The distinct lable of Burja estate

Spring is in its full bloom, sun is high and it all has the looks of a special day, one of those that you just need to celebrate with a glass worthy of it … It has to be not an ordinary one, it has to be one of those you’ve been keeping away on your special shelf. You know those bottles we all have stored for some special occasions and are usually covered by dust …

So it went … A look on the shelf stopped at it, shiny and resting, a bottle of Burja Noir, 2009 produced by Primož Lavrenčič, the master behind Burja Estate. We’re talking about a Pinot Noir here. Even though Primož is an enthusiast of local varieties he’s growing it as a challenge and an homage to Burgundy. And what of an homage we’re talking here …

Growing in windy Vipavska valley on marly soil the grapes are picked from 12 – 20 years old vines, 12 days of maceration and a controlled fermentation of 20 – 25 °C then laid to rest for 22 months in mostly barrique (10 % new).

The wine is clear of a red ruby color with a pronounced garnet shade. Quick turn in the glass to reveal we are dealing with a consistent Pinot Noir.

The nose is intense, complex and fine. A fruity aroma of ripe fruit like plum jam, Marascha cherry in brandy, chocolate, caffe, vanilla, black pepper, tobacco leaves, licorice, underwood and a note of venison. I also get some mineral – graphite notes.

A first sip to feel it is a dry, warm and soft wine while on the other hand it is a fresh, quite tannic and tasty. A full-bodied, balanced wine of an intense, persistent and fine taste.

The wine is mature and harmonious. I wouldn’t mind leaving it to rest for at least 3 years before trying it again again.

You can buy Burja Noir here and as I hear there are not a lot of bottles left. Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it sipping this wonderful Pinot Noir.

Cheers my friends!

Besides Rebula you’ll be able to taste different wines produced by 11 winemakers present. If you’re interested in knowing more about Slovenian wine this is a chance you cannot miss. You’ll be able to meet the following winemakers:

www.carga.si
www.dobuje.com
www.ferdinand.si
www.jakoncic.eu
www.muzic.si
www.princic.si
www.pulec.com
www.scurek.com
www.simcic.si
www.valtersirk.com
www.zanut.si

With them also Andreja Lajh of Carpediem club will be there, and will be glad to introduce you to them. She’ll be there Monday, 26th March from 14:00 – 20:00 and Tuesday 27th of March from 10:00 – 14:00.  You can also confirm your presence at the Facebook event page.

Enjoy!

What gotten me to strive for this wine is  Tilen’s passion in keeping and reviving old and forgotten Istrian wine varieties. In this wine he included some like:

• Pinjola
• Karniola
• Beli refošk (White Refosco)
• Istrska belina
• Bela borgonja
• Izolanka
• Tržačanka
• Dolski muškat
• Momjanski muškat and
• Malvazija

Now tell me, except for Malvazija have you heard of any of them? I’m telling you I can’t wait tasting it and of course I’ll share my tasting notes with you.

For those of you interesting in what the article says I’m including a translation. The article was written by Sašo Dravinec and published in Primorske novice.

”Tilen Praprotnik has planted under Šared a lot of old already forgotten Istrian autochthonous varieties. Zlati cvet, a representant of his fresh line is a blend of pinjola, karniola, beli refošk, istrska belina, bela borgonja, izolanka, tržačanka, dolski muškat, momjanski muškat and malvazija. All varieties are equally represented in this wine.  Zlati cvet, the name is taken from a Slovenian legend of a flourishing fern, is of a strawy yellow color with golden nuances. Gentle on the nose the aroma of pear outstands and is supplemented by  a grown apples and floral and citrusy note. This perceptions are then repeated in the mouth. The wine is fresh with a long and fruity end.   It is a pleasant, lightly drinking wine. Oenologically a contemporary wine wit an unmistakable archaical touch. The contact with this wine is an amazing learning hour of ransacking through roots.”

Here’s the scan of the article:

In Slovenia a dear friend of mine – Jean is reviving this tradition and producing wine like the antique Georgians did. Yesterday I spent a wonderful day at Kabaj estate and today I found this video about the making of Amfora. I’m still under a strong impression after yesterdays tasting and can assure you that wine done in this way is special. If you close your eyes and taste it, it will feel as tasting a full bodied red wine. A detailed description of Amfora is on the way, but for now enjoy this truly educational video.

