Radikon

Radikon is an Italian wine producer at Oslavia in in the Collio Goriziano zone of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, on the border with Slovenia. Former winemaker Stanislao “Stanko” Radikon, who died aged 62 in 2016, greatly evolved his methods over the last couple of decades to a point where they were widely regarded as a template for the natural and orange wine movements

Extended fermentations and long aging are hallmark of this producer; in 1995 Stanko returned to his grandfather’s methods, beginning to give his white wines seven days of skin contact during fermentation to obtain more intensity of flavour and color. As he experimented further the duration of macerations and fermentations, and of aging, increased. These methods allowed for sulphur additions to be, depending on the wine, eradicated or mimimalized.

In addition wines are released in specially designed bottles in either 500ml or litre sizes. The bottle neck and cork are narrower than usual to replicate the proportions of a magnum, which is generally considered to be the optimum format for aging.

While the winery is located on a plateau near the the Isonzo river, the eleven or so hectares (27 acres) of vineyards, though nearby, are situated on very steep slopes which are very difficult to work. All processes are carried out by hand, no pesticides or chemicals are used, and yields are kept to under a kilo per vine. Fruit quality is paramount when no sulphur is used on the fruit and wines undergo long ferments on skins.

The portfolio is headed by a Merlot which is fermented for 30-60 days and matured in used barriques for five years, then on average five years in bottle, with no added sulphur. The Oslavje Fuori dal Tempo combines Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, spends three years in cask, and then is aged for around ten years in bottle.

The Blue range includes a Ribolla, the Oslavje blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio, and Jakot, a 100 percent Friuliano. These are fermented in oak vats for anything between two and four months, then matured in large casks for four years and bottles for a further two. No sulphur is added.

The S range undergo a much quicker fermentation and “only” spend 18 months in oak and two months in bottle. A small amount of sulphur is added before bottling. The wines are a Pinot Grigio and Slatnik, an 80:20 blend of Chardonnay and Friuliano.