Radikon Slatnik Venezia Giulia IGT 2022
Varieties: Chardonnay, Friulano
Region: Friuli, Italy
Producer: Radikon
Costs: $30-$40 (euros)
Missive: Getting Radical with Radikon
This is not your grandfather’s white wine. This is something else. This is something special. Orange wine, in the United States, has such an image and connotation associated with it. Often negative to many drinkers, these wines tend to lean towards the funky and non-channeled side. Without a clear philosophy or guiding hand many orange wines can be obtuse. Flabby, all over the place, lacking clear characteristics of the varieties being used in their makeup. But, if you transport yourself to the Friuli region you get something else entirely. Ethereal white wines with skin maceration that open up an entirely new world of pairing possibilities. I always told people back home that you have to imagine orange wines, as a category, entirely separate from white wines. If you go into them thinking of your typical Pinot Grigio or Albariño you will be sorely disappointed. What these wines lack in acidity and freshness is made up for in savory aspects alongside a hefty body. However, that should not be daunting or anything of the sort. It should be fun, eye opening, and allow you to explore an entirely new category of wines. Enter the Slatnik from Radikon.
The Slatnik wine from Radikon is a blend of Chardonnay and Friulano. Chardonnay is a variety that most of us are familiar with, but Friulano maybe less so. Tocai Friulano, its full name, is grown in the Friuli region of Italy in addition to Slovenia. This area of grape growing could be its own in-depth missive. The folks in this portion of northeastern Italy, alongside Slovenia, often opt for orange wines with barrel aging. These choices result in some seriously complex and age worthy wines. The flavor profile, both on the nose and palate, morph into these deep and concentrated notes that you just don’t get with standard direct press white wines. To highlight the difference, the Slatnik was served at cellar temperature from the folks at Vineria Aperta. This is a wine you simply do not want to chill down too much. It would lose its nuance and the flavors would hide. All of the deep, pitted, bruised fruit flavors would scurry away and hide under a rock. Like Patrick Star hiding in his little home. You don’t want that folks. You want this wine to be singing, popping out of the glass. It has that capability if you let it. You want to let this wine spread its wings! And when it does, you get something extraordinary.
Enough of my ramblings. Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of it all. What does this wine give you? On the nose, there is a lot to sift through. It is poignant. Right off the bat you can associate the fruit with more pitted varieties. Leave the apples and pears at the door. This is more apricot, peach, and nectarine related. However, even the fruit profile has complexity to it. It is much more like a spiced apricot, jammy peach, and concentrated nectarine note. There is a clear savory component to the whole thing. Once you get the fruit, you encounter something special. For me, there was a beautiful mustard seed component to the wine. You heard me right. A mustard seed component that accompanies this extremely present saline note. That is the exciting thing when you take the plunge and go for a wine like this. For most white wines, you get the fruit note and if you are lucky maybe something like minerality, salinity, or a slightly herb driven note. For something like the Slatnik, you get fruit, savoriness, herbs, and saline all wrapped into one. This is a ‘white’ wine that would entice even the most hardcore red wine lovers. Because, in addition to everything that I have described, there is a clear body to this wine. Once you get past the nose, there is a seriousness to the palate that you can only attribute to the vision of Sasa Slatnik. He has taken over the helm of his father and there is no indication of complacency at Radikon. Whether it is choices in the cellar, or new innovations for the bottle, Sasa appears to continue to be pushing the envelope for what will make his wines superb.
This is a superb wine, truly. I am a red wine lover at heart, specifically those of Italy and certain portions of France. However, this is a ‘white’ wine that gets me excited. It has a body and flavor profile that I can appreciate. Boy, did I need something like this. It’s always good to treat yourself for no apparent reason. I had written previously about finishing the harvest and leaning into another role in Tuscany. I celebrated with a red wine from Arianna Occhipinti. The next big benchmark was going to be 200 subscribers on Substack. However, recent goings on in my life and a newfound appreciation for the daily moments resulted in me splurging for this wine. They say that Japanese samurai used to consider every day as their last. This mentality led to an enhanced appreciation for everything they would encounter, and accomplish, on that given day. Granted, I am not a Japanese samurai, but some of these philosophies are good reminders in the 21st century. There seems to be a mentality in society, especially in the United States, of postponing gratification or something of the sort. Tomorrow I will tell that person this certain thing, or next year I will take that trip I have always wanted to go on. But sometimes next year doesn’t come. Circumstances change, things affect you or your friends and family in a way that can radically change your daily life. That’s why I am trying to be more intentional in the moment and with the choices I make on a daily basis. Recently, I feel as though I have been reborn and had a weight taken off of my shoulders. Like Musashi sitting underneath the roaring stream of a waterfall, I have been reborn. Reborn in a way that I will not forsake my previous decisions, but I will also certainly not go back to them either. Sometimes things in life just hit you right in the face. Aspects of your life that you have been pondering simply reveal themselves in their entirety, making certain decisions just that much easier. Sort of like this orange wine. This thing revealed itself to me throughout the course of the night. I was not left thinking “What if?” with this wine. To be fair, that is not a question I want to be asking myself much more in my life. Whether it relates to wines, opportunities in the working world, or other things. The worst thing that can plague a person later on in life is regret. I am trying to live my life in a way from here on out that will minimize those moments. SEIZE THE DAY! Veni, vidi, vici!
To be fair, these are my thoughts after a couple glasses of the Slatnik mentioned above. However, the mentality is there, and these things will stick. When I live my life according to the principles that I have set forth I minimize the feelings of regret. I knew I wanted to celebrate these revelations today, so I had to treat myself to the Slatnik from Radikon. I urge you all to explore the region of Friuli in all of its glory. Take this region of northeastern Italy seriously, in addition to their counterparts in Slovenia. This geographical area, taking away modern political borders, produces some heavy hitting and regal orange wines. Especially with holidays like Thanksgiving coming up. I could not think of a better style of wine to accompany something like turkey, butternut squash soup, or roasted pumpkin. It is a perfect marriage between the heft and body of a red wine, with the grace and nuance of a white wine. Sasa from Radikon provides you with an ultimate example of everything I have detailed with this type of wine. In regards to Thanksgiving and the last bit of fall, I have one last thing to say. I am very excited to go home and spend some much needed time with my family. I have a handful of things left to accomplish and experience in Italy, but after that it is family time. There are decisions that need to be pondered, times to be experienced, and memories to be made. This wine is something that will propel you forward to confront these choices in your life, as they have mine. So on that note, follow the Bushido code, pick up an orange wine from Friuli or Slovenia, and go out and enjoy life in all of its glory. That is what I will be doing from here on out!
Hearing the monks doing Gregorian chants in that abby is as deserving of complimentary adjectives as the wines you describe!
Sounds perfect. I would love to try the wine and most of all, I can’t wait to see you!!!