Definitely the biggest surprise in Roxanich winery. Already a sniff was enough to tell me this red differs from dominant non-fruity style of Istrian reds.

In comparison to other Mladen Rožanić’s reds (Cabernet Sauvignon and Superistrian cuvée) its main quality is stylistic simplicity and precision. It tells me that Mladen knew what wine he wants to create – a Merlot that takes the right bank of Bordeaux as inspiration. But this wine has more to offer, in fact less. Thanks to organic approach in winemaking it contains less than 20 mg/L of sulphur dioxide (SO2), a number so incredibly small that there’s no chance for a hangover the day after. Many modern enologists would say it’s not possible to preserve wine with such low concentration but the fact speaks for itself, we tried a bottle from 2006 and it was in perfect health.

Ruby red with red brown reflections. The nose is not vegetal as most Merlots from Istria and north of Italy, plenty of red flowers like rose hip and poppy flowers, cherry liqueur, notes of graphite and leather create a nice chiaroscuro feeling. Not so intense as I expected.

On the other hand in the mouth it explodes, very fruity and intense! I thought fruitiness does not exist in Istrian red wines. Now the juicy, dark fruits come in action – blueberry are clearly there, mulberry and blue plum in the background. Dry, warm, long persistence in the mouth, closes elegantly, alcohols are perfectly balanced. Tannins are still young which together with excellent acids promises a bright future of this wine. It’s impressive how this wine manages to be energetic and fun in the mouth, it has intense taste but not there are no flavors that you get bored of quickly, it constantly challenges your senses and you are eager to discover more and more.

Its tannins and makes it a perfect match with fillet steak, woodfire grilled fiorentina, rump steak tagliata with rocket and parmiggiano, mature goat or sheep cheese.
90pts

People used to the fruitiness of modern white wines will not immediately understand this wine. But, give a glass of Malvasia Classica to an old peasant from any Istrian village and he will surely tell you: “This is real wine! Not a perfumed fruit juice like most Malvasias these days”.

Prolonged contact with the Malvasia skins (maceration) of 26 days is responsible for an intense gold yellow color. Only indigenous yeast, already present on the grapes, was used in the fermentation. Lately, these macerated wines are also called orange wines.

In the glass flows slowly. The nose is intense and complex, mysterious -uncommon aromas are waiting to be discovered. I like to get challenged right from the beginning.

Long maceration did not completely erased primary aromatics of Malvasia – acacia flowers is discretely present, but there’s no fruit at all. Rather, scents of dried mushrooms, dry hay, Mediterranean garrigue, forest floor and wet clay dominate, all intertwined with subtle ethereal components similar to varnish, natural gas, essential oils and hot chilly.

In the mouth it is more intense than in the nose. Dry, warm, full bodied, savory “umami” feeling. A certain lack of acidity takes away a bit of agility (alcohol becomes too obvious) and makes it a bit heavy to drink, especially without food. So please, drink this wine with some food and preferably in the autumn or winter. Very long persistence. Beautiful minerals create a mouthwatering and clean finish.

Do to its round mouthfeel, it is perfect with dishes that have slightly bitter nuances – grilled Adriatic fish, wild asparagus risotto or with pljukanci, artichokes alla Romana. The earth and natural gas aromas in the nose makes me think this wine would pair well with a fragrant dish of tagliatelle with black or white truffles.
88pts

This Rosé has a Mediterranean soul – it is sunny and bright at first sight, but it likes to quarrel and bite when you least expect it. Definitely the best rosé in Istria.

The skins of Borgonja (a close relative of Gamay) were left in contact with the grape must for 2,5 hours. No selected yeasts were used. The color is cherry red, captivating in its vivacity and intensity.

It flows slowly in the glass, your eyes tells you a lot of extract is hiding inside. The nose is dominated by red flowers, roses and hibiscus, but the sensation gets more elegant and complex when the scent of Mediterranean garrigue, grass and dry hay/straw gets on the scene.

