Style: Sparkling Red Wine (Pet Nat)
Producer: Štoka
Grape: 100% Teran
Where: Kras
Country: Slovenia
Taste: Made as a Peneče (pétillant-naturel), the floral flavors are still there, but greatly lifted by fresh sour cherries and far more tart fruit than a typical macerated and open vat fermentation. If you’re into dry red Lambrusco this is for you.
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Considered one of the oldest and most revered local grapes. Harvesting is done by hand, destemmed, and macerated for 8 days before a long and slow native fermentation in large oak barrels. A small portion spends 10 months on the skins to serve as a blending agent. The wine is then racked to used barrels and moved into caves for aging. Full malolactic fermentation results in added texture and weight.
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Wind, caverns and the Adriatic Sea define the Slovenian/Italian border region of the Kras. For over 200 years the the Štoka family has nurtured the native red Teran and white Vitovska in the iron rich “terra rossa” that the Kras is famous for. Their farm is located north-east of Trieste about 5 miles from the Adriatic in the village of Krajna Vas. Štoka farms about 25 hectares with roughly 7 devoted primarily to Teran with smaller parcels of Vitovska, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot. With soils rich in iron oxides (hematite), the drastic contrast of color between the red soil (Terra Rossa), green vines, and ripe grapes seems almost artificial. Depending on the amount of top soil, limestone rocks often stick out like teeth with surrounding vegetation struggling for survival. 250 meters above the Adriatic these sites are cooler than the more coastal Italian vineyards. The combination of wind, altitude, and proximity to the Alps are essential for accumulating greater complexity. All of the vines are about 15 years old, fertilized with cow manure, and dry farmed.



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