Conte Brandolini Merlot 2008
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Conte Brandolini owns the 325-acre Cordignano estate in the Province of Treviso. The historical estate has been owned by the Brandolini family since 1780 and their line of estate-bottled wines represents the history and versatility of winemaking in Friuli. The Vistorta estate is nearly 500 acres in total with 100 acres of vineyards comprised of Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Fruiliano, Chardonnay, Prosecco Glera, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the 1700s the Brandolini D’Adda, who were condottieri, or military leaders, in the service of Venice, acquired the enchanting 13th-century borgo of Vistorta and its properties. Vistorta, meaning destiny, is an estate that has been producing wines since the 1800s, however it has only been branded Vistorta since 1985.
Vistorta’s clay soils and warm, well ventilated summers yield red wines of impressive quality that are all hand harvested. Soil is the center of the agricultural system, mixed farming gives neutrality to soil and creates biodiversity with trees. Vistorta wines are certified organic by IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement.
Brandino Brandolini was born and raised on the land of Vistorta in Venice, Italy. When he lived on a kibbutz in Israel, he realized his passion for agriculture. Brandolini chased that feeling to America, where he attended Texas A&M University and studied Agronomy. After finishing his degree, he stayed at Château Greysac in Bourdeaux, where he made the decision to focus his efforts on the merlot and native grapes. In 1965, Conte Brando, Brandino’s father, commissioned a leading landscape architect, the English Russell Page, to reorganize and enlarge the park. The centuries-old trees were joined by rare botanical flora, transforming the space into a park dotted with lakes that is elegant and charming, romantic but unaffected, and with the villa once again its central focus point.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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.