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.

90 |
The 2007 Vitovska reveals lovely richness and inner perfume in its wshite peaches, flowers and sweet spices. This medium-bodied white flows with outstanding balance and tons of elegance, not to mention style. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2015.

- 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 Vitovska is incredibly elegant and refined in its sweet, expansive core of ripe fruit. Well-delineated, open aromatics continue to develop in the glass as this silky, complete white gains complexity with air. This is an understated wine of notable finesse. Readers who take the time to contemplate this wine are sure to be amply rewarded. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016."

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


2005

The Pour|
"How to follow a wine like that? With vitovska of course! Not the Vodopivec that I recently wrote about, but a wine from another, similarly minded producer, Zidarich. It’s not often (except in the Jura) where you serve a white after the red, but this was a conscious decision...The vitovska, a 2005, was a wine of great substance and texture, dry and tangy with a fragrance of roses and apples, and delicious with cheese. Like the Vodopivec, it had a cloudy, cidery haze and a wonderful purity. A great finish to a week of satisfying wines."

- Eric Asimov, The Pour, November 2007



89 |
The 2005 Vitovska represents the purest expression of varietal in its spices, pears, jasmine and flowers. This delicate wine offers notable elegance although the finish is a bit short. 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


88|
"Pale straw with gold flourishes. Citrus fruits, white flowers and an earthy quality on the nose. Steely and minerally on the palate, with spicy pear and fresh apricot flavors dominating. This lean, persistent wine finishes with pronounced minerality, and just enough fruit to avoid coming off as hard."

- Stepehn Tanzer's Wine Cellar


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