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2009 Venezia Giulia Rosso

Edi Kante
Discount Eligible $19.00
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Edi Kante’s scattered vineyard holdings on the Carso plateau total over thirty small parcels along the Italy–Slovenia border. While most are planted to white, Kante also grows a bit of Terrano, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon destined for this quirky and delicious rosso. It receives near-identical treatment to his whites: native yeast fermentation, aging in neutral barrels, and unfiltered bottling. Tasting the Carso’s limestone through red-tinted glasses is fascinating: just like Kante’s whites, it is lean, bright, and salty, with surprising aging potential.

Anthony Lynch


Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2009
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 33% Terrano, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot
Appellation: Venezia Giulia
Country: Italy
Region: Friuli
Producer: Edi Kante
Soil: Clay and Limestone
Farming: Sustainable
Production: 7,200 cases
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Friuli

map of Friuli

Friuli may be forever tied to its bland, acidic Pinot Grigios, which at one point saturated the export market, but a deeper look reveals a captivating array of unique grape-growing sites, distinctive indigenous varieties, and passionate small growers keen on preserving a rich tradition of winemaking.

Here in Italy’s northeast corner, the region is shared between the Julian Alps in the north and plains leading to the Adriatic Sea in the south, bound by the Veneto to the west and Slovenia to the east. While it is one of the wettest regions of Italy—and all of Europe, for that matter—Friuli benefits from the push-and-pull of cool air currents from the mountains meeting warmer breezes from the Adriatic. A crescent-shaped slice of foothills, where both play a role, tends to produce the region’s finest wines.

Nothing is more emblematic to Friulian wine than a crisp, peachy Ribolla Gialla served with thinly sliced prosciutto San Daniele, a local specialty. And yet, this only begins to tell the story: high-acid, mineral-driven whites from a number of local varieties including Tocai Friulano, Pinot Grigio, and Malvasia range from light and crisp to powerful and age-worthy, complementing Adriatic shellfish, hearty mountain cheeses, and everything in between. Native reds like Schioppettino, Terrano, and Refosco all have something unique to say, while there has even been significant success with French varieties like Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot, all long established in the region.

Friuli’s diversity is its strength, and it keeps us coming back for more. In fact, Kermit imported one of the region’s first organic growers toward the start of his career; our more recent collaboration with producers like Vignai da Duline is a testament to the enormous potential when devoted artisans put their hearts into Friuli’s fascinating terroir.

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Where the newsletter started

Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch

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