
w/ some smooth tannins; a really lovely Schioppettino that will still go a few yrs; an aged Schioppettino..
who'd have thunk?? $56.00 (BWM)
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4. Ronchi di Cialla Schioppettino di Cialla DOC: ColliOrientali del Friuli Sottozona Cialla (13%) Prepotto
2006
: Med.dark color; some toasty/creamy/pungent/oak strong black cherry/licorice/pungent/dark fruits/black
pepper very fragrant/perfumed slight meaty/gamey/smoked meats complex beautiful nose; some tart beautiful
black cherry/plummy/peppery/RCCola/spicy light toasty/smokey/oak flavor w/ smooth/seamless tannins; very
long strong black cherry/plummy/peppery/licorice/spicy/RCCola/smoked meats light smokey/oak finish w/
smooth/round tannins; a beautiful/complex wine & best Schioppettino I've ever had; bit pricey at $63.00 (BWM)
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5. LeDue Terre Sacrisassi Rosso DOC: ColliOrientali del Friuli (13.5%; 50% Refosco/Schioppettino) Prepotto
2007
: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; beautiful perfumed/aromatic licorice/plummy/very spicy/peppery
slight herbal/rosemary/thyme slight pencilly/cedary/oak quite complex nose; softer lush/ripe black cherry/
blackberry/slight peppery/plummy slightly tart light pencilly/oak slight dusty/graphite flavor w/ smooth/
elegant tannins; very long/lingering strong plummy/black cherry/blackberry/licorice very spicy bit herbal/
thyme rather complex finish w/ smooth tannins; a bit softer/lusher & speaks mostly of Refosco but a bit of
peppery Schioppettino shows thru; quite a lovely red. $50.00 (LM)
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6. Boeger Refosco ElDorado Reserve (13.5%; EB; 20% Aglianico/5% CabSauv; www.BoegerWinery.com) 2006: Med.color;
strong Am.oak/vanilla rather earthy/dusty/mushroomy/ElDorado slight plummy/tobaccoy bit simple nose; soft
earthy/dusty/loamy strong vanilla/Am.oak light plummy/licorice flavor w/ light tannins; med.short plummy/
licorice/earthy/loamy rather mushroomy/ElDorado strong vanilla/Am.oak finish w/ light tannins; whispers
quietly of Savoie Mondeuse and ElDorado but the Am.oak is the dominant voice here; not a bad wine, but just
not very interesting. $22.50 (CB)
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7. Domaine Mercouri Vin de Pays des Latrinon (13.0%; Refosco) Korakochori Ilias/Peloponnese/Greece 2006: Med.
color w/ slight bricking; lovely fragrant/perfumed rather high-toned/delicate rather dusty/OV bit resinous
(from the nearby Retsina vines??)/smokey/pungent/smoked meats slight plummy/dark fruits fairly complex;
soft/delicate/bright some dusty/OV bit pungent/resinous/smoked meats light plummy/licorice complex flavor
w/ light tannins; long dusty/OV/earthy light plummy/licorice slight resinous/pungent/smoked meats complex
finish w/ light tannins; not the strong plummy Refosco fruit of the Friulian ones and a very interesting
rendition of Refosco at a good price. $24.80 (CB)
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8. Ca'del Sarta Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso DOC: Friuli (12.5%; EnotecImports; www/Enotec.net) Casarsa/Grave/
Delizia 2010
: Med.dark color; rather candied/caramel/strange strong plummy/boysenberry/licorice/chocolaty
bit herbal/rosemary complex nose; soft perfumed/insecticide strong boysenberry/ripe/chocolaty bit very ripe
Zin-like drinkable flavor w/ little tannins; strong boysenberry/blackberry/chocolaty somewhat perfumed/
insecticide finish w/ little tannins; a strange perfume and lacks structure but very gulpable; this is how
they'd make Refosco in Paso if they could; you get what you pay for at $11.00 (DaV)
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9. PierpaoloPecorari Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso IGP: Venezia Giulia (12.5%; MatchVino) SanLorenzo Isontino
2011
: Med.dark color; strong plummy/boysenberry/blackberry some herbal/thyme/licorice/chocolaty bit perfumed/
pungent/cat litter box fairly complex nose; soft/lush ripe/plummy/boysenberry/blackberry/chocolaty/DrPepper
slight earthy flavor w/ some hard/tannins; med.long ripe/boysenberry/plummy/blackberry slight herbal/earthy
finish w/ slight hard tannins; needs several yrs; some strange things therein but pretty good Refosco at a good
price. $18.00 (DaV)
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10. Ronco Severo Refosco dal PeduncolaRosso DOC: ColliOrientalli d'Friuli (13.5%; www.RinascimentoWineCo.com;
JustinGallenSlctn) Prepotto 2009
: Med.dark color; strong plummy/boysenberry/black cherry/licorice/chocolaty
