Tasting of Riesling 2014

Riesling is undoubtly number one grape variety in Germany, but it is largely popular also in the Czech Republic. Riesling is probably the finest white grape variety on the basis of the potential for long bottle maturing and its ability to transfer the characteristics of a vineyard without losing Riesling's own unique style. Thanks to the combination of acidity and extract, Riesling can develop very well in bottles regardless of the sweetness style. The high natural level of acid provides Riesling with a great counterbalance to residual sugar, therefore it is often used for production of very sweet wine sorts such as ice wine, straw wine or botrytized wine.
 

Riesling 2014

semi-dry

Spätlese

11,3 % alc.

residual sugar: 15,7 g/l

acids: 9,7 g/l

Moravia region, Mikulov subregion, vineyard Za cihelnou

The grape variety is very late, it is harvested at the end of October. Riesling wines are highly aromatical, they reveal different fruit notes based on degree of sugar by the harvest, but the style differs also depending on the vineyard location and type of soil. The wines are not suitable for aging in oak barrel, therefore remain racy, even tart and refreshing. In the Czech Republic it is called "Rhein Riesling" to distinguish from Welschriesling (by the way these two wine grapes have nothing in common except for the name). Riesling is the third most common white grape variety planted on area of 1.260 ha both in Bohemia and Moravia wine region.

 

The color is saturated, bright yellow. The aroma is slightly mineral, with notes of lime and citruses, flowers and dried fruits. The palate is racy, citruses, apples and white peaches appear in the taste. The fine sweetness of residual sugar balances the brisk acidity, making it harmonic and pleasantly refreshing.

This Riesling 2014 comes from the collection FLOWER LINE which connects wines full of joy and optimism, produced with an intent to emphasize the primary varietal aromatics, intense fruits, freshness and crispiness. The positive energy of the wines  is supported also by eye-catching paintings of wild flowers on the label, attracting mainly women customers. 

 

From the FLOWER LINE collection you can try also Moravian Muscat 2015.

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Tasting of Zweigelt Rosé 2015

Zweigelt, or in Czech called the full German name 'Zweigeltrebe', is a dark-berried grape variety which was bred in Austria in 1922 by Dr. Zweigelt. Nowadays it is the most planted red grape variety in Austria and it became also popular over the border in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. It is a cross of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent, the yields are very generous, therefore it is important to reduce the yields in order to produce high quality wines with full body but yet smooth. The palate of Zweigelt is a great combination of the two varieties, it has the elegancy of St. Laurent but at the same time it is brisk with distinct tannins of Blaufränkisch.



Zweigelt Rosé 2015

semi-sweet

Kabinett

10,5% alc.

residual sugar: 23,1 g/l

acids: 7,2 g/l

Moravia region, Slovacko subregion, Lanzhot - vineyard Strazove hony

Although rosé wines create a marginal part of the production in the Czech Republic, their popularity has been growing in recent years. This Zweigelt Rosé comes from the winery Skoupil from Velke Bilovice. Beautiful rosé colored wine with flaming glints, the aroma is full of forest fruits and fine honey notes. The palate is elegant and fruity with major strawberry and blackberry notes, afterwards it reveals also other red berries, cherries and honey notes. A distinctive acidity makes the wine brisk and refreshing despite high residual sugar. The aftertaste is softend with yoghurt and cream notes, typical for Moravian rosé wines. The wine has won Silver Medal at San Francisco International Wine Competition 2016 and Festwine 2016.

The low percentage of alcohol and sweet fruity taste determine this rosé to appeal especially to women. Furthermore the wine  features an interesting label – a dark pink label with carved patterns inspired by pottery from prehistoric times which was found at archeological sites in Velke Bilovice where the winery Skoupil is located. This simple idea connects a modern design with the tradition and history of winemaking in this area.

From this beautiful collection "Pottery" we offer also Pálava 2015.

 

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Tasting of Welschriesling 2012

Welschriesling is a white grape variety which is absolutely unrelated to the Riesling grape from Germany. It is widely planted in central and eastern Europe and also in Italy. The late-ripening grape is highly demanding on sunny, dry slopes, it fits for clay or sandy carvel soils. Welschriesling keeps a distinctive acidity level therefore it is suitable also for sweet wines such as ice wine or straw wine, as the acidity balances the residual sugar very well. The variety is also widely used for cuvées and sparkling wines preventing the dullness of the blend. In the Czech Republic, Welschriesling is the 4th most grown variety, planted on more than 1.200 ha of vineyards. Welschriesling has a great terroir in the Mikulov subregion, particularly the area of Pálava Hills, where the calcareous soil contributes to highly extractive wines with a pleasant minerality. 



