2007

This is another very fine set of new wines from Benjamin Zidarich, a small producer in Friuli's Carso district. The whites see a brief period of skin contact which contributes volume, depth and complexity. The wines are fermented in oak vats using indigenous yeasts and without temperature control. Aging takes place in oak, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered prior to being bottled. At their best, these are some of the most unique and compelling wines readers are likely to come across.

92 |
The 2007 Malvasia is awesome in the way it explodes onto the palate with powerful, extroverted notes of smoke, minerals, ripe fruit and flowers. The Malvasia possesses remarkable depth and richness as it coats every corner of the palate in stunning style. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016.

- www.erobertparker.com


2006

92|
"Benjamin Zidarich is a small, artisan grower working out of the rugged Carso mountains just above Trieste. This is an exciting set of wines from a producer who seems to be developing a steadier and more consistent hand with each passing vintage. The 2006 Malvasia Istriana is another beautiful wine. It possesses plenty of ripe fruit intermingled with varietal aromatics on a medium-bodied frame. Here too, the iwne flows with terrific length and purity as silky tannins caress the palate on the long finish. This wine of notable personality is not to be missed. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2014. Importer: JK Imports, Pasadena, CA; tel. (626) 793-4660."

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate,
Closing Date: 10-30-08, Issue 179

2005

91 | 2005 Malvasia
The 2005 Malvasia is focused on entry, then expands onto the palate with a compelling array of earthiness, minerals, pears and spices, with superb persistence and a lingering note of sweetness on the long finish. It comes across as more expressive in both its aromatics and flavors than the Vitovska. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2010. There is an expressive purity to Beniamino Zidarich’s wines that I adore. Zidarich works out of a small cellar carved out of the dramatic rock formations that are the dominant terrain in the Carso mountain range. The vineyards were planted beginning in 1988 with densities ranging from 8,000-10,000 plants per hectare. The wines are fermented with natural yeasts in open-top wood vats where they see contact with the skins for eight to ten days. Aging takes place in mid-size Slavonian oak casks and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. Zidarich’s wines are cloudy in color, but that is simply the result of wines that have been made with a bare minimum of intervention. Like all whites macerated on the skins, these wines should be served at cellar temperature in large glasses. Even in the weaker 2005 vintage Zidarich has crafted wines that are well worth seeking out.

- Robert Parker, Online Review, October 2007


89|
"Medium-deep straw-yellow. Ripe pear and apricot aromas are complicated by mineral and earthy elements. Dense and chewy in the mouth, with enough ripe apricot and pear flavors to avoid coming off as rigid. The long, minerally finish shows a captivating spicy aspect."

- Stepehn Tanzer's Wine Cellar


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