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“Refosco” is not actually a particular wine grape: rather, it refers to a family of closely related but distinct red-wine grapes, often referred to as “the Refoschi”. Jancis Robinson, in her monumental book Wine Grapes, citing a 2005 study by Costacurta et al., lists six distinct grapes as members of the Refoschi:
Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso (“Refosco of the red stem”)
Refosco d’Istria (aka Terrano & Teran, as well as Refošk)
Refosco di Faedis (aka Refosco Nostrano)
Refosco del Botton (may or may not be the same as Tazzelenghe: experts seem to disagree)
Refosco di Guarnieri (aka Trevisana Nera)
Refosco di Rauscedo (aka Refosco Gentile)
The Refoschi originated in northeastern Italy, in the so-called “Triveneto” (or “Tre Venezie”) region of Italy, centered on Venice. It is a grape family, and wine, of great antiquity, being listed as having been served at a great banquet given in 1409, and there are yet earlier references.
Like many Italian red wines, Refoscos tend toward high acidity. They also tend to be “big” wines: full-bodied, strongly flavored, quite tannic, and with a touch of the bitterness that Italians are said to like in their foods and wines. The flavor quality is dark fruit, with the terms “plum”, “currant”, and “berry” showing up frequently. Better examples will age tolerably well.
It is important to realize that the Refoschi, while referred to by us and many as a “family”, include some grapes closely related one to another, but also some grapes not at all closely related to the others. Like, say, Malvasia or Muscat, the term is not even generic but better described as familial (as in species→genus→family). And even granted all that, the confusions about just exactly what those inter-relations may be is very far from settled; even with the advent of DNA profiling, many disagreements and just plain mysteries remain. All we can do is give you a quick sketch of the situation. (But note that according to DNA analysis, they are not any of them related to Mondeuse, old theories notwithstanding.)
Refosco dal Pedunculo Rosso
This has long been acclaimed the best of the Refoschi, and is the most widely planted, mainly in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region around Venice. Its priority, however, may be under challenge from some of the other Refoschi, now that some attention is being paid to their capabilities and the best ways of exploiting those capabilities.
Refosco d’Istria
This grape, especially under its more common names Terrano (Italian) and Teran (Croatian) has surged in popularity in recent years. It is, as Jancis Robinson puts it, a “significant” wine. Grown on its home ground, it makes fruity wines of freshness and elegance that improve with barrel aging. It is good enough to compete with Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso for critical ratings within the Refoschi family.
Worth noting, though, is that Istrian Teran is distinctively flavored by the high iron content in the soil in that region (in particular, the Karst Plateau), soil known as terra rossa; that’s good in some ways, but there is a possible catch—as Wikipedia puts it, “does not age well—notably, chemical analyses have confirmed that the content of bivalent iron starts to diminish radically two years after fermentation—and should be consumed within its first year; after that, the wine quickly loses its attractive vitality and can even become bitter and flat.” We say “possible” catch because it is unclear what the authority is for the assertions made there (even following out the links to sources).
Refosco di Faedis
This type, now more commonly known as Refosco Nostrano, had faded greatly in popularity, but a dedicated group of growers in Faedis are trying to make it yet another of the “re-discovered” grapes Italy is coming up with in recent times. Their bottlings are called Refosco Nostrano. Ian D’Agata, a reknowned expert on Italian wines, considers it a high-quality grape making correspondingly high-quality wines. If you ever see a bottle, try it!
Whether Refoscone is a synonym of Refosco Nostrano is yet another item of ongoing confusion among the experts. Robinson asserts definitely that it is, whereas D’Agata holds it to be a distinct type (both basing their statements on some sort of DNA evidence). It is inherently quite productive, but the skins are very thin, making it susceptible to diseases, hence its relative unpopularity with growers. There do not seem at present to be any monovarietal bottlings of Refoscone to be had anywhere.
Refosco del Botton
Whether this type is the same thing as Tezzelenghe seems unclear. Robinson says it is, and so did D’Agata in his earlier book; but now D’Agata, citing more recent DNA analyses, asserts that Tezzelenghe is a separate, distinct Refoschi type. Tezzelenghe is a good-quality grape that was severely reduced in popularity during the Parkerized decades when wines that did not boom explosively were disfavored. In any event, it seems well worth a try if you ever run across a bottle of Colli Orientali del Friuli Tazzelenghe, the only D.O.C. Tazzelenghe now made. D’Agata says the wines are not huge but rather are graceful and refined.
Refosco Gentile
Refosco Gentile is a low-producing grape, and so has fallen into commercial disfavor. There are indications, however, that it can produce high-quality wine, and it is another candidate for a revival effort (the University of Udine is studying the type).
For those mysterious reasons that drive the eccentricities of international wine marketing, the Refoschi at present remain varieties little known to or appreciated by the U.S. market, despite general critical plaudits for the wines. (That accounts for the paucity of the lists farther below.)
Factoid: The Parenzana railway from Trieste to Poreč was often called the wine railroad (or the vineyard railroad) because, it was said, the Habsburgs who controlled the Austro-Hungarian Empire were especially fond of wines from the Triveneto, notably including Refosco.
