2004 Rosso Gravner

The 2004 Rosso Gravner emerges from the glass with layers of silky, textured fruit that caress the palate from start to finish. The sweetness of the tannins makes the wine immensely enjoyable even today, while the sheer concentration of the fruit argues for at least a few years of cellaring. Either way, the 2004 Rosso is a beautiful, elegant wine. Gravner had originally intended to release the Rosso with his top label, Rujno, but changed his mind at the last minute. The only thing the Rosso lacks is a little more depth on the finish. Other than that, it is a totally fabulous, convincing wine. My suggestion is to drink the wine relatively early, as Friuli’s reds rarely develop the nobility of tertiary aromas found in most top-flight Italian reds. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2022. My recent visit with Josko Gravner was an incredible experience, as I had a chance to taste a huge number of wines spanning a full 20 years. Gravner is especially proud of his 2010s, a vintage in which he had the patience to wait into October to harvest, very late even by his own standards. Yields were tiny, but the fruit achieved quite a bit of botrytis, which Gravner seeks in his whites. I tasted all of the 2010s from amphora and they are indeed full of potential. After having lost his son in a tragic motorcycle accident in 2009, Gravner remarked that the only thing left for him to do in life is to make great wines and it is quite clear that he is willing to risk everything in the pursuit of profoundness. Increasingly, Gravner is focused on his whites, which will now spend six years in barrel and another year in bottle prior to being released. All of the wines are fermented in amphora and stay on the skins until the following spring, when they are racked into cask for aging. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799