Welschriesling 2012

dry

Spätlese

13,5% alc.

residual sugar: 2,3 g/l

acids: 5,4 g/l

Moravia region, Mikulov subregion

This Welschriesling by the winery Zamecke vinarstvi Bzenec - the collection GRANDS VINS D'ALFONS MUCHA - comes from the Mikulov subregion. Brightly yellow colored wine with golden glints, the aroma is fresh and fruity with notes of linden blossom, apples, gooseberries and yellow melon with sweet hint of honey raisins. The palate is harmonic with zesty acidity, the notes of lime, apples and pears, rounded by honey and vanilla tones. The wine is lingering into notes of dried fruits and nuts, with a light mineral aftertaste.

This wine comes from a collection GRANDS VINS D'ALFONS MUCHA featuring paintings by world known Czech Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha. He was born in Moravia and produced at the turn of 19th and 20th century. The painter became famous literally overnight when in 1895 painted an advertisement for the Parisian play Gismonda for Sarah Bernhardt, the famous actress in Théatre de la Renaissance. The poster had such a huge success that the actress started a six year contract with him. 

Mucha's paintings feature often young women in flowing robes surrounded by flowers, the posters are characterized by pastel colors. Altough he produced lots of posters, illustrations, advertisements and postcards, his masterpiece is the so called The Slav Epic depicting, on twenty huge canvases, the history of Czech people and other Slavic nations.

From this beautiful collection we offer also Pinot Noir Rosé 2014 and Pinot Blanc 2012.

 

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Tasting of Moravian Muscat 2015

The Czech Republic has a demanding colder climate conditions therefore there wasn't any suitable grape variety with muscat aroma. This gap in the wine market was filled in 1987 when Moravian Muscat was breeded by V. Krivanek. It is a cross of Muscat Ottonel and Prachttraube and the cultivar has gained wide popularity becoming the most grown local variety. Nowadays it is planted on more than 400 ha of vineyards. It is early ripening grape harvested at the same time as Müller Thurgau, therefore it can be used for young St. Martin's wine. It is suitable also for blends and sparkling wines.

 

Moravian Muscat 2015

semi-dry

Spätlese

12,5% alc.

residual sugar: 17,5 g/l

acids: 7,1 g/l

Moravia region, Mikulov subregion

This Moravian Muscat comes from the winery Mikrosvin Mikulov in the Mikulov subregion. The processing of grapes and production of wine from Moravian Muscat is highly demanding both in the vineyard and in the cellar. The variety is suitable only for cold areas and the yields should be reduced to obtain high quality grapes. The cultivar contains low amount of acids therefore it is necessary to harvest the grapes in time and process them by low temperatures with intent to preserve the acidity.

Light yellow colored wine with glints of white gold, after the first swirl the wine reveals captivating intensive aroma of muscat fresh grapes, tangerine, lychee, linden blossom, honey, rose and other flower notes. Although the aroma is very sweet, the palate surprises with lively acidity which makes the taste balanced and full. Notes of tangerine, peach, lychee, orange zest, black currant and a spicy hint of nutmeg is lingering into sweet tones of honey and banana.
This wine is very seductive and attractive especially for women.  Above all, it makes you think such intensive perfume of this wine could not be done by mother nature. This bottle is a perfect example how great wine Moravian Muscat can be when processed carefully. Moravian Muscat should be enjoyed within two years after vintage, it is not suitable for archiving.

Moravian Muscat 2015 comes from the collection FLOWER LINE which connects wines carrying joy and optimism, produced with an intent to emphasize the primary varietal aromatics, intense fruits, freshness and crispiness. Furthermore this characteristic is supported by eye-catching paintings of wild flowers on the label, attracting mainly women customers. 

From the FLOWER LINE collection you can try also Kerner 2015 or Riesling 2014.

 

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November 11 - time to open St. Martin's wine

November 11 was a very important day for every wine lover. This date is connected with the „Svatomartinske“ which means St. Martin’s wine – the first young wine of the new vintage. On November 11 at 11 o’clock comes the right time when you can open and taste the bottle from the new vintage.

The St. Martin’s wines are young and lively, very refreshing with fruity character. To keep the high standard of the young wines, there is a common logo with St. Martin on white horse, which guarantees that the wine was approved and tested by the comission of Czech wine association. The branding of St. Martin’s wine can be used only for approved wines from white grapes of Müller Thurgau, Veltliner Frührot and Moravian Muscat. The red wines can be produced from Blauer Portugieser or St. Laurent’s, the rosé wines furthermore from the grape of Zweigeltrebe. This year the comission has approved 375 wines, out of which 98 were produced from the grape of Müller Thurgau. Altogether there will be around 2.3 million bottles of St. Martin’s wines sold in the Czech market.

The tradition of St. Martin’s wines is very old. In the past, on November 11 the workers hired for duty on the vineyards finished their work for current year and they discussed the work conditions for the next year with their employer with a glass of young wine. This tradition is also connected with festive food – traditionally with roasted goose. St. Martin’s goose is roasted with stuffing from apples and it is served with sweet-and-sour red or white cabbage and dumplings or potato pancakes. The dessert consists of sweet baked rolls stuffed with walnuts.

Nowadays the day of St. Martin is dedicated to events with tasting of new young wines. Many restaurants offer also traditional menu of goose paired with young wines. The consumer can easily recognize the wines thanks to the unitary branding of Martin on white horse. This logo reminds of an old proverb which says St. Martin comes on white horse which means he brings the first snow. This year the proverb has fulfilled ensuring the right atmosphere for tasting of new vintage 2016. Cheers!

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Tasting of Gewürztraminer 2015

Gewürztraminer is an old pink-skinned grape variety and because it mutates easily it is quite difficult to track its origins back to the history. It is planted only in cooler climates because in too hot climate it lacks the necessary acidity. It is difficult to grow and the yields are relatively low but the care of the winegrower is rewarded with full-bodied, opulently aromatic wine, with exotic spicy flavors. In the Czech Republic, as well as in other countries, it is marginal grape variety, it is planted on 630 ha of vineyards.

Gewürztraminer 2015

semi-dry

Auslese

14,0% alc.

residual sugar: 9,7 g/l

acids: 6,3 g/l

Moravia region, Velke Pavlovice subregion, wine village Velke Bilovice, vineyard Smatlaky - Zadni hora

This Gewürztraminer comes from the winery Skoupil in the Velke Pavlovice subregion, wine village Velke Bilovice, vineyard Smatlaky - Zadni hora which is a very nice location at moderate slope with lots of sunshine. Gewürztraminer ripens in excellent quality here, in 2015 it has reached even Prädikat of Auslese. This wine was processed by cryomaceration when the crushed grapes are macerated at very low temperature in order to develop the aromatic substances and flavors.

Yellow colored wine with golden glints revealing an outstanding range of aromas - redcurrant, gooseberry, acacia honey, wildflowers, elderflowers, lychee, exotic fruits and spices. The wine is full-bodied and complex, the palate is very spicy with concentrated taste of fruits and muscat flavors, lingering in a pleasant sweet tone of honey. The wine has won Silver Medal at San Francisco International Wine Competition 2016 and Oenoforum 2015. The concentrated aroma and palate reveal a new flavor with every sip making this wine a perfect choice for special occassions, it is very attractive especially to women.

Gewürztraminer 2015 comes from a collection TERROIR, produced with an intent to emphasize the particular vineyard and its uniqueness. On the beautiful label you can find a map if the wine village, the particular vineyard is marked in yellow. Thanks to the decoration with the embossing technology, you can travel on the map with your finger discovering the local landscape. The map has lots of lovely details.

From this collection you can try also Grüner Veltliner 2015 and Pinot Blanc 2015.

 

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Tasting of Sauvignon Tropical 2015

This Sauvignon Tropical is a part of the special collection with aroma tester on the bottle - the tester allows to smell similar perfume as the wine aroma. It comes from the winery Znovin from Znojmo subregion. The wine was processed with an intent to accent the tropical flavors of Sauvignon Blanc. Light-yellow colored wine, at the first smell the aroma is sweet reminding of pineapple and banana. After swirling, more piercing citrus aroma appears reminding of grapefruit, orange and lemon.

Sauvignon Blanc Tropical 2015

semi-dry

Spätlese

12,5% alc.

residual sugar: 8,8 g/l

acids: 6,6 g/l

Moravia region, Znojmo subregion, wine village Strachotice, vineyard Divci vrchy

The palate is very fruity - peach, pineapple, banana, papaya, mango and citruses. The wine is lingering in a pleasant sweet tone of the residual sugar, yet it remains very refreshing.The wine has won Silver Medal at Concours Mondial du Sauvignon 2016 in Rueda.

As mentioned above, this Sauvignon Blanc Tropical comes from a special collection with aroma tester on the bottle. If you rub the tester with your hand and smell the bottle, you can smell a similar tropical perfume as the wine aroma. The collection includes also Sauvignon Green, which is processed with intent to accent the "green" flavors in Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon Rouge which is a rosé with "rouge" perfume on the tester. The tester gives the inexperienced consumer a rough idea how the wines smell and taste, thus makes the choice easier and more funny.

The front label is transparent enabling to watch through wine a painting on the back side of the bottle. The painting "Víno je v tom nevinně" by Josef Velčovský comes from the collection in monastery in Znojmo.

Sauvignon Blanc is an old French grape variety, it is widely popular for its distinctive piercing aroma. The cultivar is not demanding on fertile soil, however it requires warm slopes because of its low resistence to frost. In the Czech Republic Sauvignon Blanc (locally called just Sauvignon) is the 5th most grown white variety and belongs to the most popular varieties for high quality wines with Prädikat. The changing of warm days and cold nights during the ripening period helps to develop a highly pronounced aroma. Czech winemakers usually intend to process Sauvignon in two styles - "green" with gooseberry, nettle and grass notes or "tropical" with dominant fruit flavors of sweet tropical fruits and citruses which are supported by some residual sugar.

In our offer you can find two more Sauvignon Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc 2015 and Sauvignon Green 2015.

 

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