Welcome to Roxanich wines from Istria, Croatia

Jun 13, 2023 – Welcome to Roxanich wines from Istria, Croatia

modified a year ago

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by Roland Benedetti

Istria is no longer the hidden treasure that it was. Since we first fell in love with white macerated white wines there, tasting at Giorgio Clai nearly two decades ago, things changed. Anthony Bourdain, among many others, had an epic journey that was viewed by millions in his “No Reservations” show. Many people visited the region, prices went up, many secrets are no so secret anymore.

“It's so good” and “Why, but why, does this country have such good wines ?!” - Anthony Bourdain (happy sad anniversary, we miss you…)

But Istria still has a lot to surprise us, again and again.

Among others, that’s the case with the wines from Mladen Rožanić in Motovun, from his winery Roxanich (this is the old spelling of Mladen’s last name which dates back several centuries). We are proud to offer these wines to the US market now. Roxanich is not a newcomer to the American consumers, since his natural wines have been hitting the US market before natural wine was a trend. However, we must admit that, after a pause, Roxanich has somehow re-invented himself and built a rather special and unique wine project.

I loved a lot of his reds from the first decade of the century, but they were different, and so was my palate, so I’m not even sure if I’d like them now. And Mladen, without ever embracing any trends, has moved his way into making wines that I see as more unique, more vibrant, less influenced by the last decade of the 20th-century wine trends, and are not “controlled” by the recent glou-glou hype.

These wines are unusual and unique, as much as Roxanich and his winery-resort are one of a kind. They can be defined by true low-intervention winemaking, the courage (oenological and financial) to age the wines, and a dual interest in native varieties (teran, borgonja istriana, refosco, malvasia etc.) and international ones (Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc etc.). The result is an amazing diverse lineup of wines with so much to offer that they can take you on an amazing journey.

The town of Motovun, where Roxanich is located.

The wines will please the natty wine lovers as much as the old-school fine wine enthusiasts. They’ll serve your thirsty summer apéros as much as replacing a digestif after dinner. They’ll be an eye-opener to your beer-drinking cousin that is not interested in wine, as much as they’ll get the respect of your best friend from Lyon who’s been living on Camuzet, Leflaive and Gonon allocations.

Please reach out to me if you want to taste these. The wines arrived today in our warehouse and will be available for delivery soon. I’d love to share them with you!

Here’s the lineup without any tasting notes. You’ll have to write them after tasting with me: