2019 Giuseppe & Luigi Pinot Grigio Friuli 750 ml

“Overachiever” doesn’t come close to describing brothers Giuseppe and Luigi Anselmi’s tiny-production Pinot Grigio, but it’s a good place to start. 

Bursting with lemon zest, yellow flower, sage, and crushed limestone, the 2019 is an unwavering and exuberant expression of Pinot Grigio. From the grape’s native home, it’s crafted to the highest standard by two brothers whose winemaking legacy stretches back for generations. 

You simply can’t compare this to other Pinot Grigios and aromatic whites in this price range, there’s too much pedigree here. Lock it in while you can, because 500 bottles won’t last long. 

It was 1937 when family patriarch Ettore Anselmi planted vines near his home in the little town of Pocenia, in the heart of Friuli. Pinot Grigio thrived there, in the region’s gravel and sandy soils, expressing uncommon richness and verve. 

Ettore’s descendants took up his mantle, expanding the estate to its present size of 200 vineyard acres, but changing little else. An unflinching commitment to quality and artistry is palpable in the complexity and richness of every bottle they produce. 

The 2019 Giuseppe & Luigi Pinot Grigio offers the unique expression of vines up to 40 years old from two complementary microclimates, delivering the best of Friuli. Collio, arguably Friuli’s most famed subregion, features steeply sloping plantings of electric Pinot Grigio, rippling with racy acidity and limestone minerality. 

Farther south, closer to the Adriatic Sea, Latisana's plantings match Collio’s intensity with maritime freshness, tropical ripeness, and a hint of sea-spray salinity. The combination of these two sites is both highly refreshing and loaded with terroir-driven character and class. 

As Vino Italiano authors David Lynch and Joseph Bastianich wrote, Friuli produces some of the “most complex and full-bodied whites to be found anywhere in the world.” 

Add top value to the equation and what you get is the 2019 Giuseppe & Luigi Pinot Grigio Friuli. This is the kind of pedigree we’re always seeking, but rarely find at a price like this.