Vitovska grganja is an old indigenous white variety that thrives in the Slovenian and Italian Karst, with a few in the Vipava Valley. In my opinion, it is the variety with the most untapped potential in Slovenia.
Čotar’s 2015 vintage is excellent.
With 600 hectares of vineyards, the Karst is the smallest wine-growing region in Slovenia. It is also the coldest of all the Mediterranean wine regions. Unfortunately, some 450 hectares of the aforementioned land are planted with the refošk (refosco) grape, which is used to produce Karst Teran, or now simply Teran. Why unfortunately? To get a quality result in the Karst region, the refosco (teran) vine needs a thicker layer of soil, as it is very sensitive to drought and high temperatures (heat stress), among other things. And under such conditions, it is difficult to reach the appropriate sugar level and phenolic ripeness. According to the estimates of some experts, who view the terrine issue primarily from the point of view of high quality rather than cheap demagoguery, there are only about 70 hectares of such land. This leaves us with about 380 hectares on which the other two indigenous varieties would produce much better results. The first is Istrian Malvasia, which is of course found mainly in Istria, but also in the Vipava Valley, Goriška brdy and the Karst, and the second is Vitovian Grganja, which in my opinion is the variety with the most untapped potential in Slovenia.
Marko Fon in the vineyard of Vitovska
A variety bursting with the desire to grow
It is an old indigenous white variety that thrives in the Slovenian and Italian Karst, and there are also some in the Vipava Valley. Malvasia dotted, or white refosco as it is also known by some, tolerates drought very well and is therefore ideal for the karst world. There is even a chance that it is self-inflicted. It was first mentioned in records in 1844 by the priest Matija Vertovec in his book Vinoreja za Slovenci (Vinoreja for Slovenians). It is very vigorous, so a proper (not too few) vine load is of the utmost importance. It is content with a very thin layer of soil, because – as I said – is bursting with the desire to grow, to live. With such vigorous varieties, the breeding form is perhaps even more important than with more lethargic varieties. Winemaker Marko Fon, who I consider to be one of the greatest experts and experts on viticulture in the Karst region, says that the latnik is still the best possible solution, but unfortunately it is no longer used in newly planted vineyards. Fon uses a form that at first glance most closely resembles a double guyot, but in his case it is triple or even quadruple, which makes the form three-dimensional, as the vines form a kind of canopy. Vitovska has very strong tendrils that cling to the support whenever possible, which comes in handy when a harsh Karst gale blows.
The Fon says that proper ripening is crucial. Too frequent and excessive leaf removal, so-called topping, encourages vines, especially vines with vines of Vitis, to form new leaves, which are much more productive as far as photosynthesis is concerned, which means (too) much sugar and consequently too high alcohols and often too low acids. Tastes vary, of course, but my opinion is that a Witovska does not need alcohol above 13%. It is said to thrive best on a substrate based on what is known as a furrow formation. It is a limestone rock originating from the warm sea, named after the village of Brje near Komno, but also found elsewhere in the Karst.
The so-called Brje Formation – a limestone rock that originates from the warm sea and takes its name from the village of Brje near Komno.
Vitovska is calling for maceration
The Vitovian bitter gourd with its thick strawberry skin is just crying out for maceration. The length of time the grapes soak in the must depends on many factors, including the vinification technique itself. Many people leave the strawberries in the must for four to seven days. Joško Renčel for about a month. Paolo Vodopivec, a native of Zambia who is one of the greatest masters of vitovska, macerates for as long as 12 months, but with minimal exposure to air or oxygen. In recent years, I have found that it is the latter that provides the long-term balance of fruitiness, tannins, acidity, minerality and tertiary aromas in macerated or – if you like – orange wines. Excessive micro-oxidation can quickly get out of hand and instead of oxidative notes we have oxidised wine.
The top examples of Vito are very elegant wines with delicate aromatics, accentuated minerality, pronounced acidity and moderate fruitiness. Fruit notes can range from white peach, ripe citrus fruits to dried apricot. An aftertaste reminiscent of almonds is quite common. I recently had the opportunity to enjoy Vodopivec’s 1997 Vitovska, which was in absolutely top form, proving that it is more than suitable for top quality wines for the archives.
Paolo Vodopivec’s vineyard, Koludrovca near Zgonik, mid-December
The variety was revitalised by Slovenians from abroad
Slovenia has some excellent producers of natural vitovska. Vasja Čotar, Marko Fon, Emil Tavčar, Marko Tavčar, Sebastijan Štemberger, Joško Renčel are just some of the names that show us time and time again the true potential of this raw but beautiful wine region. The great credit for the preservation of Vitovska as a variety goes to the Slovenians living abroad. The aforementioned Paolo Vodopivec produces wines that can easily be said to be among the best white wines in the world. Its educational form is also interesting, which is a kind of alberello. There are also
Edi Kante
,
Sandi Škerk
,
Benjamin Zidarich
,
Škerlj
,
Rado Kocijančič
…
Every year in June, the Vitovska & More Festival is held at the castle in the village of Devin in the Italian Karst, where you can meet many of the producers of this noble variety and enjoy their wines. Pay attention to the 2015 vintage. A few days ago I had the honour to try it at Fono and Čotar. Excellent!
The teran (refosco) mentioned at the beginning is nowhere near the quality of the Vitian and Malvasia varieties on most of the land where they are grown. They would, of course, also make it much easier to win foreign markets, as those who are serious about growing the varieties in question can testify. The quality of these varieties is also much higher than that of the other varieties. Apparently, some people are much more interested in quarrels with Croatians, or rather Istranians, and demagogic debates about the protection of the name “teran” than in a realistic view of the possibilities and potential of the Karst region. For the avoidance of doubt, when it reaches the right ripeness, and especially when it is phenolic, teran is a truly remarkable wine. But, to be honest, there are very few of them.
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