almost RRV Zin-like somewhat menthol/minty complex nose; soft/lush ripe/boysenberry/black cherry/licorice/
chocolaty bit dusty/OV complex flavor w/ some light/hard tannins; very long/lingering ripe/black cherry/
boysenberry/licorice/chocolaty very spicy slight herbal/earthy complex finish w/ modest/hard tannins; needs
several yrs yet; much like a Carlisle or Bedrock RRV Zin w/ its spicy/structured character; terrific example
of Refosco at a good price. $27.00 (PC)
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11. Ronco del Gnemiz Rosso di Jacpo DOC: ColliOrientali del Friuli (95% Merlot/5% Refosco; 13.5%) SanGiovanni
al Natisone 2007
: Very dark/near black color; strong ripe/grapey/Merlot earthy/loamy rather simple nose w/
little interest; soft lush/plummy/grapey/Merlot earthy/loamy light toasty/oak flavor w/ light/soft/mushy
tannins; med. soft ripe/lush/grapey/Merlot/plummy some earthy/loamy bit toasty/oak finish w/ soft/soupy tannins;
lots a grapey Merlot fruit and little structure; what a pity that some Refosco grapes gave their lives to
this dullard Merlot. $20.00 (LCSWS)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
And more stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Schioppettino: Sometimes called (incorrectly) RibullaNera. Schioppettino means "crackling" because it once often
made as slightly fizzy (think Lancer's crackling rose) or the thick-skinned berries crackle in the mouth when
you bite down on them. The variety almost disappeared after phylloxera hit Friuli. It was revived by
DinaRapuzzi of Cialla after he found a few vines in the Mayor's (of Prepotto) back yard. He was ablle to track
down a few other Schioppettino vines around Friuli and planted this (totally illegal) vnyd Prepotto in the
early 1970's. The grape was finally legalized for planting in Friuli in 1987, saving him from a life's
sentance in an Italian jail. There are now some 237 acres of Schioppettino in Fruili as of 2000. It is pretty
much extinct in Slovenia. The wines tend to be lower in alcohol and fairly high acidity. I find them most
similar to a lighter DryCreekVlly Zin because of the high-toned aromatics. This set of four was particularly
representative of Schioppettino and all showed that peppery/black pepper character that makes this such a wonderful
grape. Wish JohnHoldredge was still making it (the vnyd was pulled); a variety they should be pursuing in Calif.
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2. Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso (Refosco w/ the red stem): Known as Rifosc in Slovenia. Probably the most highly regarded
variety of a whole family of Refoschi. Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso <==== Marzemino X some unknown (probably
extinct) variety. A grandchild of Teroldego. When the UC/Davis Jackson experimental station was planted in the
1880's, there were a few Refosco vines in there. In the 1930's, when Prof. AustinGoheen salvaged some cuttings
from this (abandoned) vnyd, Refosco was planted in the FPS (FoundationPlantServices) vnyd in Davis. In the
early 1990's, DNA typing indicated that this distributed Refosco was, in fact, Mondeuse (not an altogether
bad thing). Consequently, most Calif Refosco is instead Mondeuse. there is only one planting (in the NapaVlly
by Steve Matthiasson) of true Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso. There are some plantings of Refosk in Slovenia which
is mostly Terran/Terrano, a variety that is a member of the Refoschi family and mainly found in Croatia. I find
that Refosco most resembles a Calif Mourvedre but w/ a bit of earthiness and more tannins.
The only planting of true Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso planting in Calif I know of is SteveMatthiasson's in Napa.
The first wine from that planting that I sampled several yrs ago was terrific; one of the best Refosco's in
the world. Much more perfumed/high-toned than what comes out of Friuli, if a bit simpler. We need more Refosco
planted in Calif.
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3. Boeger: Though this wine was labeled Refosco, it is undoubtedly Mondeuse...and not a particularly good one at
that. A bit too much Am.oak/vanilla & not enough (Mondeuse) fruit.
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4. Mercouri: This was the odd man out in the Refosco lineup. Though Refosco is indigenous to Friuli, somehow a
bit made it across to Greece where it was planted in the 1870's on its own roots. The wine was lighter/more
high-toned than the Friulian versions, but had some dusty/old-vine character to it.
Tom

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