CZECHIA
DVA DUBY
PETR KORÁB
JAROSLAV OSIČKA
PETRA BREDOVA
TŘI ČTVRTĚ
GEORGIA
AMIRAN VEPKHVADZE
CHITO'S GVINO
GOTSA FAMILY WINERY
JAKELI
GIA JAMBERIDZE
ORI MARANI
PAPARI VALLEY
GAIOZ SOPROMADZE
SLOVAKIA
PIVNICA ČAJKOV
DAVID KUŠICKÝ
MARVLA TINDO
UNITED CELLARS
OF TEKOV
SLOVENIA
KABAJ
KORENIKA & MOŠKON
ŠTEMBERGER
ZARO
COLLABORATIONS
BRDA BELO
CONSCIOUS EXIT
EAZY ORANŽNA
EAZY REFOŠK
GRAPE ALE
SHAVI K’RAVI
THE RIDERS
︎ ︎
ŠTEMBERGER
2020 ZELEN
DRY ORANGE WINE.
WINE MAKER: Sebastijan Štemberger.
VINTAGE: 2020.
LOCATION: Kras.
VINEYARD: Štanjelo.
ASPECT: South west, South east.
ALTITUDE: 360 meters.
SOIL COMPOSITION: Flysch and Terra Rosa.
PREVAILING CLIMATE & LOCAL CLIMACTIC: Mediterranean, windy.
FARMING: Organic, Biodynamic.
GRAPE COMPOSITION: Zelen.
HARVEST: Late September, younger vines 70%, 3 days before older vines 30%.
MACERATION: 3 days with 100%, 11 months 30%.
FERMENTATION: spontaneous fermentation.
PRESS: no pressing, free run.
AGING: 18 months vertical oak tanks
sO2: none added.
FINING & FILTRATION: none.
BOTTLED: Spring 2021
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 2000
VINTAGE: 2020.
LOCATION: Kras.
VINEYARD: Štanjelo.
ASPECT: South west, South east.
ALTITUDE: 360 meters.
SOIL COMPOSITION: Flysch and Terra Rosa.
PREVAILING CLIMATE & LOCAL CLIMACTIC: Mediterranean, windy.
FARMING: Organic, Biodynamic.
GRAPE COMPOSITION: Zelen.
HARVEST: Late September, younger vines 70%, 3 days before older vines 30%.
MACERATION: 3 days with 100%, 11 months 30%.
FERMENTATION: spontaneous fermentation.
PRESS: no pressing, free run.
AGING: 18 months vertical oak tanks
sO2: none added.
FINING & FILTRATION: none.
BOTTLED: Spring 2021
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 2000
This is the only example of Zelen that we have encountered outside of Vipava where the grape is native. Only because the vineyard straddles Kras and Vipava is Štemberger allowed to label it as Zelen. Sebastijan’s versions dismisses any idea that Zelen is for aroma and little else. Low alcohol, silky, scented with gardenia, spruce and spiced pear it is a wine without parallel. Something original deserving of imitation. The vineyard is rocky and entirely surrounded by wild forest. The wine spends 11 months on 30 percent of the skins. Categorically it is orange wine but the Zelen’s delicate skins of and lack of pressing give the wine body but not tannin. So smooth it is almost oily.
