A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 10% Schioppettino, the Conte d'Attimis-Maniago 2013 Friuli Colli Orientali Vignaricco is surely a unique wine with upfront aromas that remind me of honey or dried apricot confit. With just a few swift swirls of the glass, those sweetener tones lift and disappear to reveal perfumed rose, potting soil, button mushroom and candied cassis or dark currant. With even more time in the glass, you get dark olive and rosemary sprig. The entirety of the bouquet is lifted, fruity and very bright, and this wine interestingly transcends most of the red wine aromas you might associate with the two international grapes used in the blend. I give this wine thumbs up for originality. Some 10,000 bottles were made.

There are some cherry liqueur and candied fruit sensations to the 2011 Friuli Colli Orientali Vignaricco. It is dense and rich in appearance with sweet berry perfumes. The bouquet is all cherry, plum and dried blackberry. This was a hot year, and some of that candied cherry must be a result. It is a plump and ripe blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 10% Schioppettino, with spice and sweet oak at the back. Pair it with a thick and meaty tomato sauce over pasta or polenta. Some 7,000 bottles were produced with 1,500 magnums and other large-format bottles.