La Roncaia - Fantinel - Merlot “Il Fusco” D.O.C. Friuli Oriental Hills - Red Wine

Fantinel - Feel the Emotion

Once upon a time there was a man with a radiant smile who venerated good food so much that it became his reason for living. And in such a joyful parade of pleasure, wine sat on the royal throne. As a restaurateur and hotelier in northern Friuli, Paron Mario soon realized that his mission was to give people emotions with his special love for wine and that, to do it fully, he had to produce wine with his own hands. 1969 was the year when he acquired the first vineyards in the Collio area, the year when the great adventure started. This engaging adventure soon featured his sons Luciano, Gianfranco and Loris as the protagonists.

The three turned their father’s teachings into virtues, learning to touch and feel the soil, follow the time and the flow of the seasons, taste the grapes getting a glimpse of the secret of their little-big miracle. In the following years the family’s land ownership increased and many dreams came true.

That small agricultural company today, with the third generation represented by Marco, Stefano and Mariaelena, has become an internationally prestigious winery, ambassador of Friulian winemaking art in the world. But the origins have not been forgotten and, what’s more, the flame of passion is increasingly vivid.

Once upon a time a man, the first hero and author of a fable, wrote the first page signing it with an indelible imprint. Let’s savour this book entitled "Fantinel" ecstatically.

Fantinel - The Prestige of An Emotion

There, where our gaze follows the lines of hills and green terraces, oft-times lingering on verdant woods then sweeping across the plain to the far horizon and the glittering contour of the sea. There, where vines are gently caressed by a sweet breeze, protecting them from the old north wind. There, where acacia, chestnut and ancient oak grow, silent witnesses to ancient wine-making traditions matured slowly in technique and wisdom. There, where over the millennia clay marl and sandstone forged gentle hills whose soil is ideally suited, for its position and composition, to vine-growing.

Amidst the rolling hills of Friuli Colli Orientali DOC zone, famous for the prestigious Ramandolo and Picolit DOCG wines, these magical places are home to the La Roncaia vineyards, highly select hectares nurtured by the loving care of people who cherish precious jewels. Ordered rows ideally define boundless spaces where the air is filled with deep silence and our thoughts ramble free along the dusty tracks leading to the estate farmhouses. These evocative lands exude the true Friulian spirit in natural landscapes and artistic wonders, indelible marks of a fascinating history.

La Roncaia - Fantinel - Merlot “Il Fusco” D.O.C. Friuli Oriental Hills - Red Wine

It enchants with garnet red nuances, overwhelms with the intensity of mature and complex aromas, conquers with the softness and elegance of the tannins. Fusco is an excellent wine made in limited quantities from a selection of the best Merlot grapes from the high hillside vineyards of Nimis. The careful drying and careful vinification are followed by aging in oak barriques for over 18 months.

Ruby red with garnet tinges. A multi-layered aromatic set, merging typically herbaceous scents and intense perfumes of red berries, in a fine, clean and elegant complexity. Structurally balanced, warm, smooth, appropriately tannic; La Roncaia Fusco is an engrossing and long-lasting wine.

Specifications

Classification

Merlot DOC Friuli Colli Orientali

Origin

Estate vineyards in the municipality of Nimis

Grapes

Merlot

Soil and Vineyard

Marly soil of Eocene origin. The vineyard is planted with 3.500 single Guyot-trained vines per hectare

Vinification

Merlot grapes, picked at peak ripeness, are partially raisined for about 8 weeks. This drying method, characteristic of La Roncaia style, aims at obtaining a more structured, well-rounded and fruity wine. The grapes are destemmed but not crushed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. After macerating for about 25 days the wine is racked and transferred to barriques. The wine rests in the barriques for 18 months during which it slowly ages. The wine further ages in the bottle to get more mature and balanced.

Appearance

Ruby red with garnet tinges

Nose

A multi-layered aromatic set, merging typically herbaceous scents and intense perfumes of red berries, in a fine, clean and elegant complexity

Palate

Structurally balanced, warm, smooth, appropriately tannic; La Roncaia Fusco is an engrossing and long-lasting wine

Alcoholic Strength

14,5 % vol.

Ideal Serving Temperature

18-20˚ C

Pairings

Either tasty red meat or savoury first courses