2018 Tenuta Luisa Friuli Isonzo Cabernet Franc

2018 Tenuta Luisa Friuli Isonzo Cabernet Franc

2018 Tenuta Luisa Friuli Isonzo Cabernet Franc

The pride of viticulture in Corona and one of Tenuta Luisa’s most highly demanded wines. The soil and microclimate, as well as the winemaking traditions handed down through the generations, all combine to give a wine with a genuine personality. The wine is an intense ruby red in color, typically herbacious, slightly tangy, and full-bodied.

Pairs well with spiced courses and meat, perfect with venison.

A long family passion, beginning more than 80 years ago, began when Francesco Luisa, left a widower at only 37 years old and with six children to raise, had the foresight and the grit to purchase 5 ha (12 acres) of land.

The source of some of Italy’s best and most distinctive white wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is where Italian, Germanic and Slavic cultures converge. The styles of wines produced in this region of Italy’s far north-east reflect this merging of cultures. Often shortened to just “Friuli,” the area is divided into many distinct subzones, including Friuli Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio Goriziano and Carso. The flat valley of Friuli Grave is responsible for a large proportion of the region’s wine production, particularly the approachable Pinot grigio and the popular Prosecco. The best vineyard locations are often on hillsides, as in Colli Orientali del Friuli or Collio. In general, Friuli boasts an ideal climate for viticulture, with warm sunny days and chilly nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and evenly.

In Colli Orientali, the specialty is crisp, flavorful white wine made from indigenous varieities like Friulano (formerly known as Tocai Friulano), Ribolla gialla and Malvasia Istriana.

Red wines, though far less common here, can be quite good, especially when made from the deeply colored, rustic Refosco variety. In Collio Goriziano, which abutts Slovenia, many of the same varieties are planted. International varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are also common, but they tend to be Loire-like in style with herbaceous character and mellow tannins. Carso’s star grape is the red Teranno, notable for being rich in iron content and historically consumed for health purposes. It has an earthy, meaty profile and is often confused with the distinct variety Refosco.