“The wines this grape yields can be quite powerful and tannic, with a deep violet color and a slight bitterness. On the palate, there are strong currant, wild berry and plum flavors. The wine can stand some aging (depending on variety), and after a period of four-to-ten years, it achieves a floral quality as well."
“The deeply colored wine produced from the grape tends to be full-bodied with high acidity levels and flavors of plum & almond notes. Since the renewed interest in the grape of the 1980s, winemakers have experimented with producing more internationally recognizable styles of the grape with techniques like malolactic fermentation and new oak aging to mix results.”
“Refosco wines have particularly high acidity and are mostly dark and densely colored with violet and grassy aromas. Flavors of dark peppery spices and plums abound on the palate, and the wine often displays a slightly astringent, almond-skin finish on the palate. Refosco is a late ripener, and if harvested too early, can produce harsh, unripe tannins.”
“This deeply colored wine is robust and full-bodied with discernible tannins yet polished and supple with black fruit flavors and almond notes. It has a long and pleasant finish marked with notes of plums and currants. The Refosco’s prominent acidity, typical for this variety, makes it a good complement to a wide variety of foods, especially grilled meats and other hearty meat entrees.”
“Refosco makes tannic and hardy red wines with high levels of acidity and currants. Recent versions have taken well to new oak and cold fermentation. The best examples of Refosco come from the Colli Orientali region of Friuli. ”
“Rich in both tannin and acidity, the dark-skinned Refosco produces sturdy wines with red berry and currant flavors. The wines are most expressive when paired with poultry or game and will generally benefit from a bit of cellaring.”
“Deep violet color with the aroma and flavors of Damson plums, supported with light-to-medium tannins. A faint, not unpleasant, bitterness surfaces in the finish. After four to seven years, Refosco assumes a bouquet of faded violets and dried plums.”
“Refosco is not a wine for everyone. It is a complex wine and structured wine with pronounced flavors with a residual of tannins. To the nose, an intense bouquet of liquorices, blackberry and spices. To the taste, Refosco is complex and structured wine with tones of wild blackberry, violet and cloves. Refosco also has a distinct flavor of the minerals in the hills of collio that persists during the entire meal.”
“According to Lynch and Bastianich in their Vino Italiano, styles for Refosco can be all over the place from juicy, grapey Beaujolais-like wines to firmer, more solid examples like [the one being reviewed], so buying a Refosco can be a bit of a gamble. I would guess that it's probably a bigger concern in the area itself, as I would imagine that most of the wines that are imported into the US represent the firmer, more extracted and serious-minded approach to the wine.…”
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Some Descriptions of Refosco Wines
“The wines this grape yields can be quite powerful and tannic, with a deep violet color and a slight bitterness. On the palate, there are strong currant, wild berry and plum flavors. The wine can stand some aging (depending on variety), and after a period of four-to-ten years, it achieves a floral quality as well."
Wikipedia at "Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso"“The deeply colored wine produced from the grape tends to be full-bodied with high acidity levels and flavors of plum & almond notes. Since the renewed interest in the grape of the 1980s, winemakers have experimented with producing more internationally recognizable styles of the grape with techniques like malolactic fermentation and new oak aging to mix results.”
“Refosco wines have particularly high acidity and are mostly dark and densely colored with violet and grassy aromas. Flavors of dark peppery spices and plums abound on the palate, and the wine often displays a slightly astringent, almond-skin finish on the palate. Refosco is a late ripener, and if harvested too early, can produce harsh, unripe tannins.”
“This deeply colored wine is robust and full-bodied with discernible tannins yet polished and supple with black fruit flavors and almond notes. It has a long and pleasant finish marked with notes of plums and currants. The Refosco’s prominent acidity, typical for this variety, makes it a good complement to a wide variety of foods, especially grilled meats and other hearty meat entrees.”
“Refosco makes tannic and hardy red wines with high levels of acidity and currants. Recent versions have taken well to new oak and cold fermentation. The best examples of Refosco come from the Colli Orientali region of Friuli. ”
“Rich in both tannin and acidity, the dark-skinned Refosco produces sturdy wines with red berry and currant flavors. The wines are most expressive when paired with poultry or game and will generally benefit from a bit of cellaring.”
“Deep violet color with the aroma and flavors of Damson plums, supported with light-to-medium tannins. A faint, not unpleasant, bitterness surfaces in the finish. After four to seven years, Refosco assumes a bouquet of faded violets and dried plums.”
“Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso…makes dense, lively wines with bite. ”
“Refosco is not a wine for everyone. It is a complex wine and structured wine with pronounced flavors with a residual of tannins. To the nose, an intense bouquet of liquorices, blackberry and spices. To the taste, Refosco is complex and structured wine with tones of wild blackberry, violet and cloves. Refosco also has a distinct flavor of the minerals in the hills of collio that persists during the entire meal.”
“According to Lynch and Bastianich in their Vino Italiano, styles for Refosco can be all over the place from juicy, grapey Beaujolais-like wines to firmer, more solid examples like [the one being reviewed], so buying a Refosco can be a bit of a gamble. I would guess that it's probably a bigger concern in the area itself, as I would imagine that most of the wines that are imported into the US represent the firmer, more extracted and serious-minded approach to the wine.…”
“It is a heavy, rich red wine, full bodied, with flavors of plum and almond.”