Time to return to Samo Premrn and the Pasji Rep estate as there’s a wine I’m looking forward to tasting with you tonight. We’ll be looking at his Merlot Breg, a selected expression of one of his best plots for Merlot that matured in barrique.

Samo has been releasing some wonderful new labels from Pasji Rep in the recent year or two. All of this is the result of efforts invested in identifying the best vineyards pieces that give consistent top quality and with careful vinification expressing this in his wines. This Merlot Breg is made from its oldest Merlot vines located in the historic part of their vineyards. Breg could easily be referred to as a Climat of the famed Pasji Rep slope planted on flysch (a mixture of limestone and clay).

For this wine, pied de cuve has been used as a fermentation starter of organically grown grapes. After two weeks of maceration, the mash was gently pressed, and the new wine was laid to mature in barrique barrels for eighteen months. Finally, it was bottled without filtration.

Merlot Breg shows a deeper ruby red colour with a translucent edge. The twist stains the walls of the glass and leaves slowly slipping tears.

The bouquet is majestic, accentuated. The variety is expressive, black cherries, mulberry, wild strawberries, violet, chocolate with a combination of sweet spices and leather that enrich the perceptions.

Its taste is soft but with a good amount of youthful acidity and velvety tannins, which indicate the longevity of the wine—an intense wine of a vigorous body, with accentuated elegance and lasting aftertaste.

A masterfully produced Merlot that has at least ten years of maturation ahead and probably time won’t touch it at all! A bottle will cost you approximately 28 Eur, and you can order it at eVino, Faladur, Bewines and Bottleneck.