Zidarich Vitovska Carso 2017
Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

92 pts Wine Advocate
The Zidarich 2017 Vitovska opens to a dark golden color with faint copper highlights. The bouquet reveals candied fruit, toasted panettone, candied orange peel and almond paste. This is a mid-weight white with the extra structure and density that comes from the hands-off winemaking approach utilized here. There is some texture on the finish of this pretty expression of mostly Malvasia that you might enjoy with a baked and breadcrumbed flaky white fish.

100% vitovska grape

Aged for two years in large Slavonian casks, the Vitovska is a seamless and deeply stony wine. Its fruit character veers toward apricot and peach, yet in a subtle way—the limestone is doing the heavy lifting here, with the Vitovska serving as a mere vessel for the unfettered expression of rock. The wine finishes clean and long, with a sensation of almost mentholated coolness ringing on the palate long after swallowing. Whatever subtle tannins are present are melded beautifully with the palate-staining minerality, and the overall impression is one of freshness, complexity, and drive. A bold, uplifting, utterly delicious wine.