
Photo: Mihaela Majerhold – Ostrovršnik
This Saturday calls for a glass of exquisite wine while watching the finals of the Sanremo festival. And what better choice than this Grande Cuvée Certeze from Santomas. A tremendous rendition of a Refosco that enchants with its refined, elegant style.
Grapes are coming from a single vineyard aged 30 years with the name Čerteže. It is planted at an altitude of 100 meters above sea level on bright flysch (sandstone with marl-slate base) with north to south exposure.
After handpicking, bunches are chilled overnight. The following day they are destemmed, and only the best berries are selected at the sorting table. They are laid in wooden vinificators to ferment at controlled temperatures between 25 and 30 ° Celsius for up to 3 weeks.
After gentle pressing, the young wine is left to fine on lees for a couple of months, where it also conducts malolactic fermentation. It is then decanted in 350-litre new French oak barrels for 24 months. Only the best barrels are selected to form the final assemblage. Finally, it is bottled without filtration and rests in the cellar for a further four years before its release on the market.
This Grande Cuvee Certeze displays a deep, extractive ruby red colour, with a purple edge and very dense texture that stains the glass while swirling it, leaving slowly dripping tears.
The aroma is intense, with ripe black currants, blackberries, maraschino, black pepper, cedar, notes of rosemary and mint, and cloves, cinnamon, chocolate and pencil tip.
The taste is softly warm, freshness is crisply ripe, and tannins are rounding up. Its virtuous body radiates nobility, expressed in a long-lasting, sumptuous taste.
This is one of the most acclaimed wines from the Santomas winery. This outstanding wine showcases the best expression of the cooperation with Claude Gros, a known oenologist from Narbonne, and has given numerous and high marks from the most renowned critics worldwide, Parker included.
A bottle of the 2012 vintage will cost you 40 Eur at Koželj or Sodček, whereas a magnum of the vintage 2015, sealed in a wooden box, costs 69 Eur at Koželj. It is a real bargain considering you can easily store it for at least the next ten years without bothering, as it boasts a tremendous ageing potential.
