Tenuta Sant'Elena Merlot 2016

With a vivacious ruby color, this Merlot opens with aromas of blackberry, dried cherry, violets, plum preserves, cedar, tobacco and star anise. The supple palate starts with plum notes that quickly shift to more savory elements with hints of dried flowers, clove and underbrush, finishing with fine and well-balanced tannins.

After the manual harvest, the grapes are destemmed and soft-crushed before undergoing maceration for about ten days, depending on the vintage. The must-wine completes the alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats and is transferred into 20-hectoliter wooden barrels, where it ages for 18 months.

Founded in the late 19th century by the Klodic family, Sant’Elena has been producing quality wines for over a century in the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Northern Italy. The historic winery produces elegant, structured wines specializing in Bordeaux varietals and indigenous grapes.

Acquired in the 1990s by Dominic Nocerino, the winery utilizes stony alluvial soils to create age-worthy, complex reds and aromatic whites using organic and sustainable methods. The estate uses environmentally friendly practices, including cover crops, natural fertilizers and no herbicides to protect local biodiversity.