Venezia Giulia Rosso "Rujno" 2003 - Gravner

Joško Gravner is a leading winemaker of the Collio Goriziano, on the border between north-eastern Italy and Slovenia, famous for long-lived wines made with ancient methods. His 32 hectares are mostly Ribolla, and every step in the cellar follows the lunar phases.

Rujno 2003 is made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hum and Runk vineyards. The grapes ferment on their skins for 21 days in open oak vats and Georgian amphorae buried in the ground, with indigenous yeasts and no temperature control. The wine then ages four years in Slavonian oak and five years in bottle, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered during a waning moon.

Notes of small red fruits, cinnamon and tobacco. Pair with red meats, soft cheeses or roasted vegetables.