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Franco Terpin

Quinto Quarto Rosso 2021

Price: $36.95
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Tasting notes

This is a Bordeaux-grape blend that tastes nothing like Bordeaux — the seven-day maceration, ponca soils, and zero added sulfur push it toward crunchy red cherry, wet earth, and a brightness you rarely get from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the kind of red that works at the table without demanding your full attention.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
CherryRaspberryWet EarthWildflowers
  • Style: Dry, medium-bodied red; intense ruby; crunchy red fruit, wet earth, flowers; 13% ABV; no added sulfur
  • Grapes & Terroir: 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Refosco; organic and biodynamic; ponca (marl and sandstone) soils; San Floriano del Collio, 120-320m elevation
  • Winemaking: Hand-harvested; indigenous yeast fermentation; 7-day skin maceration; 8-10 months in stainless steel; unfined, unfiltered, no added sulfur
  • Serving: Serve at 60-62F; light chill recommended; no decant needed
  • Pairing: Grilled sausages, braised rabbit, roasted pork, Montasio cheese
  • Similar To: For fans of Gamay and lighter Cabernet Franc who want natural-wine energy from northeastern Italy

Quinto Quarto Rosso is Franco Terpin's everyday red from San Floriano del Collio, a hamlet in the Gorizia province of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, directly on the Slovenian border. The blend is led by Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and a small portion of Refosco, all grown on ponca soils — the region's characteristic layered marl and flysch sandstone — at elevations between 120 and 320 meters above sea level.

Grapes are hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented with indigenous yeasts with approximately seven days of skin maceration. The wine then ages for eight to ten months in stainless steel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with no added sulfur. This minimal-intervention approach preserves the crunchy red fruit character that defines the Quinto Quarto line.

In the glass it shows an intense ruby red. The nose leads with fresh red fruit and flowers, with notes of wet earth and undergrowth underneath. On the palate it is juicy and lively, with mouthwatering acidity, medium-minus tannins, and a clean, fruit-driven finish. It drinks well on release and is built for the table, not the cellar.

The Quinto Quarto line sits at the more accessible end of Terpin's portfolio, distinct from his age-worthy skin-contact whites like the Sialis and Jakot. For a Terpin red with more structure and extended oak aging, look to the Stamas Rosso.

Works well with grilled sausages, braised rabbit, or roasted pork shoulder. The acidity and lighter tannin structure also make it a good match for aged cow's milk cheeses like Montasio, which is produced just to the west in Friuli. Serve slightly cool at around 60-62F.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Medium Body
Grapes:, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Refosco
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2021
Alcohol:, 13%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Appellation:, Delle Venezie IGT
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

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4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

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**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Franco Terpin

Franco Terpin was born and raised in the Collio Goriziano and grew up farming alongside his family in San Floriano del Collio, a hamlet in the province of Gorizia on the Italian-Slovenian border. He established the winery together with his wife in 1994, transitioning the family land from polyculture to focused viticulture. Today the estate is worked with his wife Daniela and daughters Sara and Valentina, with total annual production of approximately 30,000 to 35,000 bottles.

The estate covers approximately 12 hectares, with vineyards split between the Italian and Slovenian sides of the border — notably on the slopes of Monte Calvario near the Isonzo River at around 150 meters elevation, and additional plots up to 320 meters. All vines are cultivated organically and biodynamically on ponca soils, with southwest-facing exposure and a planting density of 5,000 vines per hectare. No synthetic chemicals are used in the vineyard.

In the cellar, Terpin works with indigenous yeasts, avoids fining and filtration across the entire range, and adds no sulfur. His flagship skin-contact whites — the Sialis and the Jakot — undergo extended maceration and multi-year aging in Slavonian oak botte. The Quinto Quarto line takes a different approach: shorter maceration, stainless steel aging of eight to ten months, and earlier release, making it the most immediately approachable tier in the portfolio. Terpin is a member of VinNatur and is neighbors with Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon.

Wine region

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

Collio DOC occupies a crescent of hills in the province of Gorizia in northeastern Friuli-Venezia Giulia, running along the Slovenian border between the towns of Prepotto to the north, Cormons to the west, and Gorizia to the east. Vineyard elevations typically range from 100 to 300 meters. The Julian Alps to the north block cold winds, while the Adriatic Sea to the south moderates temperatures and keeps humidity in check, producing a mild, temperate microclimate with significant diurnal temperature shifts that preserve acidity in the grapes.

The defining soil of Collio is ponca — alternating layers of calcareous marl and flysch sandstone deposited during the Eocene epoch when the area was covered by sea. This well-draining, mineral-rich substrate is a direct contributor to the freshness and structure found in wines from the appellation. Collio is best known for aromatic white varieties including Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. Red wine production under Collio Rosso DOC is relatively limited and relies primarily on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. The region is also a major center for macerated skin-contact whites, with producers including Gravner, Radikon, and Franco Terpin among its most internationally recognized names.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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