Iaquin – Dolan, 2017

When it comes to wines of elegance, those that will make your taste buds tingle in their alluring finesse, with a noble character, then you should look for Iaquin. We’ll look at their Dolan which is actually an expression of Sauvignon vert, Sauvignonasse or Friulano.

Dolan is a single-vineyard expression of Sauvignonasse, inspired by the micro-location to which locals refer to “Dolanji konec” (Dolanji’s end). It counts for 35 years and is planted at an altitude between 60 and 70 meters above sea level in a soil mixing from Opoka at its peak to a mixture of marl and clay towards its bottom.

Grapes are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness in the early morning. They are transferred to the cellar still chilled to prevent the early start of oxidation. Grapes are destemmed and left for 2 to 3 hours in the press to shortly macerate after a gentle pressing juice is transferred to stainless vats where fermentation starts.

After 2 days of fermentation at controlled temperatures that don’t exceed 21° Celsius the still fermenting juice is moved in a mixture of 35 % new and the rest used for up to 4 times, French oak barriques where it matures for a year. Finishing fermentation and conducting malolactic fermentation over this time. Following the final assemblage, it waits for another month in stainless steel to fully incorporate, following by bottling with a year of bottle ageing.

This results in a wine of strawy yellow colour with a golden border and displays a dense texture.

Intense and subtle aromas are reminiscent of resin, a slight smoky note accompanied by rosemary and oregano. They are followed by aromas of ripe yellow apple, peach, yellow plum, passion fruit, quince jam and vanilla, with roasted nuts and toffee in the finish.

It’s a dry wine with accentuated softness, well-incorporated freshness and minerality reflecting in a balanced taste.

It boasts a vigorous body with an intense flavour profile, with expressed elegance and a lasting persistency. All markers of an elegant wine that will help him keep its shape for the next 7 – 10 years and more. A bottle costs approximately 18 Eur, and you can order it by sending an email to uros@iaquin.si, ales@iaquin.si or by calling the number +386 41 456 506. They frequently deliver to Ljubljana.

I strongly suggest you take the time and book a stay at their guesthouse Iaquin below the village of Vipolže. It’s arranged in a lovely, modernistic villa where you can sleepover, enjoy sunbathing by the pool with a heartwarming look of the vineyard Dolan and let yourselves be pampered by the Jakončič family.