Product Overview
Winemaker's Notes
"This is perhaps my best wine. Artïûl is the name, in Friulano, given to the newly born grass that grows in the fields after the hay has been collected. This indeed, was the first new wine I produced when the management of the estate was handed down from by dad, Severo: “new shoots growing from old roots.” Only the perfectly healthy and ripe grapes are hand picked late in harvest. The grapes are left to ferment for a long period of time on the skins in truncated cone shaped oak vats, without any temperature control, and without adding selected yeasts or enzymes. During this time the cap of grape skins is frequently punched down. After fermentation, the wine is lightly pressed and racked into 225-litre French oak barrel where it matures for 24 months. When the time is right, it is bottled without any filtration or clarification on a waning moon between August and September. A great Bordelaise-style wine, it seems to be set for a long life and freshness – the 1994 vintage is still remarkable – even without preservatives. It is ruby red with nuances of garnet and displays the characteristic aroma of spices and hints undergrowth. This wine is full bodied and warm, with a long persistence on the palate."
Varietal Composition: 100% Merlot
Appellation: Friuli Colli Orientali DOC
Farming Practices: Organic, Biodynamic
Aging: 24 months in French oak barrels
Winemaker and owner: Stefano Novello
94 Points - Vinous
"The 2018 Merlot Artiùl Riserva is vividly intense. Split pine and cinnamon sugar aromas accentuate a burst of wild blueberries and sweet sage on the nose. This is youthfully lean and wiry in feel. Depths of tart wild berry fruit and sour citrus saturate the palate as chalky mineral tones collect, and zesty acidity works hard to maintain freshness. The 2018 finishes long and structured with a tension that only cellaring can relieve, as hints of sage and saline minerals linger. This is just a baby today, yet with the potential for greatness." -EG, Dec/2023
