In a mere decade, Paolo Vodopivec has earned an enviable international reputation for his distinct expressions of Vitovska, a variety produced by only a handful of producers in the rugged Carso. (The Carso is a plateau located in southeastern Friuli on the Istrian peninsula, just above the town of Trieste, marked by an inhospitable, and rocky terrain). For Vodopivec, Vitovska is the quintessential varietal expression of the region.
The Carso has always been a difficult and tough area, which can test people’s strengths. Harsh, unpleasant, difficult- in a word, true. Even people who do not know this unique terrain, can experience it through Vitovska- “the Carso in a bottle”. What nature has given to the vineyard, the grape gives to the wine. -Paolo Vodopivec
A blacksmith by trade, his great-grandfather had cultivated a few hectares of vineyards and produced a small amount of wine. While in his early twenties, Paolo assumed control of the estate and decided to pursue a dream of winemaking on a grander scale. Subsequently, he selected their best sites, representing 4.5 hectares and 40,000 vines, and replanted employing mass selection and albarello training. The first Vodopivec wine to travel outside the boundaries of the Carso was the 1998 Vitovska (1500 bottles produced). Produced using full berry fermentation and extended maceration and bottled unfiltered eighteen months later, it was tremendously well received and the 1999 vintage (900 bottles produced) marked by a spectacular amber color truly served only to expand the Vodopivec fan club.
Excited by the results, Paolo decided to remove all other grape varieties from the estate in order to focus on Vitovska. Three terraces were created in the new Vitovska vineyards, allowing for excellent ventilation. The terrain was altered by the introduction of large and small rocks, covered with 30 cm of soil from nearby Duino, a city on the coastal part of the region, which provided the rocks with the necessary protective layer. The vines are not manually watered, natural rainfall is the only water source, which is not much in this area; however, the rocky terrain provides natural remedy to droughts.
No pesticides or chemicals are used, instead bird houses of varying sizes have been constructed to surround the vines, depending on the location, allowing only a certain bird to nest in that particular location. The birds maintain the natural equilibrium, they know which insects and parasites should be there and which shouldn’t. Only ambient yeast is employed and the wines continue to be the product of whole berry fermentation without temperature control and extended maceration. Two variations of Vitovska are produced.
In Paolo’s words: Today just like yesterday, Vitovska Classica is created in the present in the same way it was born in the past. First the wine is left to macerate for a fortnight in the vats of Slavonian oak, then it is treated to slow refinement in large barrels. More than two years is needed for the true value of the wine to be revealed in all its uniqueness. Vitovska Amphora expresses itself without hurrying nature’s rhythms. The wine is kept in contact with its grape-skins in buried, terra cotta amphorae, without monitoring the temperatures, for six months. A two years’ rest in casks then brings the wine to maturation, giving it a chance to express the fullness of its taste.
Paolo Vodopivec’s true belief in the terroir and grape variety of his native land and determination to turn this belief into reality has resulted in exceptional wines that have caught the attention of the world.
I vividly remember the first time I tasted a Vodopivec wine. The vintage was 2001 and I nearly fell out of my chair. These phenomenal whites are among the most un-manipulated wines being made in Italy today. They will challenge readers’ perceptions about what white wines can and should be about. For those adventurous enough to give them a try, an immensely rewarding world of new experiences awaits. -Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
This is natural winemaking at its most intense, as the grapes are kept in contact with the skins for six months in amphora pots buried underground. Afterward ,the wine is then aged in large casks for two years; the final result is magnificent. This is a richly textured white with an explosion of pear and melon fruit on the palate and a rich, lengthy finish with bracing acidity. It’s quite a statement and it’s a testament to the philosophy of Paolo Vodopivec and of course, the growing area of Carso. -Tom Hyland, Reflections on Wine
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