TASTING COMMENTS
Vrbanjka 2017 shows depth and density with complex aromas going from spicy notes of white pepper and nutmeg to fruity aromas reminiscent of raspberry, blueberry, blackberry and underlying hints of dried herbs. The palate is full-bodied, deep and fresh at the same time with a very long finish. Tannins are still quite firm but the wine is already enjoyable. Elegance, complexity, power, finesse and freshness in the glass. It is a wine built for a long ageing. Drink between 2020 and 2032.
WINEMAKING STORY
Single vineyard wine. Grapes for this wine are harvested only from the steepest part of the vineyard, where the growth is regulated by poor, dry stony/marly soils with high proportion of limestone. Poor growing conditions results in small berries, small bunches and low yields what in turn brings concentration and complexity to the wines. Grapes are hand harvested in 15 kg crates, destemmed and whole berry fermented in open vats with 25 days of skin contact. After pressing into stainless steel tank to ensure that ferments are dry and to perform malolactic fermentation, the wine is kept in a second fill French oak barrique barrels and 500 l barrels for 12 months. Wine is not filtered nor fined.
VINTAGE 2017
Winter 2017 was mild and spring started early, what resulted in early phenology. In late April we experienced spring frost reducing yields up to 30% in some white vineyards. Late spring and summer were very warm and dry resulting in fast ripening, and small berries, but September was the coldest and wettest recorded in the past decades. Harvest started early, first week of September, for white cultivars, whereas reds were picked mid-end of September. Dry and warm summer season clearly drove the characteristic of the vintage and final wine style with low yields (up to 30% lower as usual) resulted in rich and concentrated wines greatly balanced by refreshing acidity thanks to the cold conditions in September.
