4 and 6 bottle levels     $23 (member price $20)
100% Merlot   13.5% ABV

I was in Eastern Europe in 1991 with my brother Sam.  It was a turbulent time, as the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.  Slovenia and Croatia had just declared independence from Yugoslavia.  We were in Budapest, pondering our next stop.  Our first thought was Slovenia, so we purchased a English-Slovenian dictionary and checked train schedules.  My Budapest friend told us that there was shooting going on in Slovenia, so we might not be let into the country.  We went elsewhere, but I kept the dictionary.  At first sip, this Merlot tasted like Bordeaux.  After the second sip, it tasted like Friuli – logical, because the vineyards are just a few miles from Friuli.  50% is aged for 18 months in French oak barriques (mostly neutral).  Red plum, blackberry, dark chocolate, warm earth.

Food Pairing Suggestions:
Serve this elegant red with braised rabbit, grilled Portobello mushrooms, herbed pork tenderloin with olives over mushroom polenta, eggplant Parmesan, chicken stuffed with Feta, preserved lemon and sun dried tomatoes, veal Scallopine, spinach and Fontina quiche, chicken tomato curry, beef cheek ravioli, and mushroom Marsala. This silky red also pairs with a wide range of cheeses from Italian favorites like Tallegio, Robiola and Gorgonzola to fancy French chèvre such as Cabriflore or triple cream cow’s milk St. Andre.