2005 Malvasia

My visit to this small property was one of the highlights of a recent trip to the Carso district in Friuli. Despite the broiling summer heat Edi Kante had a fireplace going in his tasting room, something I didn't understand until I descended into his cellar, easily one of the most frigid I have ever encountered. The dramatic cellar is literally cut from the rugged rock formation, with temperature and air circulation all natural results of the design. Kante makes two ranges of wines. The entry-level bottlings have a reddish label, while the Riservas are decorated with Kante's own modern-art designs. I had never seen, much less tasted, the Riservas. To say I was blown away by the quality of these wines, the Riservas in particular, would be a massive understatement. Even at 9-10 years of age, these wines retain incredible freshness and minerality that is the hallmark of these very poor, rugged terrains. Readers owe it to themselves to check these wines out, although unfortunately that won't be easy, as Kante does not have a US importer at the moment. Like his good friend Stanko Radikon, Kante offers his wines in 500ml and 1 liter bottles.