Prinčič and the peronospera: A fable

How Dario Prinčič saved a disastrous harvest to make Favola 2008, one of his most iconic wines

You can tell a great winemaker not by what they produce in a good year, but by what they pull together from a catastrophic one. And it didn't get much worse than Dario Prinčič's 2008 vintage, where some 90% of his harvest was infected with Peronospora (downy mildew).

Prinčič salvaged a pitiful amount of grapes, blended the entire output together and made a one off - the aptly named "Favola", meaning fable or legend. There are (or were) a mere 2,800 bottles of Favola 2008, bottled with distinctive black labels rather than Prinčič's usual grey.

The blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Friulano, and Ribolla Gialla is atypical, as Prinčič normally saves his Ribolla and Friulano for varietal bottlings. Production methods are more familiar, with around 30 days of skin contact, in open top oak and cherry fermenters. I don't have exact details about this wine from Dario, but I believe the Pinot Grigio received less skin contact than the other varieties.

A beauty born out of disaster