Albiana – Modra frankinja, 2017

Let’s return to the Žaren family, to the sunny slopes of Nemška vas, above Krško. The scenery at Albiana‘s cellar is quite vivid at the moment, as harvest is in full spring, and I hear this will be another great vintage. But now, let’s focus on today’s wine—their Modra frankinja as we call in Slovenia our autochthonous variety known as Blaufränkisch.

Grapes for this expression were harvested in September 2017 from the south-facing vineyard Zameje, with marl and clay soil. After destemming and crushing, the mash fermented for five days at controlled temperatures. The young wine was then racked into French and Slavonian oak barrels, where it matured for ten months on fine lees. Finally, it was assembled and bottled with minimum addition of So2.

Albiana’s Frankinja presents with a ruby red colour, with a slightly translucent edge and dense texture.

Its bouquet is intense and alluring. We perceive ripe cherries, raspberries, violet petals, scents of cocoa, cherry tart, tobacco, fern and a touch of graphite.

The palate is soft and warm. Its tannins are accentuated, rounding, and at the same time, showing crisp freshness—an intense, full-bodied wine with pronounced elegance and lasting persistency.

A wine that has the potential to evolve for the next seven years. A bottle will cost you approximately 15 Eur, and you can order it at their online store, Vina Posavja and Gostilna Repovž.