Puklavec family wines – Furmint 7 numbers, 2016

It is time we stop at one of the most prominent winemakers of Prlekija. We’re in Ormož, where the Puklavec family wines, and we set to taste their Šipon or Furmint from the seven numbers line. A wine dedicated to single-vineyard wines crafted from their best plots.

The Puklavec family wine cellar is leading the production of acclaimed wines both national and international. A fundamental institution with volumes and several affiliates that cares for numerous winemaking families in the region and abroad, with a winery in Macedonia too. Their super-modern production line can produce wines that express the terroir and are divided into several lines.

We’ll be looking tonight at a Furmint from their top-line, the seven numbers. Grapes for this wine are hand-harvested at plot number 7, which we see on the label, after destemming and crushing the wine ferments at controlled temperatures in both stainless vats and oak barrels, with the final maturation of eight months in oak barrels before its bottling.

The wine is crystal clear, strawy-yellow with a shiny, golden hue and dense texture.

Its bouquet is luxurious, accentuated. We detect ripe kiwi, apple, pear, gooseberry, quince and lemon blossom. Notes of honey join in with slight hints of vanilla and dry Mediterranean herbs.

The taste is intense and soft, and its acidity and minerality balance these perceptions. A wine of structure and an elegant, long-lasting taste.

A wine you can enjoy in the next five to seven years, and it copes with time well. And for the price tag of approximately 12 Eur, it’s a real bargain. Bottles are available at Pepswine, Woodwinters, Vinobucks, Vinexus and Borders wines.