Piro – Merlot Bosc, 2015

New evening, time for a new wine. And this time, a wine of a producer I still haven’t yet had the pleasure of introducing. We’re in Brda, the village of Vipolže, where the Jakončič family has been crafting varietal wines under the name Piro. In exceptional years, when conditions allow, we can also indulge in their single-vineyard expressions, and this Merlot Bosc is a real treat.

Actually, I know Tibor and Tomaž from our high school times as we were going to the same school and are actually of the same generation. At the time, we never really touched discussion of wine, but ain’t this wine world beautiful and petite?

Bosc stands for bošk – local for forest. It’s a vineyard that we pass while moving from Vipolže to Dobrovo. The exposition is mainly facing south and getting heated by the sun throughout the whole day. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are planted in Opoka soil on steep, grassed terraces, allowing for optimal exposure to sun and ripening of grapes.

Harvest is executed manually. Grapes are destemmed and crushed. The mash is allowed to macerate at uncontrolled temperatures with attentive cap management. They rely on selected yeast to start fermentation, and after a gentle pressing, the wine is racked to mature for up to two years in new French barriques. Finally, it is assembled and bottled, ready to enter the market the summer after bottling.

Merlot Bosc shows a deep ruby red colour with a dense texture.

The bouquet is intense, alluring. We detect aromas of ripe blackberries, cherries, even mulberries, followed by notes of eucalyptus, cedar, black pepper, vanilla and chocolate. We also notice coffee and finally graphite.

Its taste is soft, with well-integrated alcohol, at the same time still fresh and tannic, with tannins starting to round up. Flavours are intense, reconfirming hints of ripe fruit, sweet spices and graphite. The taste is vigorous, with pronounced elegance and lasting persistency.

A wine that combines ripe fruity characteristics with the oak in a wine full of stamina and elegance. A bottle will cost you approximately 20 Eur, and you can get it at Koželj or Jezeršek. You can easily forget bottles for at least the next 7 years.