For three generations, the Fantinel family has tended vineyards flanked by old oaks, chestnuts, and acacia trees, rooted in clay marl and and sandstone millennia-old, swept by maritime-influenced breezes at the northeastern-most corner of Italy and Slovenia, situated at the base of the Alps in Friuli Collio Orientale - the pinnacle of the the Venezia region.
All dry-farmed, the La Roncaia vineyards encircle a hilltop of ancient seabed that's lifted up from the colliding of the African and European plates. As you can see in the header image, the soils are shaley, and crumble in your hand with the slightest touch ; these are the sandstone deposits that give the La Roncaia wines an excellent saline character with peak minerality injections - great for burying deep roots within.
Cinque Grappoli (highest honor) Guida Bibenda, with previous vintages scoring 94 from Parker, 92 from Suckling, and accolades from Gambero Rosso
Beautifully golden on the pour with long, well distributed legs, the nose is rich and complex with dried apricots, pecan praline, mango, almond, and German chamomile. The entry is coating without being overly viscous, and anything but cloyingly sweet; best described as a symphony of taste: everything from the nose is activated on the palate against perfectly integrated acidity, introducing chestnuts and deeper stone fruit tones. The finish is long, also not cloyingly sweet, playing up the dried mango, chestnut, and apricot notes.
