2021 Alba Antiqua Malvazija Istarska, Matošević

• Style: Mineral-driven, stone-fruit white
• Taste: Stone fruit, honey, saline minerality with floral snap
• Food: Roasted seafood, salt-baked fish, aged cheeses
• Occasion: Sunday Lunch; Date Night
• Serve: Chill to 10–12°C, drink now or cellar

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Straw-coloured and mineral-driven, this white moves beyond typical sweetness into richer territory. Ripe stone fruit — peach and apricot — catches floral snap and bright lemon zest on the nose. The palate builds with acacia and honey, rounded and generous, before nuttiness and hints of tropical fruit arrive to lengthen the finish. Built to age, yet drinks with immediate pleasure.

The Winery — Matošević

Ivica Matošević, described by Steven Spurrier as Croatia's finest winemaker, brings unbridled passion and precision to every vintage. His family's journey across borders and generations — from Austria to Italy to Yugoslavia to Croatia, all within one house — mirrors the region's own transformation. In 2021, a balanced growing season of abundant sunshine and timely rain allowed old vines on limestone slopes to express themselves without strain. Every bunch was hand-picked and sorted before careful cold maceration and 12 months in small, mixed wood (acacia, oak, mulberry) on fine lees. The vineyard at 250–300 metres in Istria's Mediterranean climate is farmed with minimal chemicals, letting low-yielding vines focus their energy into flavour. The result carries the gravity of serious winemaking without pretension.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This wine has the acidity and mineral spine to cut through richness without overwhelm. Roasted seafood, salt-baked fish, and aged hard cheeses are perfect companions, while the wine also shines as a glass on its own. It's equally at home amongst the Light & Crispy White Wine category when you're after something with more body and age-worthiness than the name might suggest. A Malvasia of rare depth and elegance — one of the finest expressions we've found — it represents the broader renaissance of quality winemaking across the region. Vegan and vegetarian-friendly, with natural cork closure.