Polič – Superistrian, 2013

Polič - Superistrian, 2013
Polič – Superistrian, 2013
Photo: Mihaela Majerhold – Ostrovršnik

What happens when enthusiasm, creativity and, above all, the desire to combine modern technologies with the traditions and knowledge of our ancestors meet? Quite simply, what the Polič family has been doing in Truške … In the vineyards and olive groves that offer a beautiful view of the Bay of Koper.

I met for the first time Peter Polič at the Malvasia Festival four years ago, when his macerated malvasia stuck in my mind. They are a relatively young institution, having started their activity in the 2013 harvest when they bought a property of about six hectares in the picturesque Truške. They now have an estate of seven hectares, of which six hectares are dedicated to vineyards and one hectare to an olive grove.

The entire estate is farmed according to biodynamic principles, and they invest heavily in developing technologies to help them cope with the diseases caused by man’s interference with nature. I am talking about a real institution that is developing, among other things, an autonomous tractor, a hail guard that will generate green energy from the sun and, in a slightly romantic way, enable night harvesting, with free lighting of the vineyards …

For this wine, overripe grapes are used, as sugars approach 100 degrees, Oechsle. Bunches are picked with gloves and placed in crates. From here, they go to a unique mill that works on the principle of vibration. It practically shakes the berries of the stems, thus separating them intact. Berries fall through the net onto rotating rollers, whereby immature or damaged strawberries are removed.

Whole berries are placed in vinification tanks, where enzymes first start intracellular fermentation, followed by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation and biological fermentation. All this takes place at controlled temperatures of no more than 20 degrees Celsius. After a month in the tank, the wine and skins are transferred first into wooden containers for another month, followed by gentle racking and five years’ ageing in used French oak barriques. This is followed by an assemblage of the wines and bottling without filtration. The wine then undergoes two more years of bottle-ageing before finally being released on the market.

The idea for Superistiran originates in Tuscany. Sting himself gifted Peter a bottle of his wine, stating, “This is a Supertuscan.” And this is where the story begins to unfold. It is a wine made precisely along the lines of the famous wines that revitalised Tuscany in the 1980s. This means combining the traditional black king of Istria, Refosco, with the Bordeaux gallants Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The wine is extractive, deep, ruby red. The glass turns ruby as it is swirled, forming slow, slipping tears.

The aroma is intense, refined, pure … We detect dried wild strawberries, blackcurrants, marasca, baked plums, and a hint of roasted black olives. Black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, chocolate, liquorice, eucalyptus, laurel and a pencil point follow… A wine that uncovers a new layer of aromas with every twist of the glass.

The palate is intense, with softness and freshness at the fore, tannins are silky, almost rounded, as they caress us pleasantly. It is a characterful super Ištrijan, with a robust structure and lasting, elegant persistency.

A wine whose extractive character and freshness keep it joyful. Its complex elegance will allow him to reign and delight drinkers for many years to come. All qualities that I would be happy to enjoy over a full table of friends. It would make an excellent combination with well-cured steak or dishes that have been grilled.

Two final points of interest. A total of 4 400 bottles have been produced, and each label is numbered. You will also notice that Polič wines are produced using HADO science. This principle was developed by the pseudoscientist Masaru Emoto, which says that water can react to positive words and thoughts and that dirty water can be purified. Peter family applies this principle by constantly playing pleasant jazz music in the cellar. He believes this has a beneficial effect on the quality of his wines.

A bottle will cost you 42,70 Eur and is available at Dobro vino.

This article originally appeared at the O vinu wine portal in the Slovene language.

Polič - Superistrian, 2013
Photo: Mihaela Majerhold – Ostrovršnik

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