You can find more about winemaking using this method on Xeloba Kartuli’s website.

If you’re interested in visiting Kabaj estate here are the coordinates. Don’t forget to check-in.

Malvazija - Kocjančič, 2007

Hello wine lovers!

I am in a pleasant company at this time and I want to share it with you. I’m talking about Malvazija 2007, produced by the Kocjančič family. After a 24-hour, temperature controlled maceration in open vinificators 50% of it laid in inox and 50% in oak barrels for 12 months. It has 13,5 vol. % of alcohol.

Appearence:
The wine is of a straw yellow color, with golden nuances, it is crystal clear and rather dense.

Smell:
It is rather to intense and fine on the nose. You can find flowery nuances of acacia, grown fruit like pineapple, citurses, hazelnuts and spices like liquorice. I could also smell a bit of honey nuance. Definitely of a reach bouquet.

Taste:
It is dry, rather hot which means the alcohol is well incorporated and of a rather softness. It is fresh, mineral and rather balanced with freshness and mineralty prevailing. This wine is elegant, intense, full-bodied and has a lastingly aftertaste.

It is definitely a harmonic wine and properly mature. It has a lot of life in it.

Final thoughts:
This is an elegant, well-structured Malvazija with reach aromas. In mouth it surprises with a wave of freshness only to open the palate to the mineralty and its body.

I’d recommend this wine with seafood or white meat.

I visited Kocjančič vineyards twice last year and always had a terrific time with Tadej. Here’s some moments I caught with my camera, hope you’ll get a nice insight at where and how their wine is produced.

Malvazija - Rodica, 2007

Hello wine lovers!

Yesterday was warm and sunny, just the right one for a sip of the wine I’m about to describe. I’m talking about Malvazija 2007, produced by Rodica family.

Lets start right away…

Appearance:
This wine is of a straw yellow color, with golden reflections, it is crystal-clear and rather dense.

Smell:
It is has a fine and intense aroma, ranging from flowers like acacia and camomile
towards fruit like pineapple and citruses, with a rather rich bouquet.

Taste:
It is dry, rather hot and rather soft, while on the other side you sense its freshness and mineralty, prevailing on the balance. It’s an elegant medium to full-bodied wine, with an intense taste and a rather long finish.

This is a harmonic wine, that is properly mature.

It definitely is a lovely Malvazija and if speaking of combining it with food you won’t mistake serving it with seafood (mussels, scampi, various fish fillets).

Hello wine lovers!

As promised here’s some news from the Malvazija tour. I hear all stops of the tour have been a total success so far and if you still haven’t attended any, here’s a post that will surely make you change your mind…

This time the tour stopped in Ljubljana at spaghetteria & pizzeria Favola. The winemakers present were Vinakoper, Ražman, Korenika & Moškon and Mahnič while a special guest chef has been enlisted for the occasion. I’m talking about Peter Patajac from Ruj inn. The atmosphere was intimate and quite an audience of thirsty and hungry people gathered.

As aperitif we got served a sparkling wine and could only guess what it was. In the end we guessed right, it was a sparkling Malvazija which is a new wine, coming from Vinakoper and is produced via Charmat procedure.

The evening started with Ingrid Mahnič’s introduction to the Malvazija festival and tour. Ingrid is the president of the Association of winemakers of Slovene Istra and one of the responsibles of the festival. The effort that she and the Association invested is having a huge impact on the perception of Malvazija in Slovenia, Italy and Croatia.

End of the introduction, loud applause and here they were, waiters with bottles of Ražman’s 2008 Malvazija and the evenings first dish – Mussels, prawns and leek tagliata with 25 years old balsamic vinegar Solai Vecchi.

Malvazija – Ražman, 2008

The wine is of a straw yellow color with golden nuances. It has rather intense, fine aromas of acacia, camomile, liquorice and mature fruit (pineapple, agrumi). It is dry, rather balanced with freshness and minerality prevailing on the palate. It’s an elegant, intense, full-bodied and well structured wine with a rather long aftertaste.

The wine kept pace with mussels and prawns and if talked in a racing language surpassed them, it also had an interesting play with balsamic vinegar and leek.

