Regional profile: Istria
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This heart-shaped, northwest corner of Croatia has been billed as the ‘New Tuscany’ and is home to a diverse range of exciting wines. But will they find their place on the world stage? Simon Woolf reports
Eight of the best wine buys from Istria
Misal, Prestige Extra-Brut NV*
18/20pts (93/100pts)
Biscuity traditional method sparkler, with red fruits and a fine savoury finish. This Pinot Noir-Chardonnay- Malvazija blend is reminiscent of a top Franciacorta. The owners, the Peršuric sisters, are sulphur dioxide intolerant, and use very low amounts.
Price £29.95 Pacta Connect
Drink 2014-2015
Alc 12.5%
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Giorgio Clai, Sveti Jakov, Western Istria 2011
18.25/20pts (94/100pts)
100% Malvazija, fermented on the skins for 75 days. Intense apricot skin and caramel aromas. Mouthfilling and complex, with roasted plums, dried herbs, and refreshing grip on the finish. Big but beautifully balanced, and very moreish.
Price £35.50 Pacta Connect
Drink 2014-2021
Alc 15%
Klabjan, Malvazija, Istria, Slovenia 2011
17.75/20pts (92/100pts)
Savoury style from the Kras plateau: nutty nose and a saline finish. Taut and austere with just enough creaminess to make it lovable. Made with wild yeasts and unfiltered – winemaker Uroˇs Klabjan just gives the wine ‘a place and time’.
Price £18.50 Pacta Connect, Eton Vintners
Drink 2014-2021
Alc 13.5%
Kozlović, Santa Lucia Malvazija, Western Istria 2009
17.75/20pts (92/100pts)
Late harvest from the hilltop ‘cru’ Santa Lucia vineyards. Full bodied, but so elegant. Oak spiciness, stewed plums and refreshing bitter finish.
Price POA Hallgarten Druitt, Novum
Drink 2014-2017
Alc 15%
Kabola, Malvazija Classic, Western Istria 2012
16.75/20pts (89/100pts)
Pretty floral nose, with hints of honeysuckle and pineapple. Very fresh, generous fruit rounded off with Malvazija’s trademark nutty bitterness. Organically certified. Excellent value.
Price £13.25 Croatian Fine Wines
Drink 2014-2015
Alc 13%
Geržinić, Teran, Western Istria 2011
17.75/20pts (92/100pts)
Mouthwatering black cherry, with wild herbs, cacao and blood orange on the nose. Firm structure and typically bracing acidity, but utterly harmonious. A wine without artifice.
Price £18.50 Pacta Connect
Drink 2014-2018
Alc 13%
Piquentum, Terre 11 2011
17/20pts (90/100pts)
100% Refošk, with charming soft cherry fruit and a characteristic burnt cacao note that adds richness. Lithe and accessible.
Price £20-£21.50 Eton Vintners, Loki Wine, Harvey Nichols, Pacta Connect
Drink 2014-2016
Alc 13.5%
Matošević, Grimalda Red, Central Istria 2010
16.75/20pts (89/100pts)
Mainly Merlot (85%), but Teran’s wildness is distinct on the nose. Fresh, with sour cherry and soft tannins, shows the potential of the Grimalda vineyard. Potential.
Price £26.40 Bancroft, Wine Bear
Drink 2014-2018
Alc 13.5%
Simon Woolf is a British journalist and writer currently clinging to mainland Europe in Amsterdam. A regular contributor to Decanter magazine, Meininger Wine Business International and World of Fine Wine, Woolf is a critical advocate for organics, biodynamics and natural winemaking, and specialises in the wines of Italy, Austria and Eastern Europe.
He is the founder and editor of The Morning Claret, one of the world’s most respected resources for natural wines.
His first book ‘Amber Revolution’ was published in 2018 to critical acclaim in the New York Times and on JancisRobinson.com.
He was the Roederer International Wine Writer Awards Feature Writer of the Year 2018 and he was a judge at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).