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Our top 10 wines are something extraordinary. They are specially recommended by Mitja Herga, our current winemaker.
1959 PINOT BLANC
This wine resulted from a normal harvest, rather than one specifically made for the archive. Fortunately, the weather provided excellent conditions for grape ripening and the result was a high sugar gradation in the grapes. This wine was extremely rich in extract, but low in yield. Fruity, mature and powerful, this is a long-lasting wine, which is a reflection of an almost perfect harvest.
1963 SAUVIGNON BLANC
This Sauvignon Blanc ‘63 has maintained its characteristically fruity flavours, though it has somewhat improved upon maturity. The aroma has developed beautifully, revealing its potential and a certain complexity, power and persistency. From 4,014 bottles, only 92 matured bottles remain in our archives, an indication of how breath-taking this wine really is.
1964 GEWÜRZTRAMINER
The harvest of ‘64 was particularly tough due to the heavy rainfall throughout the harvest period. The rains were so persistent that harvest continued until mid-November. The harvesting process was especially difficult, as, at that time, the grapes were still transported by horses. As a result, only excellent wine producing areas, such as the Svetinje vineyards and Vinski vrh, created wines with real character, like this Gewürztraminer.
1971 PINOT BLANC Late harvest
This is the first late harvest wine made in our cellar and with great success. In 1971 the winery’s managing director insisted on producing a late harvest wine out of 30 hectares of vineyards. This was a risky move and could have lead to a great financial loss if there had been adverse weather conditions. Fortunately this vintage turned out to be one of the best in the history of our cellar and gave us a truly fantastic wine.
1999 WELSCHRIESLING & RIESLNG Late harvest
The only wine in our archive cellar that was made from two varieties is the Welschriesling & Riesling late harvest ‘99. The weather conditions of 99’ were perfect for producing late harvest wines, but the crop was low. When the time of harvest came, the decision was made to pick grapes from Welschriesling and Riesling together and make a special blend. This was initially viewed with scepticism, however the results spoke for themselves. Over a decade later this wine blend still has an intense aroma of apricots and peaches. It is juicy, mature and balanced and is one of the most unique wines from our archive cellar.
1999 RIESLING Ice wine
In 1999 fine weather conditions enabled the production of Rhine Riesling as an ice wine. The winter in this region was so cold that the grapes were deeply frozen, far more so than usual. It took three days for the cellar-hands to press the grapes. They were able to extract 130 Litres of high quality must, that fermented for over two months. The result was a highly concentrated ice wine that went on to win several medals at various wine-tasting competitions.
2000 CHARDONNAY Late harvest
The microclimate and soil in our region are ideal for producing top quality Chardonnays. The autumn of 2000 was warm and dry, ideal for ripening the Chardonnay grapes to develop a rich botrytis and result in a wine of special quality. This Chardonnay was matured in old oak barrels for 18 months and now, when the bottle is opened, Burgundy-style Chardonnay, fresh with varietal aspect, makes even the French jealous.
1997 WELSCHRIESLING Epiphany
The autumn and winter of 1997 were unusually warm. Winter temperatures failed to drop below -6°C. Due to the distinct lack of frost, Welschriesling was picked as a berry selection on 6th January, a day which is known in Slovenia as ‘Sveti trije kralji’ (Epiphany).
1983 PINOT GRIGIO
In 1983 the weather conditions were extremely good for ripening grape. The results of this were grapes with high sugar concentrations and strong aromas. During the ripening process, the skin of the Pinot Grigio grapes changed to brown and when the grapes were brought to the cellar it was initially thought that they were rotten – fortunately this was not the case. In the end, a top quality wine was produced, bottled and stored in the archive cellar under lock and key, so that future generations can also enjoy it.
1983 FURMINT Dry berry selection
Harvest in 1983 was among the best vintages in the history of our cellar. It resulted in the production of a top quality Furmint. This was of the highest quality among predicate wines which our dry berry selection represents. This variety of Furmint rarely gives a wine with such a superior quality and it must be enjoyed with respect given to the variety and to the winemaker.