Radikon ‘Sivi’ Bianco 2022
Location: Italy, Friuli
Winemaker: Saša Radikon
Grapes: Pinot Grigio
From the Importer Louis/Dressner: “Stanko Radikon was a maverick in a land of mavericks. The town of Oslavia, on a relatively tiny stretch of hills north of the border town of Gorizia in the Isonzo zone of Friuli, is home to a number of talented and individualistic wine makers. We had had a few memorable encounters with Radikon’s wines stateside. They were interesting, complex examples of what had come to be known, in reference to the ancestral origins of the winemaker’s working in this style and their geographic proximity to the neighboring country, as the “Slovenian” style of Friuli wines – namely hand-harvesting, extended skin maceration, large, older barrel fermentations without temperaturecontrol, no added yeasts or enzymes, and little or no use of sulfur.
The steep rolling hills surrounding the Radikon’s home/winery are testament to Friuli's viticultural legacy.
The vineyards were originally planted by Stanko’s grandfather Franz Mikulus with a local favorite, the Ribolla Gialla grape. In 1948, Stanko’s parents, who had inherited the property from his mother’s father, planted Merlot, (Tocai) Friulano and Pinot Grigio. He and his wife Suzana and their children Saša and Ivana maintained their family’s land. We asked Stanko how he came to make the wines we had tasted earlier that week, these golden wines, rich with complex fruit aromas, notable for their length in palate and ability to age. Stanko simply said, “It’s how my grandfather made wine in the 30’s”, and shrugged.”
In 2016, Stanko passed away. The family immediately took over the estate, with Stanko’s son Saša taking the winemaking helm, having been his father’s helper ever since he was a child, and who became a partner in 2006. Suzana, daughter Ivanka, and Saša’s wife Luisa all partake in estate operations. The village celebrates ‘Zivijo’ biennially, a holiday celebrating Stanko’s life. Since Stanko’s passing Radikon now encompasses 17 hectares, four of which are in Slovenia. The ‘S’ line of wines are wines specifically made by Saša, which tend to see shorter, gentler maceration, tiny bit of sulfur at bottling and an emphasis towards standard size bottling. ‘Sivi’ means ‘grey’ in Slovenian, referencing pinot grigio’s greyish-pink skins. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, and fermented in oak without temperature control. 10-14 day maceration, aged in 1000L for a year, then aged in bottle for another year. Smoked meats, overripe strawberries and melon, graphite, mango; and a high glossy finish.
Location: Italy, Friuli
Winemaker: Saša Radikon
Grapes: Pinot Grigio
From the Importer Louis/Dressner: “Stanko Radikon was a maverick in a land of mavericks. The town of Oslavia, on a relatively tiny stretch of hills north of the border town of Gorizia in the Isonzo zone of Friuli, is home to a number of talented and individualistic wine makers. We had had a few memorable encounters with Radikon’s wines stateside. They were interesting, complex examples of what had come to be known, in reference to the ancestral origins of the winemaker’s working in this style and their geographic proximity to the neighboring country, as the “Slovenian” style of Friuli wines – namely hand-harvesting, extended skin maceration, large, older barrel fermentations without temperaturecontrol, no added yeasts or enzymes, and little or no use of sulfur.
The steep rolling hills surrounding the Radikon’s home/winery are testament to Friuli's viticultural legacy.
The vineyards were originally planted by Stanko’s grandfather Franz Mikulus with a local favorite, the Ribolla Gialla grape. In 1948, Stanko’s parents, who had inherited the property from his mother’s father, planted Merlot, (Tocai) Friulano and Pinot Grigio. He and his wife Suzana and their children Saša and Ivana maintained their family’s land. We asked Stanko how he came to make the wines we had tasted earlier that week, these golden wines, rich with complex fruit aromas, notable for their length in palate and ability to age. Stanko simply said, “It’s how my grandfather made wine in the 30’s”, and shrugged.”
In 2016, Stanko passed away. The family immediately took over the estate, with Stanko’s son Saša taking the winemaking helm, having been his father’s helper ever since he was a child, and who became a partner in 2006. Suzana, daughter Ivanka, and Saša’s wife Luisa all partake in estate operations. The village celebrates ‘Zivijo’ biennially, a holiday celebrating Stanko’s life. Since Stanko’s passing Radikon now encompasses 17 hectares, four of which are in Slovenia. The ‘S’ line of wines are wines specifically made by Saša, which tend to see shorter, gentler maceration, tiny bit of sulfur at bottling and an emphasis towards standard size bottling. ‘Sivi’ means ‘grey’ in Slovenian, referencing pinot grigio’s greyish-pink skins. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, and fermented in oak without temperature control. 10-14 day maceration, aged in 1000L for a year, then aged in bottle for another year. Smoked meats, overripe strawberries and melon, graphite, mango; and a high glossy finish.
Location: Italy, Friuli
Winemaker: Saša Radikon
Grapes: Pinot Grigio
From the Importer Louis/Dressner: “Stanko Radikon was a maverick in a land of mavericks. The town of Oslavia, on a relatively tiny stretch of hills north of the border town of Gorizia in the Isonzo zone of Friuli, is home to a number of talented and individualistic wine makers. We had had a few memorable encounters with Radikon’s wines stateside. They were interesting, complex examples of what had come to be known, in reference to the ancestral origins of the winemaker’s working in this style and their geographic proximity to the neighboring country, as the “Slovenian” style of Friuli wines – namely hand-harvesting, extended skin maceration, large, older barrel fermentations without temperaturecontrol, no added yeasts or enzymes, and little or no use of sulfur.
The steep rolling hills surrounding the Radikon’s home/winery are testament to Friuli's viticultural legacy.
The vineyards were originally planted by Stanko’s grandfather Franz Mikulus with a local favorite, the Ribolla Gialla grape. In 1948, Stanko’s parents, who had inherited the property from his mother’s father, planted Merlot, (Tocai) Friulano and Pinot Grigio. He and his wife Suzana and their children Saša and Ivana maintained their family’s land. We asked Stanko how he came to make the wines we had tasted earlier that week, these golden wines, rich with complex fruit aromas, notable for their length in palate and ability to age. Stanko simply said, “It’s how my grandfather made wine in the 30’s”, and shrugged.”
In 2016, Stanko passed away. The family immediately took over the estate, with Stanko’s son Saša taking the winemaking helm, having been his father’s helper ever since he was a child, and who became a partner in 2006. Suzana, daughter Ivanka, and Saša’s wife Luisa all partake in estate operations. The village celebrates ‘Zivijo’ biennially, a holiday celebrating Stanko’s life. Since Stanko’s passing Radikon now encompasses 17 hectares, four of which are in Slovenia. The ‘S’ line of wines are wines specifically made by Saša, which tend to see shorter, gentler maceration, tiny bit of sulfur at bottling and an emphasis towards standard size bottling. ‘Sivi’ means ‘grey’ in Slovenian, referencing pinot grigio’s greyish-pink skins. The grapes were destemmed, crushed, and fermented in oak without temperature control. 10-14 day maceration, aged in 1000L for a year, then aged in bottle for another year. Smoked meats, overripe strawberries and melon, graphite, mango; and a high glossy finish.