Di Lenardo Just Me Merlot 2009
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Di Lenardo was founded in 1878, in a small town called Ontagnano, located in the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia. However, it was only around the late 1900s that the real change took place — 4th and 5th generation duo Massimo and his father Alberto, seeing the potential of the area, decided to give their all to this company. They focused on combining their winemaking heritage with the newest technology of the time, improving both the growing system in the vineyards and the vinification system in the cellar.
As of today, all the wines are still made using only property grapes, strictly selected and handpicked from five vineyards located in Ontagnano. Friuli Venezia Giulia, is one of the few Italian regions specialized in the production of white wines due to its geography and the unique weather (the estate is surrounded to the north from the Alps and to the south from the Adriatic sea).
Their philosophy is: "to emphasize what [their] soil is generously giving [them]: the pure fruitiness, the acidity and the minerality that [they] find in all [their] grapes."
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.