Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A northern Italian Merlot, the Borgo del Tiglio 2018 Collio Rosso Riserva is a beautiful wine with a delicate approach and hushed intensity that reinforces a true sense of elegance that is especially rare for this grape. The bouquet is embroidered with redcurrant, tart cherry, blue flower and something exotic like caraway seeds or crushed flaxseed.
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Vinous
A dusty bouquet of dried violets, cracked chalk, incense, tobacco and crushed blackberries wafts up from the 2018 Collio Rosso Riserva. This is racy with silky textures and cooling acidity, coming across as quite savory, with tart red and black fruits that slowly saturate. Sweet herbal tones last through the long and pleasantly bitter finale as hints of steeped plum resonate over a bed of sweet tannins. While considered a warm vintage, the 2018 is completely classic and harmonious. Due to the high quality of the vintage, Borgo del Tiglio decided to bottle both the Rosso Riserva and Rosso delle Centa.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.