Considered the finest quality member of the vast Malvasia family, Malvasia Istriana hails from Friuli where it makes fine, elegant, aromatic and mineral driven wines. It is mainly grown on clay/lime soils at low elevation in Friuli but it is said to produce the best results in the free draining gravelly plains of Friuli Grave or on harder hillside sites where the variety’s natural vigour is tamed.

Chalmers introduced a selection of Malvasia Istriana to Australia in the late 1990s. The first table wine was made from this clone in 2005, then a passito dessert wine in 2009 called Aurora. After more encouraging results from the grape in the 2013 #bucketwine project, Chalmers decided to plant it at Heathcote, designated the Rod Bonfiglioli block which features six North Eastern Italian varieties.

The 2022 Malvasia Istriana was picked on the 28th February, whole bunch pressed, chilled overnight and pressed into tank for a cool, natural fermentation on fine solids. After maturation on fine lees for 6 months, it is hand bottled with no fining or filtration and minimal sulphur additions.

With a touch of suspension in the wine, its pale straw appearance leads your interest and intrigue. The nose shows the cooler vintage with lemon pith, green apple and pear, chalk and a freshly made daisy chain. In the mouth there’s an added texture than previous years, a combination of the unfiltered suspeniosn and the longer hang time from the 2022 harvest. It’s all William Pears, flesh and skin, pink grapefruit pith, white pepper and wholemeal flour, with a fine grip and finish it actual feels a little skinsy. – Chalmers