93 Antonio Galloni - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2000 Chardonnay Riserva is another sweet, layered and totally irresistible wine. This medium-bodied, minerally Chardonnay offers plenty of ripe fruit along with subtle overtones of mint, spices and flowers that add complexity. Readers lucky enough to find this wine should not hesitate to buy it as this is a gem. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. 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 brownish label, while the Riservas have a reddish label. 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."