Radikon - Slatnik

It was in 1995 that Radikon began using his grandfather’s method of vinification, which involved seven days of skin maceration and led to more colour and flavour making its way into the wine. After some refinement of the technique, today’s wines have three months of maceration, along with long periods of barrel and bottle ageing. Radikon also discovered that this long-term maceration led to a more robust wine, which also meant that by 2003 he was able to cut out the use of sulphites entirely. The specially designed bottles, introduced in 2002, also use high quality corks that avoid cork tainted wine. The grape selection process and low yields mean that only the very best berries are used. In a good vintage, it is usual for a whole vine to go into a single bottle. The result is unusual orange and red wines with astronomical complexity, high ageing potential and deep, wild, flavours. 

Now run by Saša Radikon, who worked with his father for the past decade, the Radikon name continues to hold its high esteem. “If you have good grapes you can make something special,” said Saša. “If you have bad grapes you can only make bad wines.”

Grapes are hand-harvested. The maceration of the skin with the juice lasts for 8/14 days in oak vats. The wine is then matured for 18 months in 25/35hl casks. Bottles are then aged for 2 months before being released.

Country: Italy
Region: Friuli Venezia Giulia
Vintage: 2017
ABV: 14%
Bottle Size: 75 cl
Grape Variety: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Tocai Friulano
Yeast: Indigenous
Total Sulphites: < 20mg/l
Bottles per year: < 5000
Vegan Wine: Yes
Recommended by: Raw Wine Fair

TASTING NOTES: Full bodied, funky, candied fruit, with notes of ripe tropical fruits.