2019-C Pikasi Pinela, Vipava Valley, Slovenia (750ml)   

_{A Monthly Wine Club Selection}
Vipava Valley is right on the border of Slovenia, just north of the Italian port city of Trieste. The area is made up of steep hills, where the continental climate of the Alps collides with the more moderate mild Mediterranean climate from the Adriatic.

Here, the vineyards are located on steep, karst mountain tops, where the temperature is cooler and the soil contains mineral-rich marl, which is incredibly helpful with regard to rainfall drainage. The organic vineyards are dry-farmed and need little intervention beyond careful pruning. This native yeast fermented bottling is made of the indigenous Slovenian grape Pinela (a rare indigenous varietal with only about 50 hectares currently cultivated), and hails from the region of Brje, in Slovenia's Vipava Valley. The grapes were hand-picked, de-stemmed, and immediately pressed. Spontaneous fermentation was in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was then matured on the lees (the yeast sediments) in stainless steel for 11 months, then lightly filtered before being bottled. The wine benefitted from 2 months of subsequent bottle ageing before release. Only 200 cases produced in total. Pale lemon yellow. Earthy aromatics. Delicate stone fruit flavors, plus underripe pear, lemon pith and a delicate floral note. Vibrant and lively in texture. Fresh and fruity when served cold—but reveals more layers and complexity closer to room temperature.