Zidarich, Vitovska, Carso, Friuli-Venzia Giulia, Italy 2020

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.

Following his father, Benjamin began in 1988 with just 1 ha and has since grown his holdings to 8, all of which he farms biodynamically. The vines grow in the classic ironand calcium-rich red soils of the area, extending deep into the limestone that looms just below the surface. Benjamin works primarily with Vitovska, the classic local variety of the Carso.