“Stella Flora is named after my grandmother, a strong but sweet woman who worked in the vineyard until she was 89,” Maria Pia Castelli tells me.

In normal years, I’d be having this conversation in person, preferably in the vineyard or cellar. This year is far from normal, so our conversation is over Facebook. I tell Maria that her red, Erasmo Castelli, is corked. “You know what Matthew? I’m going to send you another bottle,” she types in the chat window. “Erasmo Castelli is the name of my grandfather, that wine means a lot to me.”

The winemaking bug big Maria Pia Castelli and her husband Enrico, during a road trip through Burgundy and Piedmont. Following that trip, they launched their own winery in 1999 with the help of her father Erasmo, a long-time wine grower. Maria Pia farms 8 hectares (20 acres) of vineyards in Marche (Italy) with her husband and her son.

Maria Pia Castelli presents her wines at RAW Wine in London. Like most natural producers, she eschews pesticides and herbicides and is precise with her pruning. But for me, there’s something more than that. These are wines with real soul, a twinkle in the eye. “The secret is low yields, skill, patience, and hard work,” Maria Pia Castelli says.

I might add passion to that equation.

• Maria Pia Castelli, Stella Flora 2016

The Maria Pia Castelli, Stella Flora is a 25-day, macerated white wine blend of Pecorino, Passerina, Trebbiano and Malvasia di Candia. It’s also aged in oak. Notes of flint, white peach, honey, smoke, and mandarin oranges. This has a perfect balance between fruit and mineral notes. Intense, powerful, and long. The fruit coats the palate before the tannins start to grip and the prickly acidity comes in. This is an outstanding orange wine. Score: 93+/100

• Maria Pia Castelli, Sant’ Isidoro 2018

The Maria Pia Castelli, Sant’ Isidoro saignée rosé that is made from Montepulciano and Sangiovese. It is a rosato that feels like a light red. Beautiful notes of strawberry, forest raspberry, earth, and meadow flowers emerge from the glass. The sweetness of the fruit makes this feel off-dry, although Maria Pia Castelli claims this is bone dry. It’s not a poolside rosé, this is something with complexity and bite. There is even a slight amount of tannin here but it’s not drying. Score: 89/100

• Maria Pia Castelli, Lorano 2016

The Maria Pia Castell, Lorano is pure Sangiovese aged in wood for 12 months. It smells like a bigger, denser take on the grape, almost like it’s an expensive Super Tuscan blend. There are notes of cherry, red plum, dried strawberry, earth, and leather. The palate has the red fruits upfront coupled with a savory element. The acidity here is bright and lively and the tannins are chewy. It’s a stripped-down, hands-off, truly Old World type of red. Score: 93/100

• Maria Pia Castelli, Erasmo Castelli 2015

This is a big red made from Montepulciano. It’s aged for a whopping 30 months in the barrel. Don’t think of simple Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, this a full, structured red. Dark in color with notes of black cherry, mocha, leather, black pepper. This is a rich, full red without going over the top. Silky mouthfeel upfront with a tangerine peel-like, minerally acidity. Big ripe tannins. This has the fruit and the structure to go further in the bottle. I haven’t enjoyed such a massive red such as this in a long time. Score: 94/100

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

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Maria Pia Castelli provided tasting samples. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

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Istria is a heart-shaped peninsula that sits at the top of the Adriatic Sea. Most of the peninsula sits within Croatian borders although there are small parts are in Slovenia and Italy. The region has often been dubbed “The New Tuscany” for its hilltop towns, Italian-influenced cuisine, and juicy wines. Istrian winemakers continue to push the quality bar higher for Croatian wine. Their annual showcase of the region is known as Vinistra.

We attended the 26th Vinistra and tasted through the latest vintages. Our focus began with the region’s signature white grape, Malvazija Istarska. The quality of fresh, dry Malvazija Istarska is high and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend bottlings from nearly all of the producers. When made fresh, Malvazija Istarska has notes of white flower and yellow peach that finishes with a slightly bitter almond note. The latest vintage is 2018 and after tasting through all the examples, it looks like another promising year.