Malvazija Capris – Vinakoper, 2008

This wine is of a straw yellow color with golden nuances. It has fine, intense aromas of matured fruit (pineapple, banana, agrumi), acacia and also some wild berry nuances. It is dry, rather balanced, elegant with a rather long aftertaste. It is a rather harmonic and matured wine.

The dish that accompanied this wine consisted of Cream polenta with cicory, filet of fresh seabass Fonda, a slice of speck with a bit of pelati reduction San Marzano. Peter Patajac explained us how he prepared the dish, while Irena Fonda introduced their seabass and how they produce some of the best fish in Jadran.

Malvazija – Korenika & Moškon, 2007

Matej Korenika presented the Korenika & Moškon wineries, the philosophy which they follow and how their Malvazija is produced.

The wine is of a straw yellow, with golden nuances color and is rather dense. It has fine, intense nuances of mature fruit (pineapple, agrumi, banana), flowers (acacia), making it rather rich on aromas. The wine is dry, rather balanced, elegant, full-bodied, and well structured. It has a long aftertaste.

The wine gently evolved in mouth and it was a perfect pair with Lambkin cutlet with bio barley risotto, radicchio tardivo, olive oil and Piranean salt flower.

Malvazija – Mahnič, 2006

Ingrid Mahnič presented her Malvazija which is medium dry. The wine is of a golden color and is dense. It has rich, intense and fine aromas of matured fruit (pineapple, agrumi) and flowers (acacia). It is medium dry, elegant, rather intense, balanced and full-bodied.

The wine went perfectly with the dessert – mousse with half-candied oranges, orange sponge-cake and coffee beans, leaving in mouth a nice orange aftertaste.

Ingrid also prepared us a surprise. She brought a sweet Malvazija 2000, which she only has about 12 bottles left now. The grapes were attacked by Botrytis and the result is a sweet, dense wine of a golden color. The aromas are rich, fine and intense mainly of matured and dry fruit (pineapple, orange), acacia honey, lacquer, … It is elegant, full-bodied, well-structured and has a long aftertaste. A harmonic wine, which still has a lot of life ahead.

To sum it all the evening offered a nice introspective into winemakers philosophy the Malvazija’s evolution and the trends in its production. I hope this post convinces you to visit a stop of Malvazija tour or to come to the festival.

Stay tuned and cheers!

Well, as mentioned in my previous post the Malvazija tour started and I’m hearing some great responses, and because of the forthcoming Malvazija festival I’ll dedicate the month of March to this white variety. In fact I’ll start right away…

You’ll find it also under these names: Malvazija bela, Malvasia, Malvasia d’Istria bianca, Malvasie blanche… In Slovenia it represents a variety of white wine and is mostly grown in Slovene Istria, you’ll also find it in Karst, Goriška Brda and Vipavska valley districts. Malvazija wine is also produced in Italy, Croatia, Corsica, the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the island of Madeira, California, Australia and Brazil. Grapes are used to produce white, more rarely red wines, dessert wines and fortified wines of the same name. Sometimes are used as part of a blend of grapes such as in Vin Santo.

It is believed that the vine is of ancient origin, most likely originating in Greece. It is said that its name is given after a medieval fortress named Monemvasia, which was situated on a small peninsula off the east coast of the Peloponnese, Laconia. During the Middle Ages, the Venetians would become so prolific in the trading of “Malvasia wine” that merchant wine shops in Venice were known as malvasie. There’s also a competing theory, which says that the name is derived from the district of Malevizi, near the city of Heraklion on Crete.

Image kindly borrowed at Wikipedia

The grape is of a bit curvy and explicitly cylindrical shape and usually long about 15 – 20 cm. The berry is of a fairly yellow color, when full grown it gets golden nuances.

Malvazija wine is dry of a golden yellow color with a distinct quite intense herbal or fruity buquet of grown fruit, banana, acacia flower, … It is of a fresh, full bodied and usually balanced palate with quite an aftertaste. In good vintages also a dessert wine is produced of it, named Mištela. It is said that that the most varietal Malvazija is to be found in the continental part of Slovene Istria Labor.

Well I hope the article was useful and you enjoyed it. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Cheers!

It’s been a while but I’ve been busy lately, hence the luck of updates. OK, let me start this years posting with an invitation to the Malvazija festival or as the official name goes ”Malvazija the Mediterranean noble taste”. It is already the 12th edition and is organized by the Association of winemakers from Slovene Istra. The festival is a 2 day event and is held March the 28th and 29th at the Manzioli palace, Izola.

