The 2012 Friuli Colli Orientali Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Romain shows an impenetrably dark, inky appearance and a meaty and raw personality. Thickly extracted and with very broad shoulders, this expression of Refosco is tangy, with evolved notes of cured meat and savory tones on the close. Go all out and serve this brawny beast with a rosemary-coated roast and a side of deep-fried potatoes. Some 6,800 bottles were produced.

Inky, dark and almost impenetrable the moment it pours from the bottle, this is a hearty and thickly concentrated wine to pair with boiled beef and mint sauce. The Paolo Rodaro 2011 Friuli Colli Orientali Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Romain has many moving parts that work together to build intensity. First is the wine's age that adds some evolved aromas of tar, spice and leather. Then, you have the heat of the vintage that contributes to the bold dark fruit, winding up with a firm tannic bite. Some 2,500 bottles were released.

Here's a bold red wine that is teaming with meaty intensity and richness. The 2009 Friuli Colli Orientali Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso Romain does the Refosco grape proud. It shows a solid aging curve for this unique indigenous grape from Northeast Italy. The bouquet delivers slightly raw notes of tobacco and spice, backed by juicy red cherry and dark plum. Given that this wine is from the 2009 vintage, it also offers delicately aged aromas of balsam herb and black licorice. It will probably perform best within the next five years.