Skerk Malvasía 2022

Skerk farms the Carso, the windswept limestone plateau above Trieste that runs along the Italian-Slovenian border. This wine comes from a centuries-old Hellenic strain of Malvasia that has grown in the region since antiquity, its roots reaching into the iron-rich red soil that collects in pockets of the karst limestone. That geology and the constant bora wind give the wine its mineral cut and saline character. The grapes are harvested ripe and vinified in cellars dug straight into the rock. They macerate on their skins, which draws tannin and phenolic structure from the grapes and deepens the colour. The wine then ages for twelve months in used French oak barrels, a neutral elevage that adds slow oxygen exchange and texture without overt wood flavour, rounding the tannin and building savoury complexity. The colour is straw-yellow with golden glints. The nose is intense, with apricot, candied citrus and almond over beeswax, dried herbs and a saline note. The palate is dry and structured, the tannin fine, the finish long and savoury. Serve at 12 to 14 degrees, decanted. It suits roast pork, meaty fish and aged cheese.