At a trade event in San Francisco a few years ago, I met Daniele Drius of Simon de Brazzan and tasted just about every wine in his lineup. I walked away thinking,
this guy is going to be a star.At the time, I believe his wines were making their debut in the US, and you might say he hit a home run in his first at-bat—the whites and reds alike had such precision and refinement it was hard to believe that Drius is a relatively recent arrival on the Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine scene. My latest encounter with Simon di Brazzan left me (and my SommSelect colleagues) raving about today’s uncommonly beautiful Cabernet Franc. I’m not going to compare it to anything from the Loire Valley in France because it is its own thing—an expression of a noble grape and place that have a long history together. The so-called ‘Bordeaux’ varieties have thrived in this part of the world for centuries, and with Cabernet Franc and Merlot especially, the Friulians craft some of the world’s most elegant, detailed, varietally true versions outside of France. What wowed us about this wine was its elegance, its exceptionally fine texture, and its seamless melding of saturated fruit and just the right amount of the peppery, herbaceous notes Cabernet Franc is known for. There’s a refinement to this wine that many Cabernet Francs lack, but I’m not going to compare it to Right Bank Bordeaux, either—in terms of its weight class, it’s much closer to red Burgundy, as Drius’ chosen bottle shape would suggest. I’ve been a Friuli ‘true believer’ for a while, but there are a few more now at SommSelect headquarters—check it out for yourself and you’ll be onboard, too!
Drius is based in the village of Brazzano di Cormons, right in the epicenter of Friulian white wine country near the region’s eastern border with Slovenia. He inherited a small farm from his grandfather, which included vineyards and some wine production, but over the past 10 years he’s been re-planting vines and implementing organic and biodynamic practices in the process. His vineyards and winery are situated right where the Collio and Isonzo del Friuli DOC appellations meet, with soils composed primarily of ponka (a sandstone-marl mixture) along with more ‘alluvial’ gravel and clay. This area is effectively equidistant from the Julian Alps, which extend into neighboring Slovenia, and the Adriatic Sea. The interplay of mountain and sea-borne air is a critical climate feature that helps lengthen the growing season and preserve freshness in grapes. This has always been touted as a key to the region’s success with white wines, but ultimately, it applies equally to reds: like the whites, the reds have an elegant, aromatic, ‘cool-climate’ feel, but there’s real depth there as well.
Sourced from two small vineyard parcels, today’s 2016 was harvested toward the end of October and fermented/aged in stainless steel, followed by six months in bottle before release. There’s tremendous purity to the fruit, which is balanced perfectly with the earthier, spicy notes that often dominate Cabernet Franc wines. The texture is more fine-grained and elegant than usual—rarely do we venture outside the Loire or Bordeaux for top-class Cabernet Franc, but not only did this wine prove worth the effort, it will outclass many French competitors. In the glass, it’s a deep ruby-red moving to a magenta rim, with vivid aromas of black raspberry, cranberry, black plum skin, pomegranate, tobacco leaf, mint, ground black pepper, and violets. It is medium-bodied and very lithe and feminine, with silky tannins and a bright, aromatic finish—just delicious. Although 30 minutes in a decanter is never a bad thing, you can pull the cork on this wine a few minutes before service and be instantly gratified: Serve it in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees with burgers or steaks off the grill, or a classic veal
saltimbocca. Those sage leaves have a friend in this supple, savory red. Enjoy!
