In restaurant-speak, this Friulian red is what’s called a “hand sell.” It’s a sommelier’s pet project, the wine that needs a little extra push because it’s unfamiliar, and that’s exactly the point: It’s worth the extra effort, because it’s unlike anything else on the list. Teran, a.k.a. Terrano, is the indigenous red grape of the Slovenian-Italian-Croatian borderland region known as Kras, or Carso. The area takes its name from the iron-rich, rust-colored karst soils that distinguish the region—and lend a distinctly sanguine color and deeply mineral tanginess to reds like this 2017 from Benjamin Zidarich.
Karst soil gets its reddish hue from a high concentration of iron oxide and calcium. Underneath is a bedrock of mostly limestone, within which is a network of underground caves (some of which have become incredible winery cellars). It’s a coastal region but is also in the path of the powerful burja (bora) winds from the Julian Alps to the northeast. Teran, meanwhile, is a variety known for its exceptionally high concentration of anthocyanins and its tangy acidity. It’s not a variety for the meek, but a better red for food you will not find!
Zidarich first got into the wine business in 1988, starting with just a single hectare of vines. His farming has always been chemical-free, his fermentations spontaneous, his sulfur additions minimal. His Teran is shot through with profound minerality. It’s a variety that skews tangy and crisp, with a bloody, iron-like minerality we often find in Cru Beaujolais wines. It’s also one of those reds that looks like a monolith—a dense, nearly opaque ruby-black hue moving to garnet at the rim—but drinks the opposite. Bright aromas of cherry, cranberry, white pepper, wet soil, iodine, damp strawberry, paprika, and purple flowers carry over to the vivid, medium-bodied palate, which offers up a great push-pull of sweet and savory sensations. It has the structure to age another five years but it makes a perfect burger wine right now: Decant it at least 30 minutes before service in Bordeaux stems alongside something medium-rare or a little 'bloodier' still. They were made for each other. You won’t experience anything else like it!
