Domaine Vicomte de Noüe Marinic Goriska Brda Tejca Vedrignano II Cru Classificazione 2020

Domaine Vicomte de Noüe Marinic works in Goriška Brda, the hillside zone of Slovenia's Primorska region that sits on the Italian border and shares its marl and sandstone geology with neighbouring Collio. This Chardonnay comes from the II Cru Classificazione plots and reflects a Burgundian reading of the site. The layered flysch soils, alternating marl and sandstone, drain quickly and hold the vines under mild stress, which concentrates the fruit while the cool Alpine air off the Julian foothills keeps acidity firm. Vinification is deliberately low intervention, in keeping with the natural and sustainable farming here. The wine spends twelve months in barrel and a further twelve in stainless steel, so oxidative oak contact and extended lees ageing build texture and savoury depth without overt woodspice, the barrel exchange rounding the palate while the steel phase preserves freshness. At 14.5% it is a full white. Expect a deep straw colour, a nose of ripe pear, white peach and toasted hazelnut, and a broad palate carrying honey, almond and a saline mineral edge into a long finish. Serve at 11 to 12 degrees in a large glass.