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. 

A rich, almost Chinon-like, bouquet immediately indicates Old World quality; fresh sliced red bell peppers and earthy soils dominate the nose. The entry continues the show, adding in an elegant tannin frame hung with resinous red and black fruit making for a mouth watering experience. The finish is dry and reverberates with red fruit character seamlessly integrated with a refined and deftly accented barrel regimen. Super-classy, this would be an excellent wine for a meal, but equally exceptional on its own.