Kozlovic Santa Lucia Malvazija 2018

Cellar for up to 7 years. Serve chilled. The Kozlovic family founded their winery in Istria in 1904 and it is today run by Gianfranco and Antonella Kozlovic who look after around 25 hectares of estate vineyards planted with local varieties. The couple continually strive to produce the very best wines possible while respecting the heritage and history of their land. They combine traditional winemaking techniques with modern equipment and knowhow to produce characterful wines which are very popular in Croatia and beyond. This mouthwatering white wine is crafted from Malvazija, the local name for the Malvasia grape variety. Grapes are exclusively sourced from the Santa Lucia single vineyard which was planted in 1962 on top quality limestone and clay soils. The family attentively harvest their grapes by hand with fermentation and maturation taking place in 32 hectolitre wooden barrels. The young wine spends 12 months ageing in these casks before transferring to neutral tanks prior to bottling. The final step is another 12 months spent ageing in the bottle before release. The result is a very complex white wine which has excellent potential for ageing thanks to the lengthy maturation process. On the nose there are intense floral notes along with ripe peaches, apricots and caramel. The first sip reveals a bright acidity, medium body, and smooth, well-rounded texture with rich tropical fruit flavours which linger on the tongue.