iClivi Merlot (Marina's CRUSH! and mine too!!)

If you spend enough time at the shop you’ll inevitably hear me or Molly wax poetic about Friuli and all the bottles that stand out from the NE corner of Italy. iClivi’s wines are a prime example and are serious standout recs whenever they’re on the shelves. 

i Clivi began as the work of Ferdinando Zanusso - after decades spent in Africa he came to Friuli and found old vineyards and applied his open and well traveled approach to winemaking. Honoring the land, allowing the grapes to find their own way, and not standing in the way of their expression. Continuing the legacy of his father’s wines is Mario Zanusso - in a beautifully cyclical way called to the vines after a nomadic period and a professional life in Economics. Mario is continuing and honoring the work of his father and still adding his own perspective and insights into the wine. 

Spanning the Colli Orientali del Friuli and Collio, iClivi’s sometimes 60-80+ year old vines grow on steeply inclined sites on cancerous clay soils. An area prized for its white wines, their roughly 12 hectares are planted with Friulano, Malvasia, Ribolla Gialla, and Verduzzo - with a touch of Merlot and Schioppettino. Considering how outstanding their whites are, it’s not surprising how few reds they produce, which means the reds that are coming out of their cellars aren’t rushed but rather treated with the utmost care and highest standards.

My crush this week is, of course, their 2020 Merlot! I love how seriously drinkable it is. It’s easy going down - surprisingly lighter than I expected with a great acid kick. There’s plenty of dark fruit - but think a little under ripe with that acidity. And some savory herb and spice and a really lovely texture. There’s all the depth I’m looking for without the heft. I found once it was open an hour or two it really started to hit its stride - the acid still there but mellowed a bit. Went well with the veggie soup we had for dinner and the long chat with old friends afterward. A perfect bottle of red and some old friends…pretty much my ideal pairing.

- Marina