Braida Antica — the ancient field. It is a name that tells you everything about this wine’s origins and philosophy: a field blend of estate-grown red varieties from one of Italy’s most fascinating and underappreciated wine regions, made in the way that Italian farmers have made wine for centuries, before the age of single-variety bottlings and varietal labelling. Friuli Venezia Giulia sits in the far north-east of Italy, where the Alps meet the Adriatic and the influence of Central Europe gives the wines a freshness, precision, and aromatic complexity that sets them apart from the richer, warmer styles of the south. Russolo is one of the region’s most dedicated and characterful producers, and the Braida Antica Neri is their most distinctive and compelling red: a blend of Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Pinot Nero, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon — four varieties grown together in the same ancient field, harvested together, and vinified together with a precision and care that preserves the purity and character of each. Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel, five to seven days of maceration, malolactic fermentation in tank, and then six to twelve months on the lees before a further three weeks of bottle refinement — winemaking of real thoughtfulness and patience that is evident in every glass. The 2024 is a wine of elegant complexity and real freshness: blueberries, blackberries, and occasional raspberry on the nose, with floral nuances of violets and roses that add a lovely lift and delicacy, and subtle ferrous undertones and a touch of blood orange that give the wine a distinctly Friulian character. On the palate it is fresh and juicy, with well-polished tannins and a smooth, lingering finish that speaks of both the quality of the fruit and the skill of the winemaking. At £13.99, it is Friuli at its most intriguing.