2005 Vitovska

The 2005 Vitovska Classica was fermented in oak, and saw two weeks of contact on the skins prior to being racked into cask for subsequent aging. This subtle, understated wine reveals attractive ripe apricots and peaches intermingled with delicate aromatics. The cool vintage and rocky terrain give this wine a focused, minerally personality compared to more opulent vintages such as 2004 and 2006. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2012. Vodopivec is a young estate still searching for its voice. These 2005s signal a new shift in direction for brothers Walter and Paolo Vodopivec, who have begun using amphoras. There are now two Vitovskas; the Classica which is fermented and aged in oak, and the Amphora, which as its name implies, is fermented in amphora and aged in cask. These are beautiful wines in a good, but not great, vintage. It will be interesting to see where this small, artisan estate goes from here. Certainly the 2006s and 2007s I tasted from cask show quite a bit of promise. Importer: PWM Merchants, Astoria, NJ; tel. (718) 777-2288