Origin - Croatia

Region - Istria

Style - Aromatic Fruity and Mineral, Elegant

Grape: Malvasia Istriana

Alcohol - 12.5%

Straw yellow in colour. The wine is bursting with aromas of acacia, lime zest, apples and ripe nectarine. An incredibly crisp acidity balances the concentration of flavours beautifully. It has a medium body and a long finish, marked by lovely mineralogy.

Described by the late Steven Spurrier as "Croatia’s best winemaker", Ivica Matošević has established himself as a force of nature in the country’s turbulent yet burgeoning wine industry. His incredible family history simply explains the last 100 years: “My grandfather was born in Austria, my father was born in Italy, I was born in Yugoslavia and my daughter was born in Croatia. We were all born in the same house”. Spirited by the emergence of the Istrian wine scene that followed the fall of Yugoslavia in the early ‘90s and driven by an unbridled passion, Ivica Matošević diverted his career from a PhD in agriculture to winemaking. This passion is reflected both in his wines, which are exuberant, fresh and true to their nature, and in what he has achieved for the reputation of Croatian wine. Widely recognised among his peers as one of the leaders of the quality revolution, he was instrumental in setting up the Istrian appellation and establishing the wildly popular annual wine fair there.

He has also played a large role in championing Croatia’s native Malvazija Istarska (Malvasia Istriana) grape variety, coaxing out its complex herbal, mineral and slightly bitter almond characteristics, as in his ‘Alba’. Fermented in stainless steel with no skin contact, this is a fresh expression of the variety, with a roundness on the palate from ageing for several months on its fine lees.

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