La Roncaia – Fantinel – Refosco D.O.C. Friuli Oriental Hills – Red Wine – Avvenice

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 – Refosco D.O.C. Friuli Oriental Hills – Red Wine

It shines for the intense garnet red with ruby reflections, it smells of berries, releases an imposing flavor. Refosco is a great Friulian wine produced with fine grapes of the native Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso vine. It is harvested late in October on the hills of Nimis and part of the production is subjected to skilful drying. It is refined in oak barriques for over 18 months.

Specifications

Classification

DOC Friuli Colli Orientali

Vines

Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso

Color

Intense garnet red with ruby reflections.

Nose

Intense, complex, with earthy hints of wild and berry tones that then give space to spicy and toasted fragrances to arrive at ethereal scents.

Palate

Warm, velvety, tannic; a wine with great body, intensity and gustatory persistence.

Alcoholic Strength

14.5 % vol.

Ideal Serving Temperature

18-20˚ C

Pairings

It goes well with grilled meats and game.