Slovenian for "Rhine Riesling", this 'Renski Rizling' is from the family's Schlossberg vineyard. This is a whole cluster press with a touch of botrytis on the fruit, leaving the wine with 4.2 g/L of residual sugar (Extra Brut level, if it was a Champagne!). Primary fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks but towards the end of fermentation, a small portion of open-vat macerated (2-3 days) fruit is added.
Grown in the Schlossberg vineyard, it is among Valentan's very last picks of the year. The Slovenian label actually labels it as “late harvest” even though it’s a dry wine. The end result is a Riesling that communicates 'Riesling' if you’re looking for it, but through a lens we’ve not yet encountered anywhere else in Central Europe. There is wonderful mouthfeel and texture here, and I am betting this wine wins converts from avowed Riesling haters.
12.2% ABV,
The Winery
Metka and Simon Valentan have 20 hectares of land, but only 4 are committed to vines. The rest are wild forests, fruit and nut trees, vegetable gardens, grains and animals to name a few. Along with their two children, Aleks and Filip, and grandparents, the whole family works and subsists on the farm. As Metka put it, “We live from our farm.” They also sell their produce: milled grains (buckwheat, spelt, wheat, millet), jams, pumpkin seed oil, ciders, vinegar.
