2023 Cabert Franconia 'Viola'

100% Franconia (the Italian name for Blaufränkisch) from the Trevenezie IGT.  Fully destemmed, macerated for 8 days and fermented and aged in stainless steel. 12.5% alcohol.  

Cabert, or the Cantina di Bertiolo, was founded in 1960 as a co-operative winery in the Udine region, 40 miles northwest of Trieste. Today it continues to serve its hundreds of member families by vinifying and marketing high-quality wine in large volumes. Cabert is the premium label, Villa San Martino is the value priced line.  Cabert is located in Bertiolo, a town at the heart of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The Alps protect the area from the cold north wind, while the nearby Adriatic Sea helps maintain a mild climate. It is a large area formed by the floodplains of the Meduna, Cellina and Tagliamento rivers, which, over the millennia, have deposited enormous quantities of dolomitic limestone, torn from mountains by the violence of the water and dragged downstream along the riverbeds. The stony surface reflects light necessary for the grapes to ripen during the day, and releases the heat, accumulated in the hottest hours, during the night.