Refosco - Friulian autochthon black grape varieties part II

The finest Refoscos have floral character.

Refosco (and Teran)

Undoubtedly one with a complicated pedigree, Refosco is the kind of black autochthon grape from Friuli that deserves to be brought to the wine lovers attention. Actually, rather than a single grape variety, Refosco is a family of grape varieties that (supposedly) originates in Friuli but has over the centuries mutated into several related varieties. There is plenty of dispute around whether certain grape varieties belong to the Refosco family and, if they do, to which extent they are related to Refosco variety. Let’s see.

Before we get to Friuli, it is worth mentioning that there are number of Refosco related grape varieties that are important for Slovenian and Croatian wine industry. The most important variety is Teran of which there is particularly contrasting information around regarding its relationship to Refosco. Some sources use Teran synonymous to Refosco; others consider Teran a completely independent variety. In Friuli, Teran is cultivated in Friuli Carso DOC, which shares a border with Croatia. Here Teran has its own DOC - Terrano DOC. Probably it is safest to say that Teran is a sub variety of Refosco. I’ll come back to Teran when looking at wines of Croatia, but now let’s return to Friuli.

Friuli is the home of the greatest expressions of Refosco anywhere, and it is Colli Orientali in particular that gets the credentials. Here the most important sub variety is the red-stemmed Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. This noble variety is a slow ripener and gives green tannin if harvested too early. On the other hand, there is no hurry to harvest anyway - Refosco is very resistant to rot.

Traditionally Refosco was made into simple table wine - the kind of wine that was consumed while it was young, fresh and fruity. However, being high in both acid and tannin, Refosco has a great potential for aging, as it is capable of producing also dense, full-bodied wines of great structure. During the last years the quality of Refosco wines has greatly improved in Friuli. Temperature controlled fermentation and usage of new oak has steered Refosco wines more towards the international style.

Colli Orientali, the heart land of Refosco, knows the grape’s true potential. Here wonderfully complex expressions of Refosco show its attractive aromatic spectrum of forest berries such as blackberries and blueberries. Diverse aromas of currants, herbal notes as well as plentiful spice are a part of Refosco’s aromatic nature. In the finish, an almond aroma comes to the foreground leaving a bitterness of almond peel on the tongue. The finest Refoscos retain their floral layers, which usually are violet notes. And as if all this wasn’t enough, Colli Orientali Refoscos typically show minerality, which gives elegance to the otherwise dense and fruity wine.

Personally I find both Friulian Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso as well as Croatian Teran very pleasurable grape acquaintances. To my palate they share a lot in common in terms of structure and aromatics. Whether or not they actually are independent varieties will, for now, remain uncertain. What is certain, however, is that there will be juicy wine reviews posted on Divine Wine thanks to both of these delicious, local varieties.