Daniele Drius is a fast-rising star on the Friulian wine scene. He inherited a small farm from his grandfather, which included vineyards and some wine production in the town of Brazzano di Cormòns, but over the past 10 years he’s been re-planting vines and implementing organic and biodynamic farming practices. His vineyards are situated right where the Collio and Isonzo del Friuli DOC appellations meet, with soils composed of ponka (a sandstone-marl mixture) along with gravel and clay. This area is effectively equidistant from the Julian Alps, which extend into neighboring Slovenia, and the Adriatic Sea. The interplay of mountain- and sea-borne air is a critical feature that helps lengthen the growing season and preserve freshness in grapes.

Sourced from two small vineyard parcels, this bouncy Cab Franc was harvested toward the end of October and fermented/aged in stainless steel tanks. There’s tremendous purity to the fruit, which is balanced perfectly with the earthier, spicy notes that often dominate Cabernet Franc wines, while the texture is more fine-grained and elegant than usual. It’s a deep ruby-red moving to a magenta rim, with vivid aromas of black raspberry, cranberry, black plum skin, pomegranate, tobacco leaf, mint, ground black pepper, and violets. It is medium-bodied, leaning toward medium-plus, with silky tannins and a very polished quality. Serve it in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees with steaks off the grill, or a classic veal saltimbocca. Those sage leaves have a friend in this supple, savory red.