The festival features winemakers from Slovenia’s wine region Primorje, with guests from Croatia and Italy. Visitors will have not only the pleasure to taste Malvazija but also to join workshops and get acquainted with the variety and learn how it combines with food.

That the Malvazija is well represented shows also the vast range of events named The Malvazija Tour which starts about a month before the festival and continue until it’s end. The Malvazija tour features events at restaurants where you’ll be able to enjoy Malvazija with the proper dish and learn something abotu it from the winemaker itself.

Here’s the list of events:

February the 25th at 7 PM

Restaurant Pikol – Nova Gorica, winemakers present: Silveri, Rojac, Santomas, Rodica Truške
Price: 40 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 302 25 62

February the 26th at 7 PM

Restaurant Ondina – Portorose, winemakers present: Montis, Santomas, Kocjančič Truške, Roja
Price: 38 Eur
Info and reservations: kuhinja.ondina@gmail.com

4th of March at 7 PM

Mahorčič Inn – Rodik, winemakers present: Rodica Truške, Martisa, Steras, Joško Renčel
Price: 38 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 680 04 00

5th of March at 7 PM

Restaurant Scabar – Trieste, winemakers present: MonteMoro, Martisa, Mahnič
Price: 35 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +39 040 810 368

9th of March at 7 PM

Villa Rosetta – Savudria, winemakers present: MonteMoro, Montis, Coronica, Degrassi
Price 35 Eur
Info and reservations: please call + 385 527 25 710, info@majda.it

11th March, 7 PM

Restaurant Majda – Gorizia, winemakers present: Steras, Marega, Bordon
Price: 35 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +39 048 130 871

12th March, 5 PM and 7 PM

Hotel Tartini – Piran, winemakers present: Mahnič, MonteMoro, Štule, Vinakoper
Price: 35 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 67 11 000, info@hotel-tartini-piran.com

16th March, 7 PM

Pizzeria Favola – Ljubljana, winemakers present: Mahnič, Ražman, Korenika & Moškon, Vinakoper
Price: 34,50 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +386 1 566 20 94

18th March, 7 PM

Villa Andor – Ankaran, winemakers present: Klabjan, Robi and Dorjano Korenika, Brič, Bordon
Price: 35 Eur
Info and reservations: please call + 386 5 615 50 00, villa@andor.si

19th March, 7 PM

Wine bar Štrigon – Portorose, winemakers present: Steras, Pucer, Silveri, Montis
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 6740340

23rd March, 7 PM

Restaurant Skipper – Koper, winemakers present: Steras, Rodica Truške, Mahnič, Markovič, Markežič, Štule
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 626 18 10

25th March, 7 PM

Restaurant Mediterraneo – Izola, winemakers present: Štule, Pucer, Vinakoper
Price: 30 Eur
Info and reservations: please call +386 5 641 7444, info@mediterraneo.si

26th March, 7 PM

Restaurant Marina – Portorose, winemakers present: Mahnič, Vinakoper, Černe, Markovič
Info and reservations: +386 5 676 13 17, restaurant@marinap.si

Whole March

You ‘ll be able to taste Malvazija the whole month of March in Ljubljana at Wine cellars of Slovenia.

As you can see the festival is quite an event and the tour is startind today. Hope to see you somewhere on the road!

Cheers!

I left you with the first part of the Slovenian Wine Festival impressions, where I presented winemakers and wines from wine region Podravje and Posavje. I left a wine region out of the report for a reason…

Wine region Primorska was represented by the biggest number of winemakers. The region has almost 7.000 ha of wineyards, which is 40% of all Slovenia’s winemaking surfafce. The region is divided into 4 wine districts; Slovenska Istra and Kras (Karst) – both districts have over 50% of red varieties (I’m sure you’ve heard of Kraški Teran), Goriška Brda or Slovenian Collio and Vipavska valley where Slovenias only 2 autochthonous varieties Zelen and Pinela are grown.

Selected wines Bordon

Mojca Bordon was my neighbor and a lovely company at the festival. It is always nice to taste their medium dry E.Vin Rose 2008, while this time visitors could also taste Malvazija 2008, Refošk 2008 and E.Vin Rose – straw wine 2005 with a nice Botritys touch on the aroma.

