Radikon Slatnik 2023 Magnum

Grape: Chardonnay Tocai Friulano Vintage: 2023 Type: Orange Hailing from the steep, terraced hills of Oslavia in Friuli, right along the Italian-Slovenian border, this benchmark skin-contact bottling represents the pioneering legacy of the Radikon family. Sourced from organically farmed vines rooted in ponca—a unique regional soil of layered, mineral-rich marl and sandstone—the fruit is harvested entirely by hand at optimal maturity. In the cellar, Saša Radikon uses a slightly shorter maceration period than the estate's blue-label flagships, destemming and fermenting the grapes on their skins in oak vats for roughly 10 to 12 days. Following a restful year and a half of maturation on its fine lees in large neutral oak casks, it is bottled completely unfiltered, unfined, and with zero added sulfur. In the glass, it glows with a striking, slightly hazy amber-orange hue with deep copper reflections. The nose is highly intricate and layered, opening with intense notes of dried apricot, candied orange peel, wild mountain honey, and a fragrant, herbal hint of damp chamomile and bay leaf. On the palate, a "crystalline" core of laser-sharp, mineral acidity cuts straight through the wine’s natural phenolic weight and broad texture. The skin contact imparts a beautiful, structural grip of fine-grained, tea-like tannins that masterfully shapes the mouthfeel without turning bitter. It concludes with an incredibly long, bone-dry finish that leaves a persistent, mouthwatering trail of dried orchard fruits, toasted almonds, and crushed stone.