The mouth reveals a crisp, dry rosé, full bodied, warm (13,8%!), with juicy, strong acids that provide a strong skeleton to the wine. Then, you get a soft, velvety mouthfeel, it sticks to your mouth and you start to feel minerals in abundance, creating enjoyable refreshing finish and leaving clean mouth. Tannins are barely perceptible but it give a gentle bite that makes rosé different from whites and reds. It is fascinating how a 3 years old bottle of a rosé can show such agility and dynamism.

It surprised me a bit me that flavors are more intense than aromas, usually it’s the opposite. These intense flavors make that this is not a easy rosé wine made to satisfy your thirst on a hot summer day. This wine demands time and attention.

I see it perfect for an aperitif where Mediterranean based finger food is served – stuffed olives, Istrian charcuterie, prosciutto, salted or marinated anchovies, sheep or goat ricotta and all kinds of fresh cheeses. Its strong taste does not make it suitable for some delicate fish from the Adriatic Sea, but char-grilled sardines, tuna steaks and salmon why not? At the end, I imagine a perfect pairing with a pizza with mozzarella buffala, basil and fresh tomato on top.
85pts

This season Bruno Trapan launched another Istrian rosé, the third in a row (at least to my knowledge, let me know if I’m wrong) after the ones from Veralda and Roxanich wineries. This is the first one made from Syrah, a variety that is getting popular in the last few years.

This wine is more white than rosé. I don’t mean the color, the color is fine, a brilliant soft rosé shade (like pink roses) with a subtle copper note. But it tastes and smells like a white wine. On the first sip I thought – Hey, it’s like Istrian Malvasia! The skins of Syrah were only briefly in contact with the must (and before fermentation started) so that subtle tannin bite, a characteristic of rosé wines, is very modest.

The nose is floral, with notes of red roses and a bit of green grass, in fact it smells like the spring but there’s no fruit as I would expect from Syrah. In the mouth is round and soft but solid acids give a nice contrast and it’s closing with tasty minerals (like in many Trapan’s wines, here – 2007 “Ponente” Malvasia) that give you that perfect mouthwatering effect.

It’s a very easy drinking stuff, of light to medium structure, perfect as an aperitif wine or paired with some fish carpaccio. I am sure it will be adored by female wine lovers – as soon as they spot the stylish bottle that explodes in Barbie-pink colors they’ll put it in the shopping cart.

Even if Ruby Rosé is not (yet) a real rosé in all its glory, it will certainly convince the people from Istria that on a hot summer day near the beach one not necessarily needs to order a beer.
78pts

Trapan winery
Veruda 10
HR-52100 Pula
Croatia
phone +385 98 244 457
Fax: +385 52 386 592
E-mail: info@trapan.hr

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Did you know that in the steep hills overlooking Trieste, just 3 km from the busy city center, there are terraced vineyards with a stunning view on the Adriatic sea? A week ago, thanks to kind recommendation of barista at Osteria Da Marino, we took a bottle of a white wine coming from this urban terroir.

It was “Vitovska Piščanci” made by Andrej Bole (the label does not mention the vintage, I presume it’s from 2008). I was pleasantly surprised by unusual character and incredible minerality of this wine, made entirely from Vitovska – a peculiar grape variety indigenous to Carso-Kras region.

Vineyards in the hills of Trieste

This wine is of straw-yellow color with greenish reflections, probably not filtered. The nose is vibrant, Mediterranean, with nice interaction between floral-herbal notes of Wisteria, dry hay, sage and notes of wet clay and salt, with a touch of citrus. In the mouth is very dry, medium-body, energetic, with crystal clear acidic backbone and playful minerals, it leaves you a nice stone aftertaste.