MonteMoro

Working with Matjaž is always a pleasure, so when he called I didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. Matjaž was presenting his Malvazija 2008, Malvazija aMorus 2007, Chardonnay 2008, Refošk 2008 and Refošk aMorus 2007. MonteMoro divides its range into 2 segments; a fresh traditionally produced line is presented by Malvazija 2008, Chardonnay 2008 and Refošk 2008, while the aMorus line means that wine is marked by a longer maceration and then grown for 12 months in 225 and 400 liter oak barrels, when bottled it rests for 3 months before entering the market. Visitors liked Malvazija 2008, Malvazija aMorus 2007, Refošk aMorus 2007 and Chardonnay 2008. I was impressed with the Chardonnay 2008, the wine is made from younger vines, with a load not bigger than 0,5 kg per vine. The result is a fresh, medium dry, well structured and quite balanced wine.

Rojac wine

Uh, the chats I had with Sara, Primož and Uroš. Can’t wait to meet the guys again and of course taste their Stari d’or red 2005. The wine is an impressive kind of Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Syrah and Refošk, making it a full bodied and well structured wine, with intense aromas of mature red fruit but you can also sense jam nuances, and spices, namely black pepper. Their Renero 2005 presents also a huge potential and it is part of an experiment of taking Refošk to the next level – as Primož presented it. Not to mention ther Malvazija 2008, Stari d’or white 2006 and Aurelia would also be an injustice.

Čotar wines

Starting the representatives of Krast with Vasja Čotar. Their wines, white and red, are made after a longer maceration process and then aged in oak barrels. This time the wines presented were Vitovska 2006, Malvazija 2005, Teran 2007 and Merlot 2003. Unfortunately at that time I only managed to try their sparkling Rdeče, made from Karst grown Refosco grapes.

Štemberger wines

Štemberger winemakers come from Karst. Their vineyards; placed on the border between the Karst region and Vipavska valley, present a powerful combination and at Štemberger are trying to take the advantages from both terroirs. I’m sure I’ll have the chance to write more about them on my blog. The wines presented were Zelen 2008, Chardonnay 2005, Cabernet sauvignon 2007 and Merlot 2007.

Guerila wines

The autochthonous Zelen 2008 and Pinela 2008, Rose 2007, Roma 2006, Rika 2008 and Castra Rose all well structured wines each with a different story and of course the charisma…

Sončni škol wines

I met with wines of Sončni škol for the firs time and got intrigued. Definitely can’t wait to try them again. The wines presented were Klarnica 2007, Pinela 2006, Pinot noir 2007, Rebula 2006 and a rose made entirely of Cabernet sauvignon.

Mansus Makovec wines

The wines presented were Klarnica 2008, Sauvignonasse 2008, Barbera rose 2008, Merlot 2007, Klarnica 2007. Watch out for their Klarnica 2007, it impressed me.

Čarga 1767 – Viticulture and winemaking

I’m writing this still under the influence of the wonderful time, spent at their mansion past Saturday, but I’ll leave this to another post. The wines presented were Donna Regina sparkling wine, Rebula 2008, Sauvignon 2008, Pinot noir 2005, Cabernet franc selection 2006 and his young wine Vinovo. All this respectfully presented by mr. Erzetič.

Unfortunately the mass at other winemakers from Slovenian Collio was unbearable, I could merely take some pictures at some stands, but couldn’t take any notes.

I then went on to try wines of Prinčič with an outstanding Mulit white 2006 (the wine is a kind with Viognier, a variety they are introducing in Slovenia), Blažič with Blaž white 2006, Peršolja wines Rebula 2008, Edi Simčič with an intriguing Malvazija 2007 with aromas of conifer trees, Valter Sirk‘s Chardonnay 2007 and Ščurek‘s Chardonnay 2008.

At the end of the festival I managed to try Šumenjak‘s wines. The wines presented were Yellow muscat 2008, Welsch Riesling 2008, Pinot noir 2007 and Sauvignon 2008. Šumenjak wines come from the wine region Podravje.

Here’s also some pictures of the venue at hotel Union:

I definitely got a lot of impressions and can surely say the festival presented a nice introspective into Slovenian wine – culture. If you are a foreign visitor and wine enthusiast you definitely need to come and visit the festival next year.

Cheers!