Colnar – Laški Rizling, 2018

Tonight’s pick is a rendition of Welschriesling or laški rizling as named in our country. A wine matured in a large acacia barrel produced at Colnar in Dolenjska district.

I’ve tasted some of Colnar’s wines, and I’ve been enchanted by the intensity and style they’ve been able to express in their production. Welschriesling is the most planted white variety in Slovenia, and you can find it in all wine regions here. Maybe it has to do with its adaptability to climate specifics. Still, it’s undoubtedly a variety that can strive and add a touch to its flavour to the specificity of Slovenia’s wine-growing regions.

Colnar’s Welschriesling was produced from hand-harvested grapes grown on the slopes of Trška gora. After destemming and crushing, the mash fermented at cold temperatures for a day. It was then gently pressed and left to ferment in stainless vats.

Finally, it was racked to mature for fifteen months on lees in a 2.500-litre acacia barrel. And ultimately, after all this time, it was bottled without filtration and with minimum addition of Sulphites.

Colnar’s Laški rizling now displays a crystal shade, with an extractive, golden yellow colour and dense texture.

We detect aromas of ripe apple, peach, candied lemon zest, and it is then opening with hints of grapefruit, gooseberry, pomelo, elevated by vanilla, butter, nutmeg and straw, with wild mint in the finish.

The wine is soft, with well-integrated alcohol, spiced up by crisp freshness and minerality, rounding it up in a balanced sensation.

A wine of full-bodied elegance, with intense and medium to lasting persistency. A harmonious rendition of Welschriesling ready to drink now, but with the potential to elevate over the next five years.

You can order a bottle straight at their website, Vina Posavja, or at Be Wines and Dobrote Posavja.