Terrano Skerlj 2022
Artisanal
Unusual grapesThe Terrano by Skerlj is a red wine of great minerality and sharp, almost green freshness that comes from the clay-rich, iron-rich soils of the Carso area. The aromatic profile is rich in suggestions of small dark berry fruits, earth, mineral nuances, and light hints of sweet spices. On the palate, it is tense and vibrant, with pronounced mineral freshness and delicate tannins.
The Terrano of Skerlj is produced on the harsh and rugged Italian plateaus of the Carso at the border with Slovenia. Viticulture here is difficult and hostile because the land (red in these areas) is scarce, the karst rock abounds and the Bora, the cold wind from the North, strikes with impetuous and constant vigor. The Carso seems almost traversed by a dark energy that travels in the depths and carves rivers and caves. However, behind this shadow, there is the smile and patience of great winemakers who every year comply with this harsh and arid nature, fighting it with strength and sacrifice, extracting the purest and most crystalline essence. The Carso is thus one of the most incredible and spectacular areas for wine production, where Matej and Kristina Skerlj challenge the land every year with love and passion to cultivate their grapes. The Terrano, for example, is the only grape variety from the Skerlj winery's plots that gives rise to red berries and is also the most symbolic red of the area, to the point of being known also by the name of “Blood of Carso”.
The wine Terrano Skerlj is the child of the uncontested and at times aggressive forces of nature (wind, rock, and sea), left free to express themselves. Matej does not treat his land, does not resort to any chemical expedient in the vineyard, preserving the vitality and fertility of the soil. Even in the winery, his belief remains unchanged, he does not intervene, allowing the indigenous yeasts, naturally present on the skins, to trigger alcoholic fermentation and the maceration to enrich the must with aromas and flavors. The aging finally lasts at least two years and takes place in wooden barrels, carefully laid down in the extraordinary cellar carved into the rock.
Skerlj Terrano shows in the glass its brick red dress, slightly loaded and with the possible presence of natural residues, due to the absence of filtration operations. The olfactory profile offers a pleasant fusion of essences: dark berries, dark fruits, roots, sea puffs, earthy hints, and mineral breaths. The sip envelops the palate with sincerity, revealing a fresh, crisp, and very taut structure that encourages