I Clivi is Mario Zanusso’s family winery in the Colli Orientali (“Eastern Hills”) of northeast Italy, a couple of kilometers from the border with Slovenia. Farming is certified organic. Estimates of when cabernet franc was brought here from France range from a hundred years ago to the time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Italian Campaigns, over 200 years ago. Whenever it was, the variety has proven immensely successful and popular here. I Clivi’s version is fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in stainless steel tanks. It has classic cabernet franc aromas of dusty red fruits and autumn leaves, with an extra Italian push of pleasingly bitter cherries. This is a supremely fresh and satisfying wine - it’s bright and savory and oh-so-easy to drink, with just 12.5% alcohol. Drink it with herby soups or dishes with capsicum, including paprika or pimentón.