Perfect as an aperitif, pasta Frutti di Mare, grilled squid, white fish in the oven…
84pts

Andrej Bole winery
Via Sottomonte 25
34135 Trieste, Italy
phone: +39 040 420975
mobile: +39 333 356 8243

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The latest 2008 “Sv. Jakov Malvazija” from Giorgio Clai, the pioneer in biodynamic winemaking in Croatia, impressed me a lot. This is the wine of extremes… The fight between acids, salts, alcohol and fatness is so compelling that soon, in a glance, you find yourself finishing the third glass.

In the last year a lot has been written about so called orange wines or white wines where grape skins are left in contact (macerated) with grape must for several days, even months – here is an excellent introductory article from Eric Asimov (NYT The Pour), here is a comprehensive list of orange wines tasted by Thor Ivenson and here there are some points of view on the subject from Giampi Moretti.

As I already wrote, Istrian Malvasia is traditionally made in “orange” way until some 15 years ago, when the wine renaissance took place in Istria and this vinification method was abandoned, considered as old-fashioned and wrong by the mainstream winemakers. Now, thanks to Clai and Roxanich the orange Malvasias have been resurrected and they soon proved how delicious and interesting can be.

2008 Clai Sv. Jakov malvazija and roasted duck stuffed with fruits

The latest 2008 “Sv. Jakov Malvazija” from Giorgio Clai, the pioneer in biodynamic winemaking in Croatia, impressed me a lot. This is the wine of extremes that can be hinted from its high alcohol content – 15.1% alcohol (!). I have never tried such a strong white wine, practically on the border between wine and liquors or fortified wines.

Golden yellow in the glass. The nose is mysterious and delicious, not at all fruit-forward like most Malvasias in Istria, but dirty and very earthy. The aromas are so tightly intertwined that it took me some time to recognize dry hay, wet clay, dry figs, Mediterranean macchia, Kaki, Loquat and slight medicinal note similar to Vermouth. Definitely there are plenty of things to smell in this wine, but the real action happens in the mouth. First the acidity bites you, and it is good to have it so strong since it successfully manages to balance out the high alcohol content. The wine is slightly tannic, has a nice silky texture on the tongue, with powerful flavor and body. Exploding mouthwatering minerality improves further the balance and makes the finish moderately long, clean and delicious.

The fight between acids, salts, alcohol and fatness is so compelling that soon – in a glance – you find yourself finishing the third glass… Which might be dangerous if you have to drive home, otherwise just enjoy the evening in a nice company. A dangerous wine since it is so easy to get drunk with it, it just flows down your throat and 15.1% you don’t feel at all! And don’t worry about tomorrow’s headache – Clai told me that concentration of sulphur dioxide in the bottle is less than 40 mg/ which is ridiculously small compared to over 140 mg/L permitted in other Istrian whites. He does not use it to stabilize the wine simply because his wines have enough polyphenols (extracted from grape skins in prolonged maceration) that protects them from oxidation.

The sweet flavors of duck meat and fruits were contrasted with spiky acidity of the wine

This wine is incredibly friendly with the food, but it needs some heavier stuff since its body is so impressive. Around Christmas I tried it with a roasted duck stuffed with fruits and the pairing was just perfect. The un-fruitiness of the wine nicely contrasts the fruit content in the dish, otherwise the pairing would become too boring and suffocating. The acids successfully managed to clean the mouth from the fat, while the alcohol dried it from excessive juices of the dish. I also see “Sv. Jakov Malvazija” perfect with some white truffles tagliatelle, roasted rabbit and lamb-on-spit.
94pts

Price 115 kn (16 eur)

If you come to Trieste for the first time and would like to feel how this city breathes go to Osteria Da Marino, right in the city center in a narrow street near Piazza Unità. Whenever you come, Monday to Sunday, the place is never empty and it’s open when all other bars are closed. During the weekends it becomes so packed that you can hardly enter inside so the crowd hangs out on the street.

Counter at Da Marino's

Here you mainly drink wine but, no worries, Da Marino is not a fancy wine bar with minimalist interior design where you find well dressed people who does not know how to have fun and comunicate. No, it is just an osteria – a place with atmosphere of a pub but they serve wine instead of beer. In Da Marino you can go also for lunch or dinner and my friend Milena say it’s very good.

