Vignai da Duline Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso 'Morus Nigra' 2015

In 1997 Lorenzo Mocchiutti and his wife Federica Magrini took over the 'La Duline' vineyard, four hectares of old vines planted by Lorenzo's grandfather back in the 20's. A few years later, they added six hectares of a second vineyard, 'Ronco Pitotti'. Although at the time somewhat neglected and in need of restoration, across the two sites was an extraordinary range of old to very old vines - a mixture of varieties, mostly traditional to this corner of north-east Italy. Thanks to these amazing old vines and a painstaking approach to quality in vineyard and cellar, Lorenzo and Fedrica have created a range of wines that must be among the most fascinating, gastronomic and ageworthy in Italy.

The approach in the vineyard is remarkable, summed up by the motto, 'No trimming the shoots'. Farming is certified organic (and has been organic in practice since 1979) with some biodynamic principles added for good measure. The vineyards are wonderfully green and biodiverse, with interference kept to a minimum. In the winery, fermentation is with wild yeasts and all the wines are matured in seasoned oak casks, with a small percentage of new wood. Sulphites are added only at bottling.

Morus Nigra is the flagship red, made from a small selection of Refosco (dal Peduncolo Rosso) vines planted across both vineyards. It is a deep, textural wine - savoury and concentrated with flavours of dark cherry and a hint of spice. It evolves in the bottle for 10 years or more, and stands comparison with Premier Cru Burgundy.