Kante Vitovska 2015
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Spirits
Wine & -
Parker
Robert
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Wine & Spirits
Brisk, chalky acidity races through this wine’s flavors of green apple and lemon, picking up mineral tones and lime-leaf scents along the way. It offers the complex refreshment of a premier cru Chablis; pour it with oysters.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Vitovska is a glossy and rich expression of this grape from the Italian-Slovenian karst. I picked up some notes of glycerin along with fragrant stone fruit and candied orange peel and almond. It starts off slow and closed, but it brings a nice intensity. Aged in oak for one year, it's a bit thin and dry in the mouth. I see it pairing well with some big, juicy scallops pan-seared in butter and sherry.
Other Vintages
2019-
Suckling
James
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
The source of some of Italy’s best and most distinctive white wines, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is where Italian, Germanic and Slavic cultures converge. The styles of wines produced in this region of Italy's far north-east reflect this merging of cultures. Often shortened to just “Friuli,” the area is divided into many distinct subzones, including Friuli Grave, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Collio Goriziano and Carso. The flat valley of Friuli Grave is responsible for a large proportion of the region’s wine production, particularly the approachable Pinot grigio and the popular Prosecco. The best vineyard locations are often on hillsides, as in Colli Orientali del Friuli or Collio. In general, Friuli boasts an ideal climate for viticulture, with warm sunny days and chilly nights, which allow grapes to ripen slowly and evenly.
In Colli Orientali, the specialty is crisp, flavorful white wine made from indigenous varieities like Friulano (formerly known as Tocai Friulano), Ribolla gialla and Malvasia Istriana.
Red wines, though far less common here, can be quite good, especially when made from the deeply colored, rustic Refosco variety. In Collio Goriziano, which abutts Slovenia, many of the same varieties are planted. International varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc are also common, but they tend to be Loire-like in style with herbaceous character and mellow tannins. Carso’s star grape is the red Teranno, notable for being rich in iron content and historically consumed for health purposes. It has an earthy, meaty profile and is often confused with the distinct variety Refosco.