I FEUDI DI ROMANS, LORENZON Merlot Isonzo 2005 The Lorenzon family's 170 hectares of vineyard in the Isonzo DOC zone in southeastern Friuli are primarily split between two blocks. The first, I Feudi di Romans, was an old apple grove with stony, welldrained soil of glacial origin and now comprises 60 hectares of vineyard in the heart of the zone. The second, the Borgo dei Vassalli vineyard, is situated further south in the zone, where the vineyards are on richer soil. Winemaker Davide Lorenzon (with a bit of help from Matt Thomson) produces characterful wines of great value. In spring 1992, the family planted two hectares of Merlot within the I Feudi di Romans Cru, with a total of 4,350 vines. Immediately upon arrival in the winery, the grapes were de-stemmed and crushed. The juice was pumped over twice a day in order to extract good colour and soft tannins. The fermentation temperature was allowed to reach 30ºC. Maceration lasted for 14 days. Half the blend was racked into new French barriques to finish malolactic fermentation, and matured for 12 months prior to bottling. The other half was kept in stainless steel, and then blended with the oaked wine prior to bottling. The wine was given a light egg-white fining and then bottled unfiltered to retain a good depth of flavour and weight. As a consequence the wine may throw a light, harmless deposit during ageing. Intense ruby red colour, with a full, fragrant nose with perfumes of raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry notes. Full-bodied yet wellbalanced on the palate with an attractive herbaceous quality, due to its ageing in oak casks. Ripe, plummy fruit and a long, elegant finish. Find this wine at www.winestore.co.uk Price: £69.52 (Including VAT at 20%)