2020 Valter Scarbolo Campo del Viotto Merlot Venezia Giulia 6pk 6x750ml

Scarbolo is a boutique family winery established in 1982 in the village of Lauzacco in Friuli, Italy's northeastern-most region. Today the estate is helmed by its third generation — daughter Lara and son Mattia — who continue the family's quiet commitment to single-vineyard precision.

Campo del Viotto is the single-vineyard Merlot that defines the estate. This wine is made only in select years with the finest fruit of the vintage. The fruit is hand-harvested in two separate passes: the first whole clusters are dried for about 20 days before being de-stemmed and transferred to small open-top oak barrels; the second harvest is immediately de-stemmed and fermented in the same open-top vessels.

Frequent manual punchdowns extract maximum color and tannin.

The wine is aged for two years — 80% in large tonneaux, 20% in small oak barriques — then bottle-aged for an additional six months before release. The result is flat-out delicious, with tension, depth, great fruit and structure.

In the glass: dark and alluring, with a perfumed display of violets and lavender, sweet wood spice, ripe crushed blackberries and blueberries. Velvety in feel with brisk acids and zesty red and black fruits.

Grippy tannins carry dark chocolate, tobacco and sour cherry. Primary intensity balanced through brisk acids.

For the Merlot drinker who's ready to leave Napa behind and see what the grape does in the hands of a serious family estate in Friuli.