Here you drink wine (but beer is allowed too)

The choice of wine by glass is vast – some great wines from Trieste’s Carso/Kras  (my favorites are Terrano from Zidarich and Vitovska from Vodopivec), a lot of bottles from nearby Friuli of course (Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Refosco, Ramandolo, Picolit) and then some classics like Brunello, Barolo, Nero d’Avola and Chianti. The prices are modest and the waiter fills your glass abundantly. If you come in aperitivo or happy hour period (6-9 PM) you will also get some snacks, like sushi, mortadella, bacon, mozzarella, pickled olives…

Da Marino's wine list

To my great surprise I saw three Istrian winemakers on the wine list – Leonardo Palčić from Dajla near Novigrad with his Malvasia 2008; world famous biodynamic producer Giorgio Clai from Krasica with Malvazija Sv. Jakov 2007, Ottocento Crno 2007 and Ottocento Bijelo 2007; and one of the pioneers of modern winemaking in Istria Moreno Degrassi from Savudrija with his Malvasia 2008 (see an article about Clai here and tasting notes od Degrassi’s wines here).

I ordered a glass of Clai’s Malvazija and enjoyed the rest of evening – passing it in a pleasant meditation (partly because of this exceptional wine, of course).

Actually, it came to my mind how it is difficult to find a similar place in Istria, a simple bar where you can enjoy a good glass of wine (very important!) in an informal, uninhibited, almost party atmosphere, where it is not important how are you dressed, what music do you listen, a place where waiters know a lot about wine but do not ask the same knowledge from you. It comes to my mind only Mali Café in Poreč where the wine choice is excellent, but it is far away from being a real traditional osteria. Please let me know if you can think of some other place.

Osteria Da Marino
Via del Ponte 5
I-34121 Trieste, Italy
phone +39 040 366 596
http://osteriadamarino.com

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Gamay again, but now aged in oak barrels that makes it more complex and of bigger structure. Nice floral aroma of dry violets and roses in the nose, with some cherry and pomegranate, but bouquet becomes dirtier, and more appealing, when you discover the notes of wet forest soil and graphite. Juicy fruits in the mouth, the passage in the wood brought nice roundness that is perfectly balanced with resolute acids and exciting tannins. The finish is moderately long, again with great minerality that effectively cleans your mouth (so that you ask for another sip). The medium to medium-full body of this wine can get along with thick game meat goulash, roasted red meats, pasta al forno, tuna (or other red meat fish) prepared in umido. This is my favorite Damjanić’s wine and I can’t wait to see how it will evolve in a year or two.
87pts

Tasting note that follows the post about Damjanić Winery.

Violet red to ruby red. The nose is sweet, violets and black currant fruit are contrasting against heavier notes of wet humus. The mouthfeel is fruity (dark fruits), smooth with bright acids and soft tannins, nice equilibrium. The finish is moderately long and mouthwatering due to tasty minerals. An unpretentious but juicy wine of medium body which will also love non wine drinkers. Serve slightly chilled (13-16°C) with various minestrone, pasta with frutti di mare or with lighter sauces, grilled or fried sardines, cured ham (pršut) or sausages, non-aged cheese…
84pts

Tasting note that follows the post about Damjanić Winery.

Ruby red with amber reflections. Cherries in spirit, plum marmelade and cloves in the nose with intense green herbal notes typical for Merlot in this region. In the mouth it is very warm, flavors of ripe fruit are intense, but a certain lack of acids makes it is too round so it looses a bit of structure and excitement. Tannins are still too aggressive and leave slightly bitter finish. This drawback could pass unnoticed if the wine is paired with meat dishes that possess certain sweetness – lamb on a spit, veal shin roast or boiled meat.
79pts

Tasting note that follows the post about Damjanić Winery.