in general i am not a fan of orange wines, but i love radikon
Well, I had the '87 Beaucastel Rousanne about 9 yrs ago. Jason Haas brought it. It was a gift from Perin. He said the previous bottles he had were all oxidized so we opened his bottle with trepidation. Totally oxidized both in color and flavor, so we put off in the corner as a punishment. Later in the evening we decided to see if the misbehaving bottle had corrected itself. To all our astonishment it had not only freshened up, it was stellar. One of the greatest White rhone wines I’ve tasted and that includes the northern portion too. To this day I am mystified how this wine corrected itself in a few hours. Many speak to the middle period of aged white rhone (usually Marsanne & Rousanne) as having an oxidized phase where the wines show poorly and then recover with more bottle age.
See, THIS is why you can’t write these off! People always say nebbiolo changes in the glass or is tough to catch, but I find NRhone whites more challenging. Great story, btw.
+2 Zidarich recommendation
I have tried two bottles of 04 Radikon Jakot; both were disgusting. Smell of rancid spoiled meat.
Patio Bea Santa Chiara I recommend.
Im by no means a fan of orange wine but if you ask my opinion Gravner and Radikon are the only ones that do it right
I have had a few bottles of various vintages of this, mostly purchased on release, and they’ve been extremely variable, none of them great. Some were outright undrinkable due to VA (aromas of both vinegar and nail polish). The best bottles that I had were nowhere near worth the price.
When you get a good bottle of gravner, there is no better pairing for veal masala.
Lol, I guess I won’t ask your opinion then.
For me, these are not wines for which I will open and drain the bottle in an evening. They get paired with a dish or moment and then I will move on. The bottle goes into the fridge (among the condiments, appropriately), from which it will be re-tasted in the same way over the course of several weeks or months and it’s a different experience every time. Often improved, sometimes diminished, but rarely dead. I think it may be how these wines are best enjoyed and perhaps to blame for the fact that they turn off those who expect them to “perform on demand.”
If you’re still looking for recommendations, and willing to go new world, I really like Ryme Cellars for orange wine. Ribolla or Vermentino (the “his” not the “hers”).
Giorgio Clai Malvazija Sv Jakov is my favorite Giorgio Clai - "Jakov" Malvasia Istriana NV - Winfield Flynn
I love the Paolo Bea Santa Chiara. It’s orange enough for the enthusiasts but not so orange as to put off the people who don’t care for the style.