Paraschos is a family-run winery located in the San Floriano del Collio area, on the highest peak of the hillside north of the city of Gorizia. A place with ancient traditional values, guardian of a border territory, respectful of the natural balance of the vineyard and one of those places that do wonders for the heart of wine enthusiasts! We are in the Collio Friulano area but the name suggests a connection with Greece, the family's homeland. A connection that is firmly and genuinely preserved by the Greek "pi" that stands out on the labels, as well as by the rare 300-litre amphorae that come from Mycenae and are now in the cellar: symbolic tributes to a past that is vivid in the Paraschos' memory.

Today, the winemaker and cellar master of Paraschos is Evangelos, who owes a great deal to his illustrious masters Gravner and Radikon for teaching him how to macerate the whites on the skins. However, he owes a great deal to himself as well, to his irrepressible passion and his curiosity, which constantly pushes him further. In 2003, it was the first Collio winery to vinify its entire production without the addition of sulphites. Selected yeasts had already been banned from the cellar for a long time and the use of systemic compounds in the vines had been eliminated in favour of copper, sulphur and propolis. The vines are alive, green and grassy with some being 90 years old and emanating a sense of wisdom, territoriality and excellent quality.

The 7 hectares owned by Paraschos are divided among 10 terraced vineyards in Slatnik, between San Floriano and Oslavia, on a typical and unique soil called "ponca", based on marlstone rich in minerals of Eocene origin. The best friend of the vines in this area is the east wind, which blows powerfully, but never violently, caressing, drying and nurturing. Short macerations on the skins, together with careful management of the ripening process to avoid high alcohol content, result in vibrant wines, animated by freshness and drinkability, tension and verticality. These are wines that rest for a very long time in used oak barrels, that go on sale after many years, far from the market trends and the desire to have everything immediately; Evangelos knows how to wait for them with the same patience and composure with which he waits for the fresh winds coming from Slovenia.

Merlot Paraschos 2019

Denomination

Alcohol content

Format

Filosofia produttiva

Additional Notes

Temperature

Glass

When to open

When to drink