Refošk (Refosco) is a variety whose wines are dark red with purple highlights. They smell relatively gently of berries, but also offer slightly wild herbal aromas, and if they have been aged in barrels, they are also spiced with a little vanilla. The taste of Rinov Refosco is in a way bandit-like: it strikes hard and suddenly, lasts a long time and doesn't hurt. In fact, it calls for more.
Cools in the Sun, warms by the fireplace
Even in summer, if it cools down more than is usual for red wines, it can be enjoyed with mature prosciutto, hard cheese and pickled vegetables or roasted, fatty red meat. Its best friends, however, are pastas with strong sauces and winter stews made from as red meat as possible, wild as wild boar, for example.
Rino and Refosco became friends like Charles Rolls and Henry Royce 120 years ago, when they founded the famous factory, named it after their surnames and put the initials R and R on the logo. The Prelac winery also has material for the third 'R'. It is Rosé from the same variety. And with numbers in pairs you can play not only counting the initial letters, but also wines from other indigenous Istrian varieties.
Queen Malvasia
Rino also makes two wines from the Istrian queen Malvasia. The first bears the name of the variety and is the base, and probably the most important wine in terms of the market, but it is still a bit different from the others.
At a time when two-thirds of Istrian fresh Malvasias resemble each other, this one has retained its individuality. Primarily due to its gentle salinity, which is probably due to the mineral soil on which the vineyards are located, and it is felt in the glass as a slightly different and longer-lasting freshness. Malvasia Šinjora, on the other hand, is a more mature Lady, as its name suggests.
A serious wine even for intimate company
The skins of the berries were macerated for a while in grape juice, and the maturation took longer than with fresh Malvasia. And it is like a lady in her prime. Anyone who notices her out of the corner of his eye will not turn after her, but anyone who looks at her a little closer, will not take fis eyes off her for a long time. It is a serious wine for serious fish with serious olive oil at a dinner with serious company which can also be intimate.
The third wine duet is fragrant and sweet. Momjan Muscat is a semi-sweet, but fresh and airy wine that smells of wildflowers and juicy peaches, pairing well with desserts such as fruit tarts and strudels. Passito Gregorio, on the other hand, is a luxurious dessert wine made from selected grapes that have been sun-dried on straw for three months after harvest.
A harmony of acids, sweetness and fullness
It smells of flowers, orange peel and honey. The latter two sensations continue very pleasantly in the taste, in which alcohol, acids, sweetness and fullness are beautifully harmonized. A wonderful wine for luxurious desserts and mature cheeses with a more intense aroma, or, alternatively, intimate company.
Two red wines are also dedicated to grandchildren. Vita is a blend of Merlot, Refosco and Cabernet Sauvignon that smells red, of berries, cherries and red plums. The taste is cheerful and bright, like the granddaughter to whom it is dedicated. Oliver is a Merlot made from selected grapes. It was aged more than two years in wooden barrels of various sizes and slowly opens up.
It should be drunk slowly
At first it smells of red fruit, then of violets and lavender. Then comes spices like black pepper with a hint of chocolate, and finally of a mint. It needs time in the glass and you have to respect that and drink it slowly. Rino has also the international duo, from the most widespread varieties on the planet. Chardonnay is recommended with seafood pasta and risotto with shrimp, in the spring also with fresh wild asparagus. Cabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, is a thick and spicy wine for meat dishes.
Finally, we should mention the wines with which the tastings usually begin. The name is one, but again there are two. Both sparkling wines are called Blanc & Noir, which means that they are not white only from black grapes, in which case they would be Blanc de Noirs, but from two whites and red: Chardonnay, Malvasia, Pinot Noir... For over a decade, Rino has used the Charmat method for sparkling wines. It means that the second fermentation took place in tanks. Charmat Blanc & Noir has a vibrant greenish-yellow color, smells delicately of stone fruit and is beautifully refreshing.
A classic sparkling is coming from 2024
Using the classic method of second fermentation in the bottle, Rino made sparkling wine for the first time in 2020. It was aged on fine lees for three years and was a delight. He didn't make it during the corona period, and now the 2024 classic is aging. We tasted it on a very warm morning and it showed that it will again be something special.
Rino has already started harvesting. He says the grapes are attacked by wasps, the game is also being fed on them and there has been no rain for a long time so the berries are drying up on their own. The situation is not dangerous yet, but the weight will fall off his heart when the must will be in the cellar.
Fotografije: Marko Malović