Sauvignon Blanc grown on northeastern Italy’s Slovenian border in the Judrio River valley has little in common with the same variety grown elsewhere. Daniele and Tanika Lenuzza farm a single parcel of ponca—the local name for the marl, clay and limestone soils that define this corner of Friuli—at 105 to 135 meters, harvesting by hand in two separate passes to balance concentration against freshness. Whole-bunch pressing under nitrogen, wild yeast fermentation, followed by six months on lees in stainless steel preserve everything the site has to say. The result is zesty and flinty rather than aromatic and obvious—Sauvignon Blanc full of character, shaped by a valley that doesn't quite belong to either Italy or Slovenia and, we believe, is better for it. Organic, 5,000 bottles made and virtually impossible to find outside of Italy's most niche distribution channels.