Marjan Simcic Opoka Cru Sauvignon Vert 2020 (750ml) *

Sauvignon Vert, the grape also known as Friulano, grows on both sides of the border between northeastern Italy's Collio and Slovenia's Brda, and here it comes from Marjan Simcic in that Slovenian growing zone. This is the 2020 Opoka bottling from the Ronc Zegla cru, a dry white made in a savory, textural style rather than a fruit-forward one.

The nose is delicate and layered, sour melon and fermented ginger meeting pine shavings and a dusting of stone. On the palate it turns savory, cooling acidity threading through, with raw almond lending a touch of richness and crisp white pit fruits circling underneath. It finishes dry but clean, carrying a mineral edge and a whisper of sage that lingers as it slowly fades.