2021 Vitovska

No lover of Italian wine should ever pass up the opportunity to explore Benjamin Zidarich’s wild portfolio. These wines are Carso incarnate, as if Zidarich is culling them from the sheer limestone and red clay soils and placing them directly into bottle. His use of stone aging casks, carved from the limestone surrounding the winery, is expertly done and somehow completely transparent while adding buoyancy and textural heft. The family farms eight hectares of Vitovska, Malvasia Istriana, Merlot and Terrano vines, which are certified biodynamic. The fruit goes through spontaneous fermentations in the winery, often in stone limestone vats, with long macerations spanning two to three weeks. Most of the aging is completed in neutral, large Slavonian oak barrels. There’s no fining or filtering, and sulfur is kept to a minimum. The “Orange” or “Skin Contact” category, as producers these days prefer to call it, is littered with natty, unbalanced and cloying wines. However, in Carso, and especially from Benjamin Zidarich, consumers should have no worries. These are pure interpretations of place, with wild aromatics and seductive textures that only extended skin contact can bring. The whites are excellent but also make sure to check out the Ruje Rosso, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Terrano that really turned my head.