Rojac – Renero, 2015

Today we’re returning to Gažon, to the Rojac family, to taste their striking rendition of Refosco, which they started producing from a sheer interest in what can happen if you push it to the fullest of its expression.

At Rojac, organic with elements of biodynamic farming principles are employed, so Renero is adorned with this certification, reflecting their respect for nature.

Grapes from two vineyards are used to produce this extractive wine; Baredi with terraces facing southeast at an altitude between 200 and 220 meters above sea level, and Stari d’Or with terraces and hilltop with identical aspect and altitude as Baredi. Vines were planted between 1996 and 1999 into Eocene flysch with layers of limestone.

Selected bunches with fully ripe and healthy berries were hand-harvested between the last week of September and the beginning of October. After destemming and crushing, the mash fermented in big cone-shaped oak barrels for thirty-five days with manual punch-downs every four hours. The temperatures were uncontrolled, between 22 and 28 ° Celsius, with spontaneous fermentation.

It was then gently pressed and racked into neutral barrique barrels of Slavonian and French oak, where it matured for 46 months, also conducting malolactic fermentation. It was then bottled without filtration following the moon calendar in September of 2019.

Renero displays a deep ruby red colour with a purple edge and shows a pronounced density, quickly stopping when swirling the glass.

Intense and seductive aromas reveal wild berry jam, dried chokeberry, black currant. Notes of chocolate, mint, cedar and green walnut. Roasted nuts flirt with coffee, cloves, caramel and carob.

Its taste is semi-dry, warm, with crisp acidity and pronounced, grippy tannins. A wine with a vigorous body and expressed elegance delivering a lasting aftertaste reconfirming cooked and dried fruit, sweet spices, roasted nuts and mint—a nobility with tremendous ageing potential.

Renero indeed is something special, produced only in the best vintages. And this one comes at the 10^th anniversary of its first bottling. I’m lucky enough to keep a bottle stored safely. Over the years, it has undoubtedly seen some style changes, the most noticeable going from a dry to a semi-dry wine, but this change adds a touch of balance and finesse to this lusciously rich expression of Refosco.

A bottle will cost you between 40 and 45 Eur, and you can get it at Vinoo.co, 13vol and WeVino.