In Friuli Venezia Giuliaamong the territories and related denominations particularly suited for the production of great white wines and more – in addition to Collioto the Eastern Hillsto the Grave, to the precious Picolit and Ramandolo passito wines, to the Refosco -, there is a small appendage that slides towards Trieste, along the Adriatic on the border with Slovenia: the Karst.
White, parched and dry rock, battered by the cold bora characterize the area, a difficult and difficult land, with a harsh and vigorous nature, with biting winters and torrid summers.
The favored white grape variety in the area is Istrian Malvasia, but excellent wines are also produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Traminer, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and vitovska. And it is precisely on the best labels obtained from the latter that we focus here.
There vitovska it is an ancient native white grape variety, present in the Karst since time immemorial. Its name seems to come from the town of Vipacco, today in Slovenia (Vitovlje). Only a grape tempered and selected over the centuries could resist and survive such harsh and strong contrasts. An extreme vine and so strongly territorial that similar varieties are not known throughout the Mediterranean. A border vine, often in the past vinified in blends with other grapes, especially with Istrian Malvasia, but which is increasingly proposed in its crystalline purity. Thanks to some passionate Karst winemakers, we can rediscover Vitovska in its most authentic and rigorous expressions.
The best Vitovska
Here are the best labels of Vitovska according to Gambero Rosso, obtained from the vine of the same name in purity or in any case present in a high percentage in the wines indicated, evaluated this year with the Tre Bicchieri or Two Red Glasses (having reached the final during the tastings for the guide Wines of Italy by Gambero Rosso 2024) oh Two glasses.
There Vitovska V. Collection 2016, after a 20-day maceration in contact with the skins, it matures for 22 months in large Slavonian oak barrels and then refines for a long time in the bottle. Three glasses well deserved. In 1988, Benjamin Zidarich revolutionized his father’s company, which at the time could only count on half a hectare of vineyard, progressively expanding it and favoring the native varieties of the territory until it reached a very respectable extension. Anyone who has never visited the vineyards and cellars of the Trieste Karst cannot have an exact understanding of what is meant by heroic viticulture. The climate, moderately continental on the plateau, is characterized by the influence of the Adriatic Sea and the cold Bora wind, which often blows violently. The wines interpret the characteristics of the Karst, starting with the bright colors, continuing with iodine and salty aromas, and then highlighting the minerality of the territory.
The Castelvecchio company, owned by the Terraneo family since 1978, is among the most flourishing wineries in the Gorizian Karst. There Vitovska 2022 excels in fragrance and drinkability. The aromas are iodized, reminiscent of thyme and the sea; the mouth is rich, with hints of dried fruit and herbs, for a saline and prolonged finish. Naturally call it a piece of salt.
Prepotto di Duino Aurisina is a small village on the Karst plateau characterized by earth, stone, sea, sun and wind. Matej Lupinc he understood that they were the right ingredients to produce high quality wines and, in 1970, he was the first to bottle genuine wines, rich in aromas and salty nuances.
We are on the Trieste Karst, in San Dorligo della Valle, in the district called Breg, an area that boasts a centuries-old agricultural tradition and a thousand-year-old culture. Here Rado Kocjancic he cultivates five hectares of vineyards, which are quite a few in these parts, favoring native vines.
The motto of the brothers Andrej and Nevo Skerlj is “Experience the Unusual Karst” as it is able to provide, in addition to wine, genuine products as an expression of the territory. In the splendid cellar Bajta Karst Farm set in the rock, three local cultivars are vinified: Terano, Vitovska and Malvasia.
Sandi Skerk he is one of the best interpreters of Karst viticulture. To understand what is meant by “heroic viticulture” you need to have visited these places, where the conflict between man and rock is part of everyday life. Local traditions require that the maceration of the skins in the must can continue for a few weeks, then simple decanting and above all no filtration. In the splendid cellar dug into the hard rock, a true masterpiece of human ingenuity, mysterious drafts coming from unreachable inlets guarantee cool temperatures and constant humidity throughout the year. In the last edition of the Guide the wines were not presented, as Sandi decided to give them a further period of refinement in the bottle so that they could better express their characteristics. A more than appropriate choice, given the results.
