This past Friday afternoon, a very cool & quick tasting was organized here in the office. Straying from the norm, we were tasting some awesome (and “unconventional”) Friulian whites from Edi Kante (http://www.kante.it/). Kante is from the Josko Gravner/Ales Kristancic school of wine making and is actually good friends with Josko. He’s making some very interesting whites & sparklers (zero dossage) from Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Nero and an endemic variety called Vitovska. We tasted the following four wines:
Kante Malvasia 2012 - Very pale straw color. Smoky aromas with some yellow fruit notes. Medium bodied and a nice oiliness in the mouth. A hint of salinity and great acidity provide balance. A medium long finish brings out some almond notes.
Kante Vitovska 2012 - Darker yellow than the Malvasia. Similar aromas & flavors as above but dialed up a bit in terms of richness and concentration. The acidity is a bit lower in this one and that pronounced salinity is not there but this is still a beauty.
Kante Chardonnay La Bora di Kante 2006 - Beautiful clean & creamy aroma make way for a nutty and even tropical fruit medley (mostly coconut & pineapple) on the palate. Very long and pretty finish. The salinity is also back and the acidity is fresh and balances out the richness on the palate. This is gorgeous.
Kante Vitovska Selezione 2005 - This is held back by the winery for 8 years before release so this is indeed the most current vintage available. Upon first pour I am struggling to coax something on the nose, but not much is coming off*****. Once I took a sip…WOW! One of the most amazing mouthfuls of wine I’ve had in a while. Very oily, more salinity (did I mention the cellars are about 5 miles from the Adriatic, as the crow flies?), more nuttiness. The winner of the tasting for me!!!
***** With a bit of air, the nose opened up considerably and a pretty floral & perfumed bouquet became prevalent.
