Radikon Merlot 2010 500 Ml

Grape: Merlot 
Vintage: 2010
Type: Red

Originating from the hyper-steep, densely planted slopes of Oslavia in Friuli, right along the Slovenian border, this late-released flagship red is an extraordinary monument to patient winemaking. While the Radikon family is globally revered for pioneering the modern skin-contact white movement, their approach to reds is equally uncompromising. Sourced from old-vine Merlot grown on mineral-dense ponca soils (layered marl and sandstone), the grapes are harvested by hand at extreme maturity. In the cellar, the fruit undergoes an intense, wild-yeast fermentation and a staggering two-month maceration on the skins in large oak vats with no temperature control. The wine is then aged for a patient five to six years in neutral oak botti, followed by several additional years of resting in the bottle before release. Packed in their signature 500 ml bottle with a narrow cork, it is bottled completely unfiltered with zero added sulfur.

In the glass, it pours an opaque, deep garnet-brick color with warm mahogany edges, showing its structural evolution. The nose is a mesmerizing, deeply savory kaleidoscope, bursting with notes of dark plum compote, dried black cherries, black tea leaves, cured tobacco, leather, and a complex undercurrent of dark cocoa powder and forest floor. On the palate, a "crystalline" current of vibrant, alpine acidity remains remarkably alive, cutting directly through the massive concentration and physical weight of the 2010 fruit. The extended skin contact yields an imposing, architectural framework of fine-grained, fully resolved tannins that coat the mouth with velvety precision. It reaches a dramatic, extraordinarily long finish that leaves a persistent, complex trail of dried dark fruits, wild thyme, graphite, and a powerful, salty stamp of crushed stone.