Brut Nature 1306 is a lovely and fresh Blanc de Blancs. Its base wine comes from the 2021 vintage and Chardonnay is from the vineyard located just below the winery. The number refers to St. Anthony’s Day. Blanc de Noirs 2607 is a white sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir, named after St. Anne’s feast day. Both were produced using the traditional method (secondary fermentation in the bottle) without malolactic fermentation. Both aged for 36 months on the lees, and both are truly excellent. Although the second son, Jan, did not yet have his own sparkling wine ready during our visit last summer, we had the chance to taste a third one currently in the bottle: rosé made from Pinot Noir. It is a 2022 vintage and also a nature style meaning there is no additives to boost sweetness or aroma. A fourth sparkling wine is also planned, made from a base wine aged in a 1,000-liter barrel.
From a purely business perspective, having sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and Graševina (in liter bottles) would suffice; those are the essentials, while the rest are simply what we desire, says Luka. He adds that while they cannot compete with Slavonia in terms of Graševina, the 2021 vintage turned out beautifully. The aroma has lost its characteristic fruitiness but retains a pleasant, wine-like quality, while the taste is refined, persistent, apple-forward, and full-bodied. The 2023 Riesling underwent fermentation on its own lees. It boasts excellent acidity and a very long finish. The 2024 Chardonnay Sur Lie was aged primarily in stainless steel tanks. A portion spent a short time in used barrels, allowing for a very subtle hint of oak that does not overpower the wine itself. The 2023 Pinot Noir is made from a blend of estate-grown grapes and purchased fruit from Erdut.
If the Pinot Noir were solely our own creation, it would have 12.5 percent alcohol. As it stands, it has 14.6 percent, Luka explains. The wine is initially quite lively. even a bit restless, but after some time in the glass, it settles down and the flavor rounds out... This year, a 2024 Pinot Gris will also be released, featuring 13 percent alcohol and 60 grams of residual sugar. Based on its technical parameters, it qualifies as a predikat wine and could officially be classified as a late harvest. About fifteen years ago, Luka Košćak worked as an oenologist at the Bolfan Vinski Vrh winery in Hrašćina (Hrvatsko Zagorje), and roughly five years ago, he worked at the Kostanjevec winery in the Podravina region. He now cultivates about six hectares of vineyards across five sites located between Novi Marof (pictured below) and Lovrečan, on the border with Slovenia.
