2008 Gravner, Rosso Rujno - Friuli-Venezia Giulia - 1 Bottle (0.75L)

One bottle of Gravner Rosso Rujno 2008, the rarest and most age-worthy red of Josko Gravner, one of the most influential and uncompromising winemakers in Italy. Gravner, who farms the vineyards of Oslavia, in the Collio, on the Slovenian border, abandoned modern winemaking in the early 2000s and became a pioneer of skin-contact whites in buried amphorae. His Rujno is made only in exceptional vintages and in very small quantities. It is a blend of Merlot with a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, from a single vineyard near the cellar. The destemmed grapes ferment for months on their skins in conical Slavonian oak vats, and the wine then rests for years in large Slavonian oak barrels, almost twice as long as his regular Rosso, before a further long period of bottle aging, which is why it is released many years after the harvest. The result is a robust, deeply individual red that has evolved into something silky and complex, with aromas of cherry, plum, prunes, sweet spice, tobacco, underbrush and cocoa, a rich and soft palate and a long, persistent finish. At 15% alcohol and with a cellaring potential of 15 to 25 years, it is a wine for a special meal, best with red meat, ragù and mature cheeses. The bottle is in perfect condition, with intact label and capsule and high fill level. Stored in a professional temperature-controlled cellar.