Šuklje – Lozice, Sauvignon blanc, 2018

It’s time to head back to Bela krajina to one of the flagship wineries of this district. We’re at Šuklje, and this is the story of their single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, respectfully carrying the name Lozice.

We are at the Plešivica hill, where the soil is composed of marl. The climate of Bela krajina is a specific mixture of Subpanonian, Continental and even Mediterranean influences, which secure high sugar and ripeness levels of the grapes.

Clusters are exclusively hand-harvested, destemmed and crushed. Mash cold soaked for 24 hours at 10 ° celsius before pressing and settling. Spontaneous fermentation was conducted in a combination of new and used barrique barrels and 15 % in a stainless steel tank. The barrel ageing was with gross lees. Finally, after the assemblage, it had to wait for a further three months before being racked, fined, roughly filtered and bottled.

This results in a wine of concentrated, strawy-yellow colour and dense texture.

The bouquet is seductive, sophisticated, herbal. Thyme, rosemary, tomato leaf, green pepper, and jasmine flower are detected, followed by aromas of wood, vanilla, cinnamon, roasted almonds and a note of red-hot stone.

The palate is dry, the mouthfeel oily with well-incorporated alcohol into the structure. Keep in mind it reached 14 % of alcohol. At the same time, this wine is refreshing, but above all pleasantly mineral salty and slightly spicy. The taste is intense, almost full-bodied and elegantly lasting.

Undoubtedly this is a stylistically produced Sauvignon blanc, displaying the unique climate of Bela krajina and the soil’s characteristics. A wine that has the potential to evolve for the next five years. You can order it online at Šuklje’s online store, Koželj, Vinoo.co or Vina Posavja, for the approximate price of 16 Eur. If strolling through Ljubljana’s centre, then a stop at Šuklje wine bar is a must!