Fedora – Goli breg white, 2018

Today’s wine is a blend of traditional grapes assembled to form a wine that locals from the Vipava valley refer to as a “Vipavec”. What better choice than Fedora‘s Goli breg white. A concrete egg, acacia and oak barrel matured white stud produced with Ribolla, Malvasia, Welschriesling, Zelen and Pinela.

One interesting detail, we’re speaking of a kind of “Gemischter Satz” wine. It is a designation of Austria’s Vienna district, marking a wine vinified from a single vineyard where different grape varieties grow together and are hand-harvested and vinified to form a wine.

Vipavec is a wine that was thoroughly described in Matija Vertovec’s book about oenology and winemaking in Vipava valley, written in 1844. At that time, Phylloxera was merely a sight in the valley and vineyards were planted with mixed varieties. It is only with replanting and renovation that winemakers started planting different varieties in vineyards.

We’re at Fedora’s organically farmed vineyard named Golenberg. Vines count between 5 and 25 years of age and are planted at an altitude between 150 and 200 meters above sea level on Opoka – or as the locals refer to as Sovdan. The terraces are facing south to southeast exposures.

Bunches are destemmed and crushed. The mash ferments spontaneously for 21 days. It is then decanted to mature in a combination of concrete egg, acacia and oak barrels for 20 months and is finally assembled and bottled without filtration.

The Goli breg white displays a bright, golden yellow colour and dense texture.

Aromas are accentuated and ripe. We detect notes of yellow apple, passion fruit, dried persimmon, yellow plum and citrus peel. Herbal notes of thyme and rosemary are joined by white pepper, vanilla, nutmeg, and hints of resin and marlstone.

The taste is sophisticated, alluring. Its texture is oily with pronounced freshness and a salty mineral undertone—a complexly structured wine, accentuated elegance and persistency, and a spicy finish.

Now, if you remember, I’ve mentioned that Fedora has a story for each of their wines. Still, I didn’t say that you can listen to selected songs guaranteed to lift the whole experience while sipping the wine. This music-pairing is presented on their website next to each wine, so make sure you stop by next time you open a bottle.

A bottle of Fedora’s Vipavec will cost you between 18 to 20 Eur and is usually available at Faladur. My friends from Germany can get it at Weinstoeckl. This homage to ancestors is a wine capable of lasting for at least the next seven years, and looking at the price is well worth looking for it and storing a couple of bottles in the cellar.