2019 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Capovolto”La Marca di San Michele
Italy | Le Marche
$27
Producers
Sadly for Pinot Grigio, the grape has a history of being over-planted, over-cropped, and over-manipulated in the hands of industrial-scale wineries that have all but ruined its reputation as a fine wine of northeast Italy. For anyone looking to experience its charms when crafted by a quality-oriented producer faithful to the traditions of Friuli, where it arguably reaches its greatest expression in Italy, pay attention to La Viarte’s Pinot Grigio from the radiant green terraced vineyards of the Colli Orientali district. Not thin by any means, it is still exquisitely refreshing: bright citrus and fresh flowers, pinpoint precision, lip-smacking acidity... This is what Friulian Pinot Grigio is all about.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Friulano |
Appellation: | Colli Orientali di Friuli |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Friuli |
Producer: | La Viarte |
Winemaker: | Giulio Ceschin |
Vineyard: | 16 years. 33 - 34 years, 2.84 ha |
Soil: | Eocene Marl and Sandstone |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
La Viarte Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Delle Venezie
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.
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Friuli Colli Orientali
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Delle Venezie
Vignai da Duline Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
Edi Kante Italy | Friuli | Venezia Giulia
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
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