One grape that took us by surprise at this year’s Vinistra was Cabernet Franc. Istrians proudly grow their local grape Teran and boast that their terroir is great for Merlot. However, the less popular of the Cabernets might be the best option for the region. Several examples we tasted had the classic capsicum, and violet notes with ripe red fruit and chewy tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon has a hard time ripening every year in Istria, so we’re hoping that more producers give Cabernet Franc a shot.

You can see more of our thoughts on the region and the wines in the video below.

You can learn more about Istria and its wines by checking out our videos Cracking Croatian Wine In Istria Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks:

Our regular favorites from Istria showed really well. The Kozlović Santa Lucia White 2016 and Red 2015 are stellar as always. The new vintage of Kabola Malvazija Amphora 2016 is stunning as well as the Coronica Gran Malvazija 2016, Cornica Gran Teran 2015, and Matošević Grimalda Red 2016. The new vintages from Clai, Damjanić, and Franković are also something that you should check out. Instead of writing about our favorites again, we decided to spotlight several different producers below.

You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.

• Vina Laguna, Castello 2017

The Vina Laguna Castello cuvée has traditionally been Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the first vintage that is a true Bordeaux blend – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It’s toasty with violet, capsicum, and black fruit notes. The wine is spicy and shows good tannic structure. We tasted it as a barrel sample and it’s possible that the wine is even better once it is released next year. Score: 90/100

• Tomaz, Nera 2015

This is a rare example of Malvasia Nera in Istria. Tomaz has long been known for his Malvazijas, but this wine shows he has the touch with reds too. The Tomaz Nera has notes of sour cherry, white flower, white pepper. Intense fruity and floral yet light on the palate. This is a fun wine with soft tannins. Score: 89/100

• Marijan Arman, Mavazija Rezerva 2015

The Marjan Arman Malvazija Rezerva is a full-bodied, barrel matured white wine, it’s aged 8 months in oak and macerated for 20 hours. This has notes of pineapple, yellow peach, yogurt, and wood. This wine is round and creamy in the mouth and the floral notes come out a little more on the palate than on the nose. Acidity and wood management are very well balanced. This is a wine that fans of barrel-aged Chardonnay should seek out. It’s among the best barrel-fermented Malvazijas that you will come across. Score: 91/100

• Dvorac Belaj, Malvazija 2012

The Dvorac Belaj Malvazija 2012 has a great nose, nice structure, and sweet textural finish. Charine loved it, saying, “The 2012 Malvazija (3-day maceration, 1 year aged on lees. 50% in steel tanks and 50% in 3000-liter oak cask.) was a huge surprise. It was so flinty, chalky and limey on the nose, almost Chablis-like. On the palate, it was linear and light with a pleasant acidic bite and a saline finish.” Score: 90/100

• Legovina, Cuvée Blanc 2009

This is one of our favorite producers in Istria for aged wines. The Legovina Cuvée Blanc 2009 is a blend of Malvazija (60%), Chardonnay (30%), and Sauvignon Blanc (10%). The Malvazija is macerated and the finished cuvée is aged for a whopping 72 months in oak. This is a serious, geeky wine with bruised apple, sherry-like note, apricot, and sweet peach. Shiny and almost Szamorodni (Tokaj) like. This is complex and thought-provoking. Score: 92/100

• Franc Arman, Cabernet Franc 2015

Before we tasted this, we had just spent a week in the Loire – which means our bar for Cabernet Franc is quite high (especially Charine). The Franc Arman Cabernet Franc is a great effort. It has a Chinon-like nose with notes of black olive, capsicum, cherry and more. It’s medium-bodied with firm tannins. Score: 89/100

• Monte Rosso, Nerone 2016

Most red grape plantings in Istria consist of Teran, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This Monte Rosso Nerone is made with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and is aged for 18 months in large oak casks. It smells like true Montepulciano with dark cherry, chocolate, and cedar notes. The wine is rich and luscious with chewy tannins making for a great weekday sipper. Score: 88/100

• Degrassi, Contarini Cabernet Franc Riserva 2012

Moreno Degrassi is part of the old guard in Istria. He releases his red wines with a few years of bottle age. The Cabernet Franc Riserva 2012 smells like a Tuscan red with notes of sweet cherry, black olive, and cedar. It’s round on the palate with tangy acidity and chewy tannins. Score: 90/100

• Benvenuti Santa Elisabetta 2015

Benvenuti continues to raise the quality bar with every vintage, we now consider them to be among the finest producers of Croatian wine. The Benvenuti Santa Elisabetta was the best wine we tasted at the show (in addition to the Kozlović Santa Lucija white and red). It’s made from 100% Teran. Charine loved it as you can see below. Score: 93/100

• Ghira, Malvazija Amphora 2017

This is an experimental wine and is not bottled yet. Currently, in Istria, the only Malvazija fermented in amphora that I am aware of is from Kabola. The Ghira Malvazija Amphora 2017 is macerated two weeks in 350 L amphora (above the ground, not buried). It’s floral with notes of sweet peach and fine texture. It isn’t finished product but does show potential. Score: 88/100

The finest selection of Croatian wines

available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Croatian Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Croatian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Croatian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Istrian Wine Continues to Rise appeared first on Wine Travel.

Hello! Welcome to As Drunk by Exotic Wine Travel, a weekly column where we feature interesting wines that we encourage you to seek out. The reviews featured in this series may be written by either one or the both of us. The featured wines can be from obscure or well-known wine regions. We hope that these wine recommendations will keep you gastronomically curious and your palate invigorated!

Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT 2010

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

In the Fall of 2017, our friend Milan Milojević invited us to taste some wines from his portfolio. Milan and his brother Marko own Wine Elite DOO in Serbia. They specialize in high-end Spanish wine but their portfolio also includes some great juice from France, Germany, Italy, and the USA.

For our last evening in Belgrade, Milan pulled out several wines for us to sample. We were accompanied by our friend Igor Luković, the editor-in-chief of a local magazine called Vino & Fino. Milan spoiled us, bringing a number of great wines including Grosses Gewachs Riesling from Germany (Carl Loewen, Riesling Maximin Herrenberg Grosses Gewachs 2016) and a spellbinding Syrah from Catalunya (Castell D’Encus, Thalarn 2013). 

Those wines are brilliant, but one wine rose to the top of the tasting for us.

The Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT 2010 is a blend of Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Marselan, and Alicante Bouchet. It smells and tastes like a luscious Tuscan Bordeaux blend. The wine has notes of chocolate, tobacco, black cherry, and violet. The mid-palate is intense and it’s followed by chewy tannins and a lingering finish. This also has a touch of Brett adding to the complexity. 

Everyone present was impressed with the exceptional quality of this wine.

4.5/5 (You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

Thank you to Milan and Marko Milojević of Wine Elite for providing the wines and Fino Vino shop for hosting us. The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers.

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Macedonia, the country, is not the same as the Macedonia region in Northern Greece. This independent country has a long history of winemaking dating back to the 13th century BC. It sits in a magical area for viticulture. The country’s location is at the confluence of Mediterranean and Continental climates. When Macedonia was part of the former Yugoslavia, it produced more than half of the Yugoslavian wine. Today, almost all of the production in Macedonia is dedicated to red wine.

Macedonia was on our checklist for the three-month tasting trip through the ex-Yugoslavian countries. We began the trip in Serbia, which is dominated by small wine producers—the opposite of Macedonia. Many Serbs still have the impression that most Macedonian wine is bulk, inexpensive, industrial wine. However, when we started making our way south in Serbia, several Serbian winemakers said, “You must try Chateau Kamnik.” 

Most of Macedonia’s wineries are huge. A medium sized winery in the country pumps out 4.5 million liters (6 million bottles of 0.75L) of wine per year. The largest winery, Tikveś, produces 20 million liters of wine per year. Chateau Kamnik is nowhere near that range. It is considered a boutique winery producing under 100,000 liters per year. They are concerned with making high- quality wine. Chateau Kamnik is just outside Skopje, nestled high on a hill overlooking the city. The property features the winery, a hotel, and a wonderful game meat restaurant named The Hunter’s Lodge Kamnik. The restaurant has a diverse range of meats from hedgehog to venison. We stayed one night on our own dime and enjoyed both the hotel and the restaurant, which serves many of Kamnik’s wines by the glass.

Now onto the wines, which are wonderful. The Skopje wine-growing region of Macedonia has what is considered as a continental climate. However, the summers are long and hot with a low amount of rain. The region also receives anywhere from 270 to 300 sunny days per year –  a common theme in Macedonia. They are big, rich, flavorful wines. They are Robert Parker’s darling wines: big fruit, rich texture, and high alcohol.

The tasting room is beautiful, with 360-degree views over Skopje and the surrounding mountains. The archive wines are held in a large, all-glass enclosed room. The owner really invested in the presentation of the wines and the tasting room. The room is very comfortable and can accommodate large groups. The bottles are heavy, high-quality glass. Chateau Kamnik uses American and French oak barrels.

We tasted a selection of white wines from the tanks including Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, but it was at the start of our visit so we didn’t get to take notes on them. The following wines were tasted from freshly opened bottles.

Chateau Kamnik wines available for purchase at wineandmore.com

EXOTIC WINE TRAVEL’S TASTING NOTES

(Wines Tasted on April 5, 2016)

• Chateau Kamnik Temjanika 2013

Temjanika is a type of Muscat that Serbia claims as its own. The grape grows abundantly in Macedonia and produces much bigger wines than in Serbia because of the high number of sunny days. This has a nose of sweet white flower, lemon, and stone. On the palate, it’s full-bodied with an off-dry feel showing flavors of lemon, wet stone, and mineral. The Chateau Kamnik Temjanika 2013 almost has a lemon spritzer feel in the mouth. A very interesting white wine.

• Chateau Kamnik Chardonnay 2013

Barrel fermented and matured for 9 months in oak. The Chateau Kamnik Chardonnay 2013 is incredibly rich, buttery, and viscous. The nose has melon, graham cracker, pear, and vanilla notes. The mouth is full of creamy butter, vanilla, and oak. It is not a fruit-forward white. This is very similar to a big, oaky Chardonnay from California.

• Chateau Kamnik Winemaker’s Selection 2014 

A blend of 50% Vranec, 40% Merlot, and 20% Carmenere. Chateau Kamnik Winemaker’s Selection is the basic red wine in the portfolio. It doesn’t skimp on quality but also doesn’t hold a candle to the reserve and grand reserve red wines. It is not aged in oak. Vranac is indigenous to Montenegro and produces wines of high alcohol and acidity. It has become the flagship of grape of Macedonia, where they spell it as “Vranac” with an “a”, and not “Vranec” with an “e”. This wine has a nose of chocolate, plum, raspberry, and mushroom. The palate is fruity, full of plum & raspberry. The wine ends with a minty finish and is guided by the soft tannins. The Winemaker’s Selection is much leaner than the other red wines by Kamnik.

• Chateau Kamnik Cuvee Prestige 2013 

A blend of 69% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Vranec. This is the point in the portfolio where the wines start to become really serious. It is aged for seven months in new and used oak. The nose is full of blackberry, concord jam, and dirt. The palate has black fruit, pepper, and bell pepper with ripe, chewy tannins. Chateau Kamnik Cuvee Prestige 2013  is an absolutely delicious wine that toes the delicate line of keeping Old and New World fans happy.

• Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Syrah 2011

This is a reserve wine that took home a plethora of gold medals from various international competitions. It is aged for over 20 months in new oak and has a brick red color. The nose is full of rubber, black olive, leather, red fruit, white pepper, and cotton candy. The palate is full of rich blackberry, mint, white pepper. It’s very drinkable with soft tannins. Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Syrah 2011 is an absolute beauty of a wine.

• Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Syrah 2013

This wine was aged for 23 months in new oak barrels. The nose has blackberry, coconut, pepper, rubber, and black olive notes. The palate is fruit-forward without being too jammy. There is black fruit, pepper, and round tannins. We prefer the 2011 vintage, but this wine has the stuffing to be just as great.

• Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

This is another reserve wine that spends a whopping 31 months in new oak. It is high in alcohol at 15.3%. The red-brown color is absolutely beautiful. The nose has tons of rubber, violet, clove, blackberry, and licorice. The aromas carry over to the mouthfeel in addition to mint, cherry, and blackberry notes. The Chateau Kamnik Ten Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 has extremely fierce tannins and needs to be laid down for a few more years.

——————

“As with all these tastings, there are always some stand-outs from little-known corners of the wine world; the sort of wines which really excite the judges when its revealed a high score was awarded not just to a winery few, if any, had heard of, but to a wine region that was new to them. Among these was the Skopje district, which is located in Macedonia, and source of the ‘Ten Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon’ from Château Kamnik, which was the other entry to achieve the top title of Master this year, such was the quality of the wine for the price – it costs less than £20.”

– Source: The Drinks Business

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• Chateau Kamnik Single Vineyard Merlot 2010

Some of the regional competitions named this wine the ‘Sassicaia of the Balkans’. This is a reserve wine and spends 18 months in new oak and is an absolutely fantastic wine. The nose is full of black fruit, strawberry, mint, stone, eucalyptus, pepper, and mineral. An extremely complex nose. The palate is silky smooth with notes of game, black and red berries, and mint. The Chateau Kamnik Single Vineyard Merlot 2010 is a  wine that will please many people.

• Chateau Kamnik Terroir Grand Reserva Vranec 2012

This is one of two “Grand Reserva” wines made by Kamnik. 100% Vranec, the grapes were picked late and partially dried after harvest. An extremely dense and concentrated wine at 16.2% alcohol. The wine has an inky purple color and extremely viscous in the glass. The nose is full of blue fruit, berry jam, sour plum, and white flower notes. The palate has big blue fruit flavors with balanced acidity and tannins that are round, chewy, and fierce all at the same time. The alcohol is high but is not felt, as this massive wine is put together extremely well. Chateau Kamnik Terroir Grand Reserva Vranec 2012 is a phenomenal wine made from a unique and promising variety.

• Chateau Kamnik Signature Grand Reserva Merlot 2012

The second of the “Grand Reserva” line and equally big at 17.3% alcohol. The color is more brick red as opposed to the opaque, inky Vranec Terroir. The winery labels this as off-dry, but it tastes like a dry wine. The nose has tomato juice, black pepper, brambleberry, and plum notes. The palate is full of pepper, salt, mineral, blackberry jam with fierce tannins and a long end-palate. This wine is so balanced and well made that the high alcohol is again not felt. Chateau Kamnik Signature Grand Reserva Merlot 2012 is massive, rich, and delicious.

• Chateau Kamnik Montepulciano 2013

We noticed at The Hunter’s Lodge restaurant that they had a Montepulciano on the wine list. We did not try it in the winery so we inquired about it. The server told us that it had sold out a long time ago. About one month later in Kotor, Montenegro, we came across a bottle at a restaurant. We ordered it with no hesitation.

A blend of 97% Montepulciano and 3% Vranec. Even though this is one of Chateau Kamnik’s entry-level reds, it doesn’t suffer from any loss of quality. The wine is a massive and jammy interpretation of this Italian grape. The wine is beefed up by a small amount of Vranec in the blend. The nose and palate have identical flavors of dark cherry, dirt, plum, and sweet tobacco. Chateau Kamnik Montepulciano is a wonderful red wine that gives a sample of Chateau Kamnik’s more expensive offerings at a fraction of the price.

The finest selection of

Macedonian

wines available at:

Shipping is available EU-wide and to the UK.

Check out Wines Available in the USA.

************

    Do you want to try Macedonian wines?    

If you’re looking to savor the exquisite flavor of Macedonian wines, look no further than wineandmore.com. With an abundance of options from different winemakers, it’s easy to find exactly what your palate desires. Not sure which bottle is best for you? Try out one of their curated wine cases and discover the perfect vintage for any occasion!

************

Want to learn more about wine?

Are you ready to discover the wonderful world of wines? Come join us at wineandmore.com and let’s explore the incredible selection of delicious wines together! We can’t wait to share our passion for wine with you!

You May Also Enjoy

• • Vranac Without Borders: 16 Wines to Try
  • Dušan Jelić: A Perspective on Balkan Wines
  • Ivana Simjanovska: Macedonian Wine Expert (Wine Judge, Wine Writer)
  • Vertical Tasting of Chateau Kamnik’s Cabernet Sauvignon

Cover image courtesy of Chateau Kamnik.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Big Macedonian Wines from Chateau Kamnik appeared first on Wine Travel.