Radovič ‘Malavizija’ Malvasia Istriana 2021

Location: Italy, Carso

Winemaker: Peter Radovič

Grapes: Malvasia Istriana

Winemaking: Hand harvest, spontaneous fermentation in limestone vats. Fermented with the skins for 7 days in limestone vats without the use of commercial yeasts. The stone vats allow for better temperature retention. The wine then spends over a year in neutral oak barrels before being bottled without fining or filtration and spends another 6 months in bottle before being released. Malvasia Istriana is indigenous to Northeastern Italy and dates back to the 13th century.

From the Importer Strade Bianche: Peter Radovič is the youngest winemaker in the Carso region along the Italian/Slovenian border. Having just passed the age of 30 he comes from a long lineage of farmers and winemakers. His family farms 7 acres of grapes his great-grandfather first planted more than 50 years ago. While his relatives focused on making simple "tavern" wines, Peter is looking to take the wines in a more serious direction, while still maintaining a fresh drinkability.

The Radovic vineyards sit a few hundred feet up from the Adriatic Sea atop jagged stone cliffs. The rugged and craggy earth makes for difficult growing conditions, but a stressed vine produces fruit with more character. The vines range from 20-50 years old, with the Vitovska and Terrano coming from the younger vineyards and the Malvasia from the oldest. Peter is in the process of converting the vineyards to organic and should complete the process within the next year.