Tonight marks the end of a weekend packed with visitors. Days of open cellars, or DOK, were happening and looking at all those happy stories and posts on social media, winemakers and everyone in Brda did a fantastic job again. Well done!

To cheer to that, I’ll be opening this Stara Brajda red, the iconic wine produced by Ščurek, which saw its first release in 1994 as a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Refosco. After planting Cabernet Sauvignon, it was added, but always in minor parts. Usually, it is a blend of 30 % Cabernet Franc, 30 % Merlot, 30 % and Cabernet Sauvignon 10 %, though ratios might change to express the best variety a vintage produced.

2017 saw a majority of Cabernet Franc, followed by Merlot, Refosco and minimal amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. After hand-harvesting classic vinification followed, with destemming, crushing and maceration of eighteen days. After a gentle pressing in a pneumatic press, the wine matured for two years in a combination of new and used 300 to 500-litre oak barres. After the final assemblage, it was bottled, and after extensive bottle-ageing, it came to the market.

Stara brajda boasts a deep, ruby red colour with dense texture, quickly stopping in our glass with slow slipping tears.

The bouquet is alluring. We perceive ripe pit fruit, cherries, mulberries, blackberries, followed by notes of violet petals, chocolate, coffee, leather, tobacco forest undergrowth, fern and hints of graphite.

A dry red wine of perceptible softness, with well-integrated alcohol, refreshing us and leaving the space for velvety tannins drying our mouths. Tannins are astringent, showing their slow evolution and Satar brajda’s long potential for ageing. An elegant wine with a vigorous body and a lasting aftertaste where flavours of black fruit, chocolate, coffee, leather and smoke appear.

A wine with tremendous potential for ageing that is just slowly evolving and will please drinkers for at least a decade. Just forget some bottles in the cellar and see. A bottle will cost you approximately 25 Eur, and you can order it at eVino, Koželj, Vinoteka Sodček, Be.Wines, 13 vol, Wevino, Fina vina, Vinoo.co and 8wines.