To establish a date of the connection between the Pecorari family and viticulture in the Isonzo valleys, near Gorizia, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, just 10 kilometers from the border with Slovenia, we have to go back to 1879. Since then this connection has never been broken, passing through five generations, and arriving at the current owner Alvaro Pecorari who, starting from the important development work done by his father, gave it a definitive organization through the creation of Lis Neris winery.
Alvaro’s determination has helped to make the wines produced the decisive leap in quality, thanks to a careful study of the peculiar characteristics of the land. Most of the 74 hectares are located on a small plateau, born from gravel originating from the melting of glaciers, between the northern Slovenian border and the right bank of the river Isonzo, on land composed of river pebbles (called “Claps”) which absorb heat during the day and release it at night. Climatically, these are lands with continental temperatures that take advantage of both the sea breeze (the Gulf of Trieste is less than 20 kilometers away) and the freshness of the Balkan winds (including the impetuous Bora), a condition that guarantees an excellent temperature range.
In the vineyard, the pursuit of excellence passes by a mix between the latest conception techniques and manual-artisan approach for the most important operations, such as pruning, selection of buds, peeling, thinning of bunches and harvesting. In addition, the winery has begun to follow a biological approach in the vineyard and an ecological philosophy in the cellar, with the abandonment of synthetic chemicals, the control of CO2 emissions and the achievement of energy autonomy, thanks to the solar-photovoltaic system.
The result of all this work is a wide range of wines, with the summit of this pyramid of quality occupied by the line of Premium Cuvée in which the iconic Lis Neris Rosso finds space. It is one of the most famous wines, obtained from Merlot grapes added to a small balance of Cabernet Sauvignon (5-10%) coming from a gravelly plateau (around 60 meters above sea level) in San Lorenzo Isontino. Here, the vines, of an average age of 25 years, planted with a density of around 5500 vines per hectare, produce about one kilo of grapes per plant, carefully selected, by hand, during the harvesting phase. Once in the cellar the grapes are left to macerate in steel vats, for about two weeks, with frequent délestage, maintaining the temperature constantly between 26 and 28 degrees Celsius. The obtained wine is poured into new barriques where it will mature for two years before racking, a further year of aging in bottle, and marketing.
The 2016 vintage shows a medium intensity ruby color, and an olfactory range that opens on notes of cooked plum, tomato concentrate, oil and pot pourri, followed by pomegranate, toasted hazelnut, Kentucky tobacco and humus, with final haematic and empyreumatic echoes. The enveloping palate is able to maintain an agile cadence thanks to a graceful tannin, which caresses the palate and punctuates the various moments of the sip, an excellent sapidity/ mineral and an elegant balsamic freshness; all while mainly resurfacing the spicy tones, empyraeumatic and haematic that persist really long after a juicy and warm closure.
Rating: 90/100
