RS

Italy
Friuli
2022

75% Merlot/25% Pignolo. The vines are planted on ponca, a compressed, flaky clay of marl and sandstone that is typical in this part of Friuli. They grow on a south-facing slope right by the winery; average around 30 years old; yield about 45 hl/ha; and are farmed organically and harvested by hand like all Radikon vineyards. The grapes are destemmed and spontaneously co-fermented in 25-hectoliter oak vats without the addition of yeasts, sulfur or temperature control. Maceration is 8-14 days with daily punchdowns. The wine is aged in 25-35-hectoliter botti for a year and bottled without fining or filtering and with a tiny amount of sulfur. "RS" is short for "Rosso Sasa", named for its creator, Sasa Radikon. 

93 points
"The 2022 Rosso RS lifts from the glass with a vivid blend of crushed black cherries and blackberries complicated by cedar shavings and sage. This is energetic and racy in style, with depths of tart wild berry fruits energized by a balanced dose of volatile acidity. Violet inner florals and traces of lavender form toward the close. It finishes dramatically long yet wickedly fresh, leaving a coating of grippy tannins as licorice and currant nuances slowly fade. This is almost too easy to like yet remarkably balanced as well. The RS22 (from the 2022 vintage) is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Pignolo."
Eric Guido,
Vinous Media
December 2023

SKU/Code: 
DB5781-22
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Merlot
Farming Type: 
Organic