Ščurek – Chardonnay, 2019

It is time we return to the Ščurek family in Brda tonight, as there’s a wine I’m eager of tasting. We’ll be having a closer look at their Chardonnay which is fermented in concrete eggs and matured in large oak barrels.

We are looking at a wine to which Tomaž is slowly changing the process of vinification. Usually, it was fermented in large and used oak barrels and then racked in stainless vats to be available on the market in the next year. But this time, the process is following. First, berries are placed in an egg-shaped concrete container where they ferment spontaneously.

After maturation for half a year, the mash is gently pressed and then racked into large, 2,500-litre oak barrels, where it matures for the next six years. Finally, it is bottled without filtration.

this results in a Chardonnay of crystal clear, strawy yellow colour with a dense texture.

Its aromas are intense and refined. We regard a ripe yellow apple, yellow plum, quince, rose, and a slight honey note, which intricates with the aroma of butter, yeast and thyme.

The taste is intense, we discern its softness, but soon its vertical acidity cuts through it, leaving a salty mineral taste. Its intense, elegant taste reveals a full-bodied structure and an elegant, long-lasting taste.

A wine that will enchant, it’s ready to drink now, but it will keep its shape for the next three to five years. A bottle will cost you approximately 11,20 Eur, and you can order it at Koželj, Vinoteka Sodček